I hadn’t really noticed its demise but when I worked in a record shop in the late 90s we sold a lot of greatest hits albums, especially around Christmas time. They were great for people who liked a few songs to sample an artists catalogue or to just get the singles compiled in one place without the “filler” on albums (especially for pop artists who rushed records out at that time off the back of a hit and albums were like £15 for a CD)
I suspect for many of us on DiS the Greatest Hits album hasn’t registered much but I definitely remember when I was a teenager using them as a way to dip into an artists work to see if they were for me. I remember listening to collections by Bowie or Carpenters whilst on car rides with family or working behind the counter. And would sometimes look up the greatest hits track listings before downloading songs by artists on Napster, to try to get a taste of of music by acts I felt like I should vaguely know what they sound like.
I wonder if the loss of the greatest hits will be mourned but perhaps its loss, as an entry into becoming a music obsessive, may need to be replaced with more than a “This Is Madonna” playlist or if that’s enough?
Some of the great Greatest Hits are untouchable (e.g. ABBA Gold) but I got burned by so many as a young CD buyer. Labels just slapping together a bunch of shit they had rights to and calling it a greatest hits. Nasty business.
I never bought one since 1996 and some Jimi Hendrix collection (I think I have reverse-aged in some respects) so not going to miss them per se. But playlist/streaming technology means I basically curate Best Ofs of lots of bands that have a large discography that I can’t be arsed with the lesser parts of. Post-2012 GBV? Patchy. My evolving playlist of the best songs in this era? Banging!
Disgraceful! Woke Mobs Slammed For Defunding The Greatest Hits We Have Ever Known. Many Spending Their Money On Avocado And Foreign-Owned Netflix Instead
Sarah Vine investigates this attack on British Values and demands Apple sends the best of Right Said Fred to every iPhone
Was just pondering how useful a Metallica best of would be. All the classics from the first four on cd1 for an unimpeachable blast, then black album onward with the stuff worth owning on cd2 to avoid buying 7 very uneven albums. No need for chronological on each disc. I then spent quite a lot of time thinking about how much of a bellend Lars is.
Some acts were born for a best of tbh. Killers, foo fighters, that type thing.
