Greatest hits albums worth owning even when you have the hits on the studio albums?

Almost every great band has released a greatest hits album, a retrospective of their greatest chart hits throughout their career. Many of these hits albums have tracks that weren't released on studio albums, and the rest of the hits albums contain the songs from already released studio albums that contained the hits.

Sometimes, a greatest hits album has cool edits and a running order that makes it stand as well as a classic studio album. Chicago's Greatest Hits is one of these. I really like the single edit of Make Me Smile and the sequencing is brilliant. This is the only hits album I own, though.

I assume there aren't TOO many but what are other examples? Actually, I ask because I was thinking of picking up Sly & The Family Stone's Greatest Hits because it has three songs that weren't on studio albums, but I could just download those three tracks on their own. How does this hits album stand on it's own, for example?

 

Nice post. I agree...there's more to compilation albums than just the songs themselves. Running order is a big factor fro me. I always loved how in the first Led Zeppelin Box Set from the 90's they sequenced Heartbreaker followed by Communication Breakdown as opposed to the usual, predictable pairing of the former with Living Loving Maid.

At any rate, there are a ton of obvious compilation albums that are worth having even if one has all the songs on the "proper" albums already..one of the most fun, though, has to be that of CCR. While their albums are all worth having with each containing it's own share of hit singles, it's nice to be able to put on a "greatest hits" album and hear all of those great songs one after the other.

 

A couple of the many Faith No More Greatest Hits albums have rarities and b sides thrown in. I own "Who Cares A Lot?" because it has the Angel Dust outtake "The World is Yours" and similar gems.

 

I submit for consideration Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Greatest Hits, partially because of the tracks chosen, but mostly because of Mary Jane's Last Dance.

 

Eponymous - R.E.M.

Features Romance, which was not on their studio albums and different takes/mixes of 3 other songs. It was my intro to the band.

 

This is the Moody Blues.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/this-is-the-moody-blues.230265/

 

I still own (and spin quite frequently) my Earth, Wind & Fire Greatest Hits CD, despite owning all of their albums (and even owning The Best of, Vol. 1, which also has the non-album "Got to Get You Into My Life" and "September"). It's just a great, solid collection, beginning to end.

 

Bob Marley's Legend. That thing is just perfection.

 

Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy

 

More a 'best of' than 'greatest hits', but I love Be Bop Deluxe's Air Age Anthology. Even though I now own all of their albums, I prefer listening to Air Age Anthology most of the time. It contains nearly all of their essential songs. And the sequencing is impeccable.

 

For me three in particular

• Buffalo Springfield- Retrospective
• The Animals - Best Of The Animals
• The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow

 

This Is Easy: The Best of Marshall

Great collection and has Crying Waiting Hoping from the La Bamba Sdtrk

 

Sly and the Family Stone Greatest Hits is a great record from beginning to end. It is rather short in overall running time but it has some songs that are not on their albums and the rest is essential.

This "greatest hits" album is an easy recommendation.

Scott

 

Surprisingly well. Like you, for years I didn't see the need to buy this album, since I had everything on it - even the singles that the three non-LP tracks came out on. Then I received a promo CD of a remastered version of the Greatest Hits album. Kept it because I thought it would be good iPod fodder. Then I played it one afternoon while filing my records and was astounded by how well it held up.

 

If you're a Crenshaw fan you should also own My Truck Is My Home, which has live versions of most of his hits (good quality soundboard recordings) plus some great covers, e.g. of Dave Alvin and MC5 tunes.

 

The red and blue albums are always a fun listen.

I like any greatest hits by any artists I like basically.

 

LP-length greatest hits have a certain charm that chock-full double CD sets never will. Another vote Sly & the Family Stone's GH, and I'll throw in Earth, Wind and Fire's and Simon & Garfunkle's.

 

Rolling Stones - More Hot Rocks
Contained an entire side of material that hadn't been released in the U.S. , plus some great B-sides.

 

I'd also suggest Sly & the Family Stone's Anthology - it's longer than and contains the hits that came after Greatest Hits, and the sequencing is perfect.

 

Queen I or II

 

Boston's Greatest Hits had some cool segues. The reissue removed them.

 

How is the sound quality on Anthology? Same or better than GH?

 

Madonna: The Immaculate Collection
Opinions vary, but I like all but a few of Shep Pettibone's remixes and the Q Sound.

Also, plus one for Sly's Greatest Hits. A stellar compilation.

 

1 Stick It
2 Rock Me
3 Face The Day (Blues Mix)
4 Save Your Love
5 Once Bitten Twice Shy
6 Wasted Rock Ranger (B Side)
7 Mista Bone
8 The Angel Song
9 House Of Broken Love (Live)
10 Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Live Acoustic)
11 Desert Moon (Live)
12 Call It Rock N' Roll
13 Old Rose Motel
14 Big Goodbye

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Hits_(Great_White_album)

 

Doesn't the recent remaster also use the quad mix? That would make things interesting.