Greatest hits albums - historical guide

A greatest hits album (often referred to as a "best of" collection ) is a gathered album of successful, previously released songs by a particular music artist or band. To increase the success rate of the album`s sales – especially among people who already own the previously released material – it uses the strategy of including remixes or alternate which were taken from popular songs or new material, with new works often being released as singles (and themselves sometimes becoming successful).

Greatest hits albums are usually produced after an artist has had enough successful works to fill out an album release. Some musicians, such as "Queen" and Billy Joel, have released a great amount of greatest hits albums through their career. Some greatest hits collections are released only at the end of the artist or group's career, as it was made with the Stone Temple Pilots' "Thank You". They are aimed at fans who liked some of their songs or singles, but not enough to buy an artist's entire collection as well as potential new fans who want to hear and create their opinion of the most famous works of an artist or group with just one purchase.

For instance, in British pop music, when a band releases a Greatest Hits album, in mostly after three or four studio albums, it is usually taken as a sign that the band is in the state of about to split up. Examples are Greatest Hits albums by "Atomic Kitten", "Steps", "S Club 7", "Blue" and "Take That", although the latter band would have its new life nine years later. Recent exceptions to this "rule" are "Westlife", "Girls Aloud" and "Sugababes", who have either released or are near to release new material after their greatest hits albums.

Some music groups refuse to release a greatest hits album, notably "AC/DC" and "Metallica". "Manic Street Preachers" initially refused to create a greatest hits, but in the end "Forever Delayed" was released. "Radiohead" also refused to create such a collection, but upon their departure from Parlophone Records, one was released. Also, the country music star Garth Brooks long refused to release of a greatest hits album, but agreed to do it in 1994 but only for a limited time (his release, The Hits was quickly deleted, but not until selling well over ten million copies).

Greatest hits collections can also boost a falling music star career. The Beautiful South's first Greatest Hits album, Carry on up the Charts, was firstly strongly opposed by the grop. However, upon release it became one of the most famous fast selling albums in chart history.