Forbes brings us this rather interesting article about Greatest Hits albums, fanning the flames of the eternal hardcore fan vs casual fan vs convenience vs integrity vs whateverthehell debate: are Greatest Hits albums useful capsules to distill the output of a prolific band, or are they money-making endeavors that in some way lessen the integrity of a band’s prior albums? Swallow this double-edged sword:
Other bands like U2 and Aerosmith have been criticized for their seemingly unceasing parade of greatest-hits albums. U2 followed 1998′s “The Best of 1980-1990″ and 2002′s “The Best of 1990-2000″ with 2006′s “U218 Singles.” Last year’s “Devil’s Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith” was the band’s eighth compilation over the course of their 27-year career.
If this article is insinuating that U2 and Aerosmith have in some way sold out, this is certainly the first I’ve heard of it. On the other hand…
Still, there are several notable holdouts, including AC/DC, Radiohead, Phish and Metallica. Many artists feel greatest-hits discs corrupt the integrity of their prior albums. For the same reason, Radiohead and AC/DC have thus far resisted putting their music on iTunes, where albums are chopped into single tracks.
While I obviously understand Radiohead and Phish holding out on the Greatest Hits front, how can AC/DC possibly argue with a straight face that their music is better when listened to in album form? Could this perhaps be because Back In Black still sells a thousand copies a week, or do they honestly believe fans stand to gain by unearthing the spectacular deep tracks on The Razor’s Edge, which involve a slightly different power chord while the singer screams about electric hell?
Even Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, two of the most album-centric bands in history, have caved under the robust earnings potential of the Greatest Hits cds; Zeppelin continues to withhold their material from iTunes, however, in some apparent bid to retain some flimsy, misguided integrity after Cadillac tied up “Rock n’ Roll” in their Pulp Fiction rape room and went to town on it for about three straight football seasons.
That being said, my favorite and least favorite Greatest Hits Albums after the jump, and feel free to toss your own best Best Ofs in the comments:
Most Useful Greatest Hits CDs:
1. Guided By Voices – Human Amusements For Hourly Rates (super comprehensive, flows like an album, and it’s literally neverending; Robert Pollard actually writes and records more songs and tacks them onto the end of the cd while you’re listening to it)
2. Joy Division – Substance (provides the necessary coolness of owning a Joy Division album, but unlike the studio albums, you won’t have to sit through large portions of it wondering why you’re not enjoying yourself)
3. Billy Joel – Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2 (we all own it, we’ve all gotten our money’s worth out of it, ’nuff said)
4. Morrissey - The Best of Morrissey (if you’re still not miserable after 21 of his solo songs, you will be after you waste money on his individual cds)
5. Talking Heads – Sand in the Vaseline (one of my favorite bands, but I have to admit, I still listen to this guy, The Name of This Band… , and Stop Making Sense a lot more than any of their studio albums)
Wastes of Money:
1. Pink Floyd – Echoes (what self-respecting high school student would waste $25 on this instead of spending $35 and getting Dark Side / The Wall / Wish You Were Here?)
2. David Bowie – Best of Bowie (he has about a dozen collections, so don’t even bother; Ziggy, Aladdin Sane, Hunky Dory, and Low are all essential owns anyway, then just pick up any post-1980 singles via iTunes)
3. Michael Jackson – Number Ones (if you don’t already own Thriller, you’re an idiot, but if you really want to listen to tracks 13-18, be my guest)
4. The Who – Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy (solid compilation, but you’re going to need to own Tommy, The Who Sell Out, Quadrophenia, Who’s Next, and Live at Leeds anyway, so…)
5. Jethro Tull - Best of Jethro Tull (used to be a big fan in high school, and can say with certainty that it’s the most useless Greatest Hits cd ever made. It literally has fewer singles on it than Aqualung)
