http://cdn-s3.allmusic.com/release-covers/500/0000/278/0000278159.jpg
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 30 November 2016 03:52 (seven years ago) link
http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/72877000/jpg/_72877782_queen_624.jpg
― Here, let me Danesplain that for you (jjjusten), Wednesday, 30 November 2016 04:23 (seven years ago) link
Erasure - Pop: The First 20 HitsSaint Etienne - Too Young To Die Pet Shop Boys - PopartSuede - Singles (just remember to skip Positivity) Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Bang! (this really is the perfect Frankie album) The Cardigans - Best Of Dexys Midnight Runners - Let's Make This Precious Barry White - Greatest Hits (75 version) Duran Duran - Greatest Felt - Stains On A Decade The Human League - Greatest Hits/The Very Best Of Grace Jones - Island Life
― Kitchen Person, Wednesday, 30 November 2016 04:53 (seven years ago) link
The Shangri Las Myrmidons of Melodrama: it's virtually flawless.
― Dan.S., Wednesday, 30 November 2016 13:38 (seven years ago) link
The Beautiful South - Carry On Up The Charts. Played that one to death back in the day and still give it a spin from time to time.
― heaven parker (anagram), Wednesday, 30 November 2016 19:01 (seven years ago) link
The 2cd version with a disc of their excellent b-sides is even better!
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 30 November 2016 20:51 (seven years ago) link
Queen's Greatest Hits and Greatest Hits II, easily. For many people, these two compilations basically represent the entire Queen discography and the "proper" studio albums may as well not even exist. Which obviously is a viewpoint I disagree with.
― Working night & day, I tried to stay awake... (Turrican), Wednesday, 30 November 2016 21:02 (seven years ago) link
Think we missed Hank Williams 40 Greatest Hits. Came out in 1978 and re-introduced his original music to the world.
Buffalo Springfield -Retrospective is excellent and probably all that's needed.
Neil Young - Decade. Listen to this comp way more than the individual albums.
― that's not my post, Wednesday, 30 November 2016 22:49 (seven years ago) link
Super Furry Animals Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1 is also perfect but not the best. that would probably go to Standing on a Beach, thou both bands are so much bigger than only their singles.
― Bee OK, Thursday, 1 December 2016 06:06 (seven years ago) link
I'm very partial to Three Into One, the Island compilation of Foxx-era Ultravox. Think it's probably all anyone needs from that era tbh.
― heaven parker (anagram), Thursday, 1 December 2016 08:43 (seven years ago) link
Unbelievably the thread got to here without anyone mentioning The Best of Leonard Cohen.
― Horizontal Superman is invulnerable (aldo), Thursday, 1 December 2016 09:18 (seven years ago) link
Boy Child is fucking impeccable (the reissue version, where they nixed the rope and the colt and replaced it with angels of ashes)
― his eye is on despair-o (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 1 December 2016 17:04 (seven years ago) link
Is there a good, comprehensive comp of Gene Chandler?
― some sad trombone Twilight Zone shit (cryptosicko), Thursday, 22 June 2017 19:05 (six years ago) link
Shangri Las - Myrmidons of Melodrama.
― Unchanging Window (Ross), Thursday, 22 June 2017 19:11 (six years ago) link
Re: Gene Chandler--There's this, which is oop and pricey.
― to fly across the city and find Aerosmith's car (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 22 June 2017 19:17 (six years ago) link
I have a copy of that one, go ahead and mail me if you want the files.
― skip, Thursday, 22 June 2017 19:44 (six years ago) link
That would be amazing. Thanks!
Sending you an email right now. LMK if it doesn't show up.
― some sad trombone Twilight Zone shit (cryptosicko), Friday, 23 June 2017 01:15 (six years ago) link
gotta say I really love those greatest hits/anthology comps that are half hits/great album tracks and half B-sides, unreleased and rare stuff. like The Kink Kronikles or Sound of Science by Beastie Boys. what other comps are like that?
― frogbs, Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:05 (three years ago) link
are we doing really obvious ones? Neil Young's Decade is a fine example of that. it's has some of the monster hits, but also lots of great stuff you couldn't get anywhere else at the time
― idkwtf (Karl Malone), Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:08 (three years ago) link
Unrest’s B.P.M. (1991-1994) is sorta like that (tho focusing on a specific period of time).
― I Hate the Aedes (morrisp), Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:11 (three years ago) link
March To Fuzz by Mudhoney
― CP Radio Gorgeous (Colonel Poo), Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:15 (three years ago) link
For me personally it would have to be Every Breath You Take: The Classics
― DT, Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:19 (three years ago) link
Chuck Berry's Golden Decade, and its sequels.Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. II
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:20 (three years ago) link
related: the other half isn't b-sides/unreleased, but mostly just album tracks or lesser-known songs - e.g. the Beatles Red/Blue albums, McCartney's Wingspan, etc.
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:21 (three years ago) link
(I always think this is cool, because in the days when Greatest Hits albums were massively bought and listened to, it meant the artist got a final say in declaring by fiat, "this song is part of my canon, hit or no hit!". See also Paul Simon sticking "Hearts and Bones" and "Train in the Distance" on his comps.)
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:22 (three years ago) link
The flipside of that is when a stinker is plopped onto a disc to be memoralized alongside a bunch of classics.
― I Hate the Aedes (morrisp), Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:25 (three years ago) link
The Time of The Zombies: Side 1 is "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No" plus five other early A & B's and an album cut of "Summertime"; Side 2 is eight mostly unreleased songs from the RIP sessions; and Sides 3+4 are Odessey and Oracle.
― "...And the Gods Socially Distanced" (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:27 (three years ago) link
Another Hits & Rarities: More Hot Rocks by the Rolling Stones.
― "...And the Gods Socially Distanced" (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:30 (three years ago) link
My picks
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:32 (three years ago) link
The Replacements' Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?. Nothing but the hits.
― clemenza, Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:35 (three years ago) link
― calstars, Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:47 (three years ago) link
One that people don’t usually think of is Bob Marley - Legend
― All cars are bad (Euler), Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:52 (three years ago) link
madness have had a LOT of compilations over the years, however, for a full rundown of the a-sides/b-sides and some extras, then (other than getting each of the expanded editions of the albums) this is the best option :
https://www.discogs.com/Madness-The-Business-The-Definitive-Singles-Collection/release/490961
only problem is that inbetween each track are vocal snippets from interviews with the lads.
― mark e, Thursday, 1 October 2020 16:54 (three years ago) link
Eclipse records in England did a series of complete a’s and b’s CD comps. Impressions, Dusty Springfield, some others. Don’t know about sound quality.
― brimstead, Thursday, 1 October 2020 17:16 (three years ago) link
gotta say I really love those greatest hits/anthology comps that are half hits/great album tracks and half B-sides
There have been a few notable ones from artists whose best work wasn't necessarily hits - especially when many of the hits weren't that good. I know I've got at least a handful of these, but the only one I can remember right now is Artie Shaw's box set from the '90s which he personally selected himself. It's far better than any straight collection of his biggest sellers could ever be.
Bob Dylan doesn't quite have a "best of" comp like this - the standards and hits usually outnumber the deep cuts and previously unreleased material by a huge margin - but his catalog would be perfect for such a compilation. If I made one concentrating on his absolute greatest recordings from the '70s or the '80s, I'm certain half of it would consist of bootleg material, including stuff that wasn't officially released until the '90s or beyond.
― birdistheword, Thursday, 1 October 2020 17:35 (three years ago) link
those greatest hits/anthology comps that are half hits/great album tracks and half B-sides, unreleased and rare stuff
jethro tull 20th anniversary box (three discs) is like this
there are at least 1000 yes collections; presumably at least one fits the bill
― mookieproof, Thursday, 1 October 2020 17:56 (three years ago) link
Sabbaths’s We Sold our Souls for Rock and Roll is pretty great though it misses a lot of the later weirdness
― calstars, Thursday, 1 October 2020 18:05 (three years ago) link
Yes don't really have a lot of rare tracks or B-sides though
Devo's Pioneers Who Got Scalped probably counts here, loads of non-album tracks on that one. The trouble is the thing turns to shit a third of the way through 2nd disc, you really do not need to hear Devo cover "Head Like a Hole"
― frogbs, Thursday, 1 October 2020 18:08 (three years ago) link
oh and Planet Jarre, iirc he remixed a lot of his tunes for it & there's half an hour of early & rare stuff
― frogbs, Thursday, 1 October 2020 18:09 (three years ago) link
Need to hear that ^
― calstars, Thursday, 1 October 2020 18:49 (three years ago) link
Some of the albums named are desperately in need of an update - Kate Bush's "The Whole Story" is 34 years old! I created my own addendum. Others are too skimpy - Siouxsie & The Banshees really could use a proper anthology, not just the pair of singles comps. And then there's folks like Comsat Angels - no best of at all (though the Peel session comp functions as such).
I've created a folder of best greatest hits for my favorite artists. I try to find the best single disc, double disc and (sometimes) box set. It's not always easy - sometimes there's too many choices, or some that have some but not all the tracks you'd want. But it beats making custom playlists for everyone.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 1 October 2020 19:12 (three years ago) link
Bob Dylan doesn't quite have a "best of" comp like this - the standards and hits usually outnumber the deep cuts and previously unreleased material by a huge margin - but his catalog would be perfect for such a compilation.
Biograph was right in this mold, tho it's a big ol' box set
― I Hate the Aedes (morrisp), Thursday, 1 October 2020 19:32 (three years ago) link
― frogbs, Thursday, 1 October 2020 18:09 (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink
― calstars,
or, just get the insanely brilliant AERO album/mixtape which JMJ morphs/blends all the classics into an insanely brilliant 70+ minute session.
― mark e, Thursday, 1 October 2020 19:41 (three years ago) link
Dylan's second greatest hits collection is the shit.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 1 October 2020 19:42 (three years ago) link
Others are too skimpy - Siouxsie & The Banshees really could use a proper anthology, not just the pair of singles comps
The Banshees do have a Best Of, but I prefer the singles comps (nothing from A Kiss in the Dreamhouse, really ?).
― LeRooLeRoo, Thursday, 1 October 2020 19:50 (three years ago) link
the talking heads sand in the vaseline comp is a good one of these, 8 or 10 bsides and rarities across 2 discs iirc
― turn the jawhatthefuckever on (One Eye Open), Thursday, 1 October 2020 19:51 (three years ago) link
Yeah, that's a good example
― I Hate the Aedes (morrisp), Thursday, 1 October 2020 19:54 (three years ago) link
disc 1 of that set is maybe the best collection of a prolific band/artist I can think of (and it's largely thanks to the two demos + single that lead it off).
― I Hate the Aedes (morrisp), Thursday, 1 October 2020 19:56 (three years ago) link
(the best collection that fits on a single disc)
― I Hate the Aedes (morrisp), Thursday, 1 October 2020 19:57 (three years ago) link
its one of those comps where the extra tracks do a good job of feeling like a natural part of the bands history & catalog, rather than seeming like value-added bonus tracks dug up to sell the comp
― turn the jawhatthefuckever on (One Eye Open), Thursday, 1 October 2020 20:01 (three years ago) link