CURIOSITIES
10 Greatest Hits that made music history
All the most successful artists and bands sooner or later release one or more 'greatest hits', a collection of their greatest musical achievements.
The 'Greatest Hits' is a key moment in the career of musicians, as it can mark the end of a specific artistic phase, the break-up of a band or the recapitulation of a glorious recording career.
Sometimes 'Greatest Hits' also include previously unreleased material and in any case can achieve very high sales figures, even higher than albums containing only previously unreleased songs. Here are some of the most successful 'Greatest Hits' in music history.
These "Greatest Hits" have been incredibly successful
All the most successful artists and bands sooner or later release one or more 'greatest hits', a collection of their greatest musical achievements. The 'Greatest Hits' is a key moment in the career of musicians, as it can mark the end of a specific artistic phase, the dissolution of a band or the recapitulation of a glorious career. Sometimes, 'Greatest Hits' also include unreleased material and in any case can achieve very high sales figures, even higher than albums containing only unreleased songs. Here are some of the most successful 'Greatest Hits' in music history.
"Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)" - Eagles (1976)
"Their Greatest Hits' is the best-selling album in the history of the Eagles and one of the most successful albums of all time. In fact, this album is the best-selling album ever in the United States (38 million copies) and the fifth best-selling album in general worldwide, taking into account sources that provide official data on public purchases.
"Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits" - Simon and Garfunkel (1972)
'Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits' was released in 1972 and represents a kind of 'farewell' by the historic duo, who had officially disbanded two years earlier. This is the duo's second best-selling album, surpassed only by 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', Simon & Garfunkel's fifth and final unreleased album, which also won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
"Greatest Hits" - Queen (1981)
'Greatest Hits' is the best-selling album ever in the history of the UK, but that's not all: this is also the best-selling album ever in the history of Queen. The collection includes many of the band's unforgettable tracks, from 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to 'Bicycle Race' and 'Don't Stop Me Now'.
"The Immaculate Collection" - Madonna (1990)
With over 30 million copies, this is Madonna's best-selling album and the best-selling Greatest Hits album by a female solo artist worldwide. 'The Immaculate Collection' includes 15 of Madonna's most iconic tracks, with two previously unreleased tracks: 'Justify My Love', written with Lenny Kravitz, and 'Rescue Me'.
"Gold: Greatest Hits" - ABBA (1992)
"Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia", "The Winner Takes It All": ABBA's Greatest Hits contains timeless hits by the Swedish band, who released this compilation 10 years after their initial break-up in 1982. And the success was still incredible: 'Gold' has sold around 30 million copies worldwide.
"1" - The Beatles (2000)
"1" was released in 2000, on the 30th anniversary of the break-up of the Liverpool group. The compilation brings together 27 singles that reached the top of the charts in the US and the UK and the success was crazy, with over 31 million copies sold. By the way, the Fab Four had already released two famous compilations: 'The Red Album' and 'The Blue Album', dated 1973.
"The Collection" - John Lennon (1982)
We remain on the Beatles theme, with the collection of John Lennon's greatest hits, released after the singer-songwriter's death. This album is full of significance, starting with the cover photo: the shot of Lennon was taken by the historic photographer Annie Leibovitz on 8 December 1980, the day of the former Beatle's assassination.
"Money for Nothing" - Dire Straits (1988)
The Dire Straits collection has sold around 14 million copies worldwide and today can be considered a rarity. In fact, the album remained on the market until 1998, only to be replaced by the collection 'Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits'. Since then, 'Money for Nothing' has been out of print, although remixes have been released.
"Greatest Hits" - Elton John (1974)
This record was also a huge commercial success, with over 24 million copies sold, as well as 10 consecutive weeks at number one in the US, 11 in the UK and 5 in Australia. Like the first Dire Straits 'Greatest Hits', this collection by Sir Elton John is now out of print and owning it is therefore a great privilege.
"Legend" - Bob Marley & The Wailers (1984)
'Legend' is the posthumous album of Bob Marley's greatest hits, released almost exactly three years after the death of the King of Reggae. The album's success was certified with more than 25 million copies sold, resulting in 60 platinum records and two diamond discs, one in France and one in the United States.