What are some of the best "Greatest Hits" compilations you've ever purchased?

Question

Some of the best Greatest Hits compilations i've ever purchased: (i'm including covers because most people tend to be visual)

Dylan - Bob Dylan http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c7/Dylan_album_cover.jpg

Legend - Bob Marley http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c2/BobMarley-Legend.jpg

The Very Best of Cat Stevens - Cat Stevens http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/2208/014lt4.jpg

The Platinum Collection - David Bowie http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/David_Bowie_-_The_Platinum_Collection.jpg

Stop the Clocks - Oasis http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/89/Oasis-stoptheclocks.jpg

Greatest Hits - Ramones http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515VPG%2B-y4L._SS400_.jpg

Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 - Sting http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VHGS7X9YL._SS500_.jpg

To name a few...

How about you?

Answer 1

Mike Oldfield ~ "The Platinum Collection" {3CD} {included singles and extended versions}

Mike Oldfield ~ "The Complete Mike Oldfield" {2CD} {included previously unreleased live tracks}



Stevie Nicks ~ "Timespace" {my first SN album}

Stevie Nicks ~ "The Enchanted Boxed Set" {3 CD} {included b-sides, soundtrack songs, and live tracks}



Fleetwood Mac ~ "25 Years : The Chain" {4 CD}

{included songs from the first 6 years, new songs, 1 live track, and alternative versions}



Pink Floyd ~ "Echoes" {2 CD}

Capercaillie ~ "Grace and Pride : 1984 - 2004" {2 CD}

Led Zeppelin ~ "Remasters" {2 CD}

Jimi Hendrix ~ "Experience Hendrix" {limited edition 2 CD}

The Who ~ "The Ultimate Collection" {2 CD}

The Rolling Stones ~ "40 Licks" {2 CD}

"The Very Best of Sting and The Police"

Heart ~ "These Dreams : Heart's Greatest Hits"

Answer 2

Interesting question. Live albums I'd say definitely (James Brown's Live At The Apollo is generally considered a classic). Compilations are more problematic because the kudos is shared by the artist(s) with the compiler. And there are different kinds of compilations: single artist greatest hits (or rare tracks, or both) single genre single time period thematically linked soundtracks for film/tv the personal mix tape tribute albums mix albums (Armand Van Buren for example) But on the whole I'd have to say I have some great compilations. So, after much waffling, yes, both types can be considered 'great'.

Answer 3

I don't like greatest hit albums normally, unless it's an artist that I don't care enough about to have their best albums. Takes the tracks from a, more or less, coherent album and puts them in some kind of out of context order. The following are exceptions to that somehow.

Dylan: "Biograph" 3 CDs. 1962-1981. Some previously released versions some not.

Dylan: "No Direction Home" 3 CDs. The Bootleg Series Volume 7. 1959-1966. The Martin Scorsese film songs.

Dylan:

"The Bootleg Series - Volumes 1-3 [rare & unreleased]"

1961-1991. 38 previously unreleased songs and alternative takes on others. 3 CDs.

Dylan "Live 1966" 2 CDs. The Bootleg Series Volume 4. The live world tour of 1965. This is the big controversial tour when he switched to electric and got alternatively booed and cheered around the world. Fan "Judas" - Dylan "I don't believe you - you're a liar". Dylan to band "Turn it up, play it ******* loud"



Dylan also released two previously unreleased songs ("Watching The River Flow" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece" produced by Leon Russell) on his second greatest hits (volume II) album. He's a rebel!

Answer 4

Pink Floyd - Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd

Queen - Greatest Hits Vol.1 (UK)

Beatles - #1´s

Bob Marley - Legend

Three Dog Night - The Complete Hits

Sting - Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994

AC/DC - Live!

Ramones - Greatest Hits

Eagles - The Very Best of Eagles

Cat Stevens - The Very Best of Cat Stevens

Answer 5

Bob Dylans Greatest hits Vol 1 2 & 3

Answer 6

Journey - Greatest Hits - Solid and everything is there

Earth Wind and Fire- The Eternal Flame

Prince - The Hits/The B Sides

Eagles - Greatest Hits 1, at one time, highest selling record.

Styx - Come Sail Away - The Anthology



I have Bowie - Changes 1 and always liked that.

Answer 7

I usually hate those things because they usually just compile hit songs, which are usually the worst by an artist, but here are a few I did dig a lot.



The Essential UFO

The Best Of The Doors

The Best Of Motorhead (Roadrunner Records version)

The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 71-75

Answer 8

Decade: Duran Duran

Rock n' Soul part 1- Daryl Hall & John Oates

The Hits- REO Speedwagon

So Far, So Good- Bryan Adams

Back to Front- Lionel Richie

Hot Rocks- Rolling Stones

Answer 9

Some of those as well as: I think of the Rolling Thunder Review as a Dylan Grts.hts. and:

Jackson Browne -best of

Niel Young

James Taylor

Dire Straights - sultans of swing

CSNY

Queen

Beatles

Joan Armatrading

Stevie Wonder - Song Review

Tammy Wynette - 16 biggest hits

Wliie Nelson

Bilie Joel - Essentials

Fleetwood Mac

Prince - the hits

Springsteen

The Doors

Janis Joplin

RHCP

Steely Dan



Just to name a few.................

Answer 10

Beckology by Jeff Beck

Journey Greatest Hits by Journey

The Best Of Cream by Cream

Answer 11

I know I'll get laughed at for this, but most of you in R&P already know I have cheesy taste in music : Ratt's '8191' disc was GREAT. It's a great disc, and it also confirms something that I thought about them at one point. I used to think they concentrated heavily on making 2 or 3 solid songs for each album, and then just using a lot of filler for the rest. Their greatest hits package all but confirms that.



I have Bowie's 2-disc 'The Best of Bowie'. I bought it in the mid 90s. I've never been more than a casual Bowie fan, but there's not a bad note on either CD. Whop whop whop.



Some artists, like Dream Theater, shouldn't release 'best of' compilations (as they just did). Their music is best appreciated in context.

Answer 12

Billy Joel, James Taylor, The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel (in MP3 format) and Bob Dylan.

Answer 13

Definitely agree with "Legend", it should be a staple of every CD collection.



Also, Eagles Greatest, Steve Miller's Greatest, and "The First Four Years" by Black Flag do not disappoint.



My Ramones "Greatest Hits" (there are many) is "Ramones Mania".

Answer 14

Will have to go home and look to be specific, but I love 'best ofs' ~ even when I have the original CDs and could make my own!



U2 ~ '18' (gets played a lot)

REM ~ The Best of REM - In Time (gets played TONS)

Bob Dylan ~ The Essential Bob Dylan (is fantastic)

Led Zeppelin ~ a 2-CD set, has a photo of them 'young' in space suits on one cover, and a photo of them 'older' in space suits on the other cover. Might be a Target store issue as I *think* that's where I got it.

Answer 15

Houseparty: Anthology by J. Geils Band (rockn!!)

Chronicles by Rush

The Singles by The Pretenders

The Atlantic Years by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Dick's Pick's #4 by The Grateful Dead

Answer 16

The Best Of Def Leppard

Guns n Roses Greatest Hits

Nirvana



However, i think they missed out LOADS of great songs on Guns n Roses Greatest Hits. Should have been 2 CD's.

Answer 17

T-Rex 20 Golden Greats

Answer 18

Definately Rush, Queen, and Led Zeppelin's Mothership.

Answer 19

the essential billy joel...one in a series of compilations made by the same company



queen's greatest hits II...now if only we could fit bohemian rhapsody on there somehow



tom petty and the heartbreakers' greatest hits...basically perfect compilation of all the band's great songs as well as tom's solo hits, and the debut of mary jane's last dance, equals a great cd

Answer 20

My greatest hits of every Led Zeppelin Album

Answer 21

Queen's greatest hits...volume 1 and 2

Answer 22

The first record album I ever bought was a compilation--"Greatest Hits of 1970," by K-Tel. I mailordered it, and it cost five bucks, and I was a very excited kid. I still have it, too.

Answer 23

The Cars

Oingo Boingo (What?)

Billy Idol

Hammerfall.

Answer 24

I'm getting forward to listen to the new DT! I think it's a good thing for them and the fans to have a best of album. Why not?

Maybe someone will like it and then start to listen to every album for it self.DT is the best I say. :)

Answer 25

The Best Of The Doors is also an excellent greatest hits, as is

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Doors/dp/B000002H22/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1207854668&sr=8-1

The Best Of Cream, and

http://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-Cream/dp/B000002GFC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1207854703&sr=1-1

The Best Of Roxy Music

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Roxy-Music/dp/B00005CDUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1207854741&sr=1-1

Answer 26

I just found and purchased Jimi Hendrix's "Experiencing Hendrix", released I believe by his family with 20 kickin a**

songs...new and still sealed for the bargain price of...$5.00!! Money very well spent!!

Answer 27

led zeppelin the early days, and led zeppelin the latter days are both good.



another was aerosmith's greatest hits, that was incredible

Answer 28

ccr....chronicles vol 1

joy division...substance

pixies...death to the pixies

led zepplin...early days and later days

ramones ...anthology

the essential johnny cash

Answer 29

jimi hendrix

the beatles

black sabbath

black sabbath;the dio years

dio