The greatest Greatest Hits collection

omg - that cover art is all-time

I've never heard that particular compilation, but I really doubt that mixing up his 60s pop songs with the 70s folk songs would work (instead of putting them in chronological order).

Yeah, chronological might be better. It generally is for compilations. I'm not a fan though, so mixing it up still works for me - I think the changes keep me on my toes.

The cover is awful, but I'll say it's kind of charming to me. Like I never think of Cat Stevens unless he pops up in a good movie like Rushmore. But the title feels more like "Remember Cat Stevens?" to me, like "whatever happened to him?" and the picture tells you everything there is, even in its low-budget look - the guy's on a different path and a long, loooong way from the music business.

Really wish ABBA Gold had replaced "Thank You for the Music" with "Lay All Your Love on Me." Would've made that disc perfect for me (and all the ABBA I'd ever need).

After going through Rufus's catalog, I have a much greater appreciation for The Very Best of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - their albums aren't bad, they really stand out as a singles band, and that compilation (originally released in 1982) scoops up all the hits. On paper it sounds utilitarian, but it really is their best stuff and it's sequenced into THE great Rufus album IMHO. I don't even fault them for missing out on their last hit, "Ain't Nobody" from 1983 - the sound is so different, it would have disrupted the cohesiveness of the whole LP. I just wish one of the audiophile labels would remaster it - the current CD was done in the '90s, and it sounds too bright to me. (First pressing even had an egregious error on "Once You Get Started," where they overlooked a bad splice that messed up the master tape. Some copies are still out there even though MCA had a replacement program for it.) Also the packaging really sucks, like they were told to whip up something on a $5 dollar budget:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/516xyaGasyL._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg

If could they just fix the presentation, it would go over as an essential addition to any music library.

^^ bought this about 10 years ago, and, yeah, it needs "Ain't Nobody" and a better sleeve.

Cover Connection:

https://i.discogs.com/Xn7Wd8OmNryNDcgU_i52OAl7vn0Vw8Loc1vdDW_0Ros/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyNDA0/Mjc5LTE1MzQ2MDQ4/MDEtNjMzMy5qcGVn.jpeg

Also early '80s -- was there a darts craze or something?

Visually punning on the theme of 'Hits'?

The Eagles one brings to mind skee ball even though the holes don't line up in a straight line.

I wonder how many "hits" collections used a pun for their cover art? Joni's was the first one I ever noticed - it's kind of a dopey joke but I always find it amusing:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51pCD45UWRL._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg

Extending the idea to her "misses" helped make an impression:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41t3MmoCCPL._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg

Public Enemy's take on the same idea is especially memorable:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51zV4MbTTCL._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg

there's an Australian band called Mondo Rock who I assume have zero profile outside Australia - I think of them as late 1960's rock vets trying to get a bite of the new wave cherry but unable to totally overcome their yacht rock leanings - with enjoyably FM-friendly results

ANYWAY while they were still a going concern they released a greatest hits record which is absolutely the only Mondo Rock record you might need (if you needed one at all, I absolutely do)

BUT the CLEVER BIT is that they included a new non-album single - 'THE MOMENT' and the hits LP is called 'UP TO THE MOMENT' - do you SEE?

I gave a Pop Con talk on the very subject.

Hah, that's awesome! Thanks Alfred!

xp LOL, that's like a Norm MacDonald joke.

Devo also, with the Hits and Misses thing:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devo%27s_Greatest_Hits#/media/File:Devo_Greatest_Hits.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devo%27s_Greatest_Misses#/media/File:Devo_Greatest_Misses.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devo%27s_Greatest_Hits#/media/File:Devo_Greatest_Hits.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devo%27s_Greatest_Misses#/media/File:Devo_Greatest_Misses.jpg

Huh. Not sure why the image links aren't working, but these ones:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devo%27s_Greatest_Hits

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devo%27s_Greatest_Misses

The Shadows, 'More Hits!'
https://i.discogs.com/1LPG8oorqZ3deXqfXoc1D0dhiZ4NOzUt5EC8ZUhqGnY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE3NzAw/NTAtMTQ4NTkwMDg3/OC0yNDcyLnBuZw.jpeg

I used to have a Gilberto Gil compilation that was shoddily packaged but the songs were perfect. It was such a good introduction to his range of music: forro, samba, tropicalia, psych, melancholy ballads, etc.

After reading Alfred's Pop Con talk, I looked up Garth Brooks's best of and was stunned that it sold it's 10 million copies in a little over a year before he yanked it off the market. (That was in the U.S. alone, but it did equally phenomenal business in Canada as well.) I've seen him on SNL more times than I've played his records, but I keep forgetting how humongous the guy was in the '90s.

Also came across his previous "hits" CD which was apparently a McDonald's charity release. Pretty skimpy selection, but a much better album cover that visually translates the concept, tearing apart chunks of his other album covers to Frankenstein together a photo of him. (Helps that his album covers usually just show in the same exact post over and over again in different backgrounds and clothing.)

Garth Brooks' American sales are staggering, and I was there at the time.

(The Hits is terrific btw).

Oh man, I remember those McDonald's CDs, some thin greatest hits sets plus a teaser for the then-upcoming Roxette album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am4_Dcq1c6w

that's up there with the Rock Art cups Taco Bell offered for a weird pairing of artists (Scorpions and Bell Biv Devoe)

Ok, one of the Taco Bell Biv Devoe cups is on ebay for $10 and I must not buy it, because the clutter in my house needs to be addressed before I buy any more tacky bullshit. But how much do I want that? A cup that asserts that its music is "mentally hip-hop smoothed out on the R&B tip with a pop feel appeal to it"?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/195705579028?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=pRzYl4DmThu&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

LOL. I'm guessing they didn't bother reaching out to Tom Waits and Iggy Pop for their Rock Art cup.

poll please

collect all five free Rock Art Cups yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah