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Greatest Hits CD's

heeman

PRETTY HAPPY.........
Famous
How many of you perfer to buy Greatest Hits CD's of a band/artist to add to your collection as an alternate to buy individual albums?

I found that recently, this has been my strategy.

Can you guys provide a list of must have Greatest Hits and Artist that are must haves??
 
I love greatest hits compilations was a means of getting a good over-view of an artist I don't already have. I usually start with that and then expand to individual albums for the artists I enjoy the most. I probably have at least a couple hundred of them.
 
Haywood said:
I love greatest hits compilations was a means of getting a good over-view of an artist I don't already have. I usually start with that and then expand to individual albums for the artists I enjoy the most. I probably have at least a couple hundred of them.


Same here. They are good for overviews for new music, but if you're already a big fan of an artist, they are pointless (kind of like me buying the best of Yes) Determining the best Greatest Hits is based on one's individual tastes. If you're a Brittany Spears fan, then I think the Essential Leo Kottke isn't going to make your 'best greatest hits' CD list.

Heeman,

I know you do like some classic rock, but who all do you like?
 
For me, it depends.

Say, for instance, we're talking about HANSON. The only greatest hits CD released of their music merely contains the early stuff from their first two proper albums, and also from quickly cut Christmas and early live albums. But Hanson's best stuff has all been recorded after they were dropped from their major label and went independent. So the only real option is to get the individual albums. All of them. Of course, that's what any real fan would do anyway.

Other music where I've got to have all of the individual albums would be: Suede, Oasis, Radiohead, Teenage Fanclub, the Oak Ridge Boys, Eric Johnson, and quite a lot more.

Some bands I do a little of both: A hits compilation CD plus many of the individual albums. For example, the BEACH BOYS I've got at least 15 of their individual albums, but some of the very earliest songs (and some of the later songs from 1980 and newer) I only have on the greatest hits CDs and that's OK. Other bands that I do this with include Cheap Trick, CSN&Y, Bowie, Prince, Barenaked Ladies, Tears for Fears, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Dwight Yoakam, Sam Cooke, the Beatles and more.

For other music, I'm totally fine with greatest hits compilations and no individual albums whatsoever. I especially like those 2-disc sets that Sony Legacy puts out. But there are other good ones, too. Greatest Hits albums that I like and feel complete enough for me to never buy any of the individual albums are as follows:


1. Billy Joel - "The Essential" (the only thing missing is "Pressure" for some reason; though, it is available on the DVD of the same name)

2. Hall & Oates - "Ultimate" (later released as "The Essential"

3. The Byrds - "The Essential"

4. The Temptations Box Set "Emperor's Of Soul"
5. Edit: David Ruffin's two hits collections from Hippo Select (Edit: nevermind... I think those are mostly his individual albums in guise of a comp)
6. Eddie Kendick'(s)' - "The Ultimate Collection"

7. Willie Nelson - "The Essential"
8. Sammy Hagar - Essential Red Collection

9. Sam Cooke - "Portrait of a Legend" is flippin awesome and I'll post here for recommending. (But with that said... I actually supplemented it with a two additional comp albums, some live albums, a single proper album, and one of his Soul Stirrer's-era comp albums.)


And I'm quite happy to simply have only Greatest Hits collections (for the most part) of the following: The O'Jays, Average White Band, Paul McCartney & Wings (Wingspan), Alice In Chains, Randy Travis, the Doors, Elvis Costello, ELO, the Eagles, ABBA, Men at Work, Moody Blues, Seal, Skid Row, Supergrass, U2, warrant, Bangles, The Band, the Bee Gees, Black Crowes, Boston, Springsteen, Soundgarden, the Cars, EWF, Faith No More, Hollies, Huey Lewis, Hendrix, John Mellencamp, Mamas and the Papas, the Rolling Stones... I could go on and on.
 
I own many "best of", "greatest hits" albums, which I also prefer over purchasing the artist's entire collection. I only purchase these types of albums when I can determine where the titles came from, for example, if the majority of titles are not from the original album, pass.

Rope
 
"Heeman,

I know you do like some classic rock, but who all do you like?"


For many of my younger years it was:

Yes, Rush, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Genisis, Styx, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Pat Travers, Frank Zappa, Jethro Tull. Anything that was more on the Progressive Side.


Through the years the collection has grown significantly.

Billy Joel, Elton John, Bon Jovi, Steve Ray Vaughan, Clapton, Gary Moore, ZZ Top, Lenny Kravitz

Now more in the mellow phase of things and mostly female artists.

Lisa Loeb, Sade, Edie Brickle, Corney Baily Rae, Bonnie Raitt, Venessa Carlton, Sarah McLachlan, Annie Lennox.

The above is just to name a few.

Never was a big Springsteen Fan, but have his Essentials. Never a big Doors fan, but have their Greatest Hits. Just got Melisa Etheridge Greatest Hits a couple of months ago... Believe it or not I do not own a Rolling Stones CD. I love their album Goats Head Soup and alway mean to order it and then forget.

I though that this thread may be interesting for some that want to try new music and grow their collection with Greatest Hits CD's.
 
If ya like ZZ Top, their 'greatest hits' cd is pretty darn good.

(if you're in the mood for some of the little ol' three-piece band from Texas)
 
I'm pretty much with Kazaam, it depends on the artist (although my separation of GH vs all-albums artists is quite a bit different! ;) ).

Artists I'd always buy the full albums: Steely Dan, Peter Gabriel, Rickie Lee Jones, Chicago, Seal, Level 42, Zappa, Chick Corea, Joni Mitchell, Earth Wind & Fire, Pink Floyd, Police, Fountains of Wayne, Dire Straits/Knopfler, Simon & Garfunkel, Prince, Basia, hell I could go on all night.

Artists I can be happy with Greatest Hits: Steve Miller, Journey, Duran Duran, Grand Funk Railroad, Ramones, Cheap Trick, Sweet, Little River Band, The Cars, hell I could go on all night.

What's interesting are these:
I only have the Greatest Hits of Thomas Dolby, I have a feeling I'd enjoy all his albums.
I'm trying to think of a group for whom I have a lot of albums, but would've been happy with just a GH, but nothing's coming to mind so far...
 
It somewhat depends on whether one is going for breadth or depth in their music library. Greatest Hits collections are a great way to achieve breadth.
 
Haywood said:
It somewhat depends on whether one is going for breadth or depth in their music library. Greatest Hits collections are a great way to achieve breadth.
That actually hits the nail on the head: some bands don't have the depth to warrant all their albums. :eek:bscene-drinkingcheers:
 
Botch said:
I'm pretty much with Kazaam, it depends on the artist (although my separation of GH vs all-albums artists is quite a bit different! ;) ).

So what I'm hearing is that you'd actually be OK with "MMMbop: The Collection", as opposed to owning all of Hanson's individual albums. Fair enough. :music-rockout:
 
topper said:
If ya like ZZ Top, their 'greatest hits' cd is pretty darn good.

(if you're in the mood for some of the little ol' three-piece band from Texas)
A little off topic, But if your a zz top fan a great dvd is called "Then and Now" by zz,it has a concert from the 70s(pre long beards) then more recent footage. A lot of fun.
 
There are way too many bands that I like and want in my collection for me to be able to grab multiple discs from all of them. Greatest Hits albums are perfect for that band that has a half-dozen songs you really like.
 
Kazaam said:
Botch said:
I'm pretty much with Kazaam, it depends on the artist (although my separation of GH vs all-albums artists is quite a bit different! ;) ).

So what I'm hearing is that you'd actually be OK with "MMMbop: The Collection", as opposed to owning all of Hanson's individual albums. Fair enough. :music-rockout:
:eek:bscene-birdiedoublered:

Actually, I just thought of one: I own most albums released by Huey Lewis and the News, but a Greatest Hits package would've been fine (or, just the Sports album...)
 
Botch said:
(or, just the Sports album...)

nah... you'd need to do both "Sports" and "Fore". But I never cared much for "Picture This" or "Small World" other than maybe one song off each. (I had the cassettes as a kid; but just the hits CD nowadays.)
 
I just ordered:

Right Down The Line: The Best Of Gerry Rafferty

Crystal Visions: The Very Best of Stevie Nicks

The Very Best of Spyro Gyra


Also: (but these are not greatest hit, maybe the 4 Non Blondes Qualify)

Medusa - Annie Lennox

Bigger, Better, Faster, More! - 4 Non Blonds

Goats Head Soup - The Rolling Stones

Chickenfoot: Get Your Buzz On-Live DVD
 
Another hits album that I'd recommend is: Garth Brooks - "The Ultimate Hits". With something like 36 songs, it's got all the hits I ever remember plus more lesser tracks than I care to ever hear; so I figure it goes deep enough into his catalog for me.

Garth Brook's "Double Live" album makes for a great companion set, too!

That said... I never did quite understand how Garth Brooks ever got to be so mega popular. The stuff ain't half bad, but people just really went ape sh!t over it back in the day.
 
Oh... and Restless Heart's "Greatest Hits" is really good, too, for those who enjoy that easy-listening country/pop from the late 1980s before everything went all redneck. 16 songs, and only 3 stinkers imho.
 
Lynyrd Skynyrd : Gold & Platinum

Stevie Wonder : The Musicquarium

Johnny Cash : 16 biggest hits

Kiss : Double Platinum

If you didn't own anything by these artists, you could probably get by with only owning these greatest hits discs.

D
 
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