Best artists who don't have 'Best Of' albums

Spoon and Beck were the first two I thought of.

 

PJ Harvey

 

Anything ACDC does is a best of!

 

Lindsey Buckingham

Lots of great material plus could include "Holiday Road" as a nice bonus.

 

74 -83

 

They also have the career-spanning (and better selection of songs, in my opinion), Mothership.

 

you had me. The only who record I owned was a best of. 'who's better, who's best.'

I like that song 'substitute'

 

Usher:
His first album was in 1994. His first Top 10 R&B hit was in 1995, and his first pop Top 10 was in 1997. In total, he's had nine No. 1 hits on the Hot 100, and 18 Top 10s. It's extremely rare (if not unprecedented) for an artist of his profile not to have had a hits compilation two decades plus into his career.

 

Stash »

 

Again, it was a joke. How many "best of"s does The Who have?

 

The Sundays (amazed this doesn't seem to exist)
The Delgados (perhaps too obscure)
Franz Ferdinand (I'm guessing they'd equate a best-of with the death of contemporary relevance)

 

Compiled by Julian Cope.

 

Beat me to it! Good choice.

 

Portishead
Scissor Sisters
Fiona Apple
Emiliana Torrini
Heather Nova

I expected Taylor Swift to release a greatest hits album this year. It's ten years since her debut album. I think that's a good point to release a career retrospective.

I'm surprised Rihanna's record label haven't released one by now. They should have released it in time for Christmas 2014 with FourFiveSeconds tagged on the end to promote it. It a bit silly that they didn't make the most of the three-year gap between Unapologetic and Anti. They could release a killer single disc collection that includes her biggest hits and a new song. They could also release a deluxe two-disc edition that includes more of her collaborations and smaller hits.

 

The Carpenters don't have an actual "Best Of" album (one with the name "Best Of..." released before Karen's death). Their two greatest hits collections are called Singles 1969 - 1973 and Singles 1974 - 1978 (which not released in the U. S.). If I remember correctly, with the Singles 1969 - 1973 it was called that because Richard didn't like "Greatest Hits" and it contained one song ("Ticket To Ride") that, while released as a single, wasn't a major hit.

 

Plus the "Remasters" 2 CD set.

 

I don't think there is a decent collection of Robert Plant's solo 'hits.' There is that double album thing but it misses too much. Even if he just had 80s highlights it could include...
Burning Down One Side
Pledge Pin
Big Log
In the Mood
Sea of Love
Rockin' at Midnight
Little By Little
Heaven Knows
Ship of Fools
Tall Cool One

 

Coldplay?

 

It seems to me most of these 'best of' albums are released by bands/artists that have either switched to another label but still owe the old label a record or who have broken up altogether and the label is looking to cash in.

So if the artist is still creative enough, and the band is still together, it's no surprise some of these more recent acts don't have 'best ofs' yet.

Also I wouldn't be at all shocked in this day and age if the artists have creative control of such things written in their contracts. Many compilations from older acts are done without much band input.

 

As a Led Zeppelin fan, I'm embarrassed to say that (likely due to the very similar album covers), I did not realize that Remasters was different than the Led Zeppelin box set.

After comparing the three 2CD track listings (Remasters vs. Early & Latter Days vs. Mothership), while all very similar (19 of the same songs appear on all 3 sets), I would still say that Mothership has the best selection of songs, although Remasters is a close second.

"Heartbreaker" – Remasters + Mothership
"Ramble On" – Remasters + Mothership
"What Is and What Should Never Be" – Early Days
"Celebration Day" – Remasters
"The Battle of Evermore" – Remasters + Early Days
"Misty Mountain Hop" – Remasters (CD only)
"When the Levee Breaks" – Early Days + Mothership
"The Rain Song" – Remasters (CD only)
"D'yer Mak'er" – Remasters + Mothership
"Over the Hills and Far Away" – Mothership
"Ten Years Gone" – Latter Days

The Early Days & Latter Days set falls short by not including "Heartbreaker," "Ramble On," and "D'yer Mak'er," and Mothership has the advantage over Remasters by including "Over the Hills and Far Away."

Mothership is not the perfect compilation, though. If it were up to me, I would add "The Rain Song," replace "In the Evening" with "Fool in the Rain" (which has not appeared on any of Zep's 2CD compilations), include both "Battle of Evermore" and "When the Levee Breaks" (and even "Misty Mountain Hop," although 6 songs from IV might be a bit too much), drop "No Quarter" in favour of "The Ocean" (which also has not appeared on any 2CD set), and drop "Achilles Last Stand" altogether. I also think that Mothership could have been a perfect vehicle for non-album B-side, but radio staple "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do."

Here is what my 2CD Led Zeppelin compilation would look like (which also takes more advantage of the 80 minute compact disc capacities):

Disc 1 – trt: 78:20

1. Good Times, Bad Times (1969, Led Zeppelin)
2. Dazed and Confused (1969, Led Zeppelin)
3. Communication Breakdown (1969, Led Zeppelin)
4. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (1969, Led Zeppelin)
5. Whole Lotta Love (1969, Led Zeppelin II)
6. Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman) (1969, Led Zeppelin II)
7. What Is and What Should Never Be (1969, Led Zeppelin II)
8. Ramble On (1969, Led Zeppelin II)
9. Heartbreaker (1969, Led Zeppelin II)
10. Immigrant Song (1970, Led Zeppelin III)
11. Hey, Hey, What Can I Do (1970, B-side to "Immigrant Song")
12. Since I've Been Loving You (1970, Led Zeppelin III)
13. Black Dog (1971, Led Zeppelin IV)
14. Misty Mountain Hop (1971, Led Zeppelin IV)
15. When the Levee Breaks (1971, Led Zeppelin IV)
16. Stairway to Heaven (1971, Led Zeppelin IV)

Disc 2 – trt: 79:32

1. Rock and Roll (1971, Led Zeppelin IV)
2. The Battle of Evermore (1971, Led Zeppelin IV)
   
3. The Song Remains the Same (1973, Houses of the Holy)
4. Over the Hills and Far Away (1973, Houses of the Holy)
5. D'yer Mak'er (1973, Houses of the Holy)
6. The Ocean (1973, Houses of the Holy)
7. The Rain Song (1973, Houses of the Holy)
8. Trampled Under Foot (1975, Physical Graffiti)
9. Houses of the Holy (1975, Physical Graffiti)
10. Ten Years Gone (1975, Physical Graffiti)
11. Kashmir (1975, Physical Graffiti)
12. Nobody's Fault But Mine (1976, Presence)
13. Fool in the Rain (1979, In Through the Out Door)
14. All My Love (1979, In Through the Out Door)

 

I think at this point, assembling a new solo collection for Robert Plant should include a few songs from Raising Sand, his multi-Grammy winning collaboration with Alison Krauss. I would nominate "Gone Gone Gone" and "Please Read the Letter."

 

Just to clarify, I was looking for artists who don't have best of/greatest hits albums, regardless of what the title is. For example, the Rolling Stones' Hot Rocks would classify as a best of/greatest hits album.

 

Are you kidding? They have at least 5 different greatest hits albums!

 

I own one by them.

 

Beck was the first one I thought of. I'd purchase one if he had one.