To be fair to Sly & the Family Stone, they had 4 albums by that point. Plus, they were mostly inconsistent albums that lent themselves to a greatest hits package.

When you don’t have enough legitimate hits to fill an album. The Beatles put one out (A Collection of Beatles Oldies) in 1966, after three years of making records. Every song on it was a major hit.

The Foo Fighters one is appropriate, they have an entire CD’s worth of bona-fide hits, and they STILL left a couple off (”I’ll Stick Around”, “The One” come to mind).

Fall Out Boy are definitely jumping the gun. I only know 2 or 3 of their songs, and MAYBE you could make an argument for 3 or 4 more. That’s not gonna cut it.

When you can get enough familiar tracks to fill a cd by a band that people like a lot why not pump out a best of? Best of/ Greatest Hits were like the precursor to I-tunes. All Killer, no filler right?

By the 2 hits and 8 $#!+s math that would take 4 or 5 albums by a mediocre band, or 2 or 3 by a good one. Plus it’s a easy way to close out a record deal that’s due one more release.

Why are we even comparing the Foo Fighters and Fall Out Boy?

Sly & The Family Stone are in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and one of the most important and influential bands of all-time.

Can anyone honestly think that Fall Out Boy will be anywhere close to that level 20 years from now?

I think that a minimum of 10 years and 4 albums in the music industry should be required for an artist to have a greatest hits collection. This crap with like Hillary Duff releasing a hits album after just 2 studio albums.

You should only be allowed 2 greatest hits collections that cover any of the same material in your career. Aerosmith is maybe the worst about this releasing basically the same greatest hits collection every 5 years.

Also, who came up with the “20th Century Masters: Millenium Collecion” disc series? Those are always the most incomplete, laziest collections of songs by an artist and 1/4 of the artists selected are like one hit wonders. How are those artists 20th Century Masters?

Sorry, but I hate Dave Grohl. The Foos suck and I’m so tired of this “nicest guy in rock” crap. There, I said it.

To “Everybody”: The “20th Century Masters” isn’t a title or praise, it is just a brand name of a budget line best-of series. You get an incomplete set of hits by a big name or the best songs by a one-hit wonder for a fairly cheap price.

15 years seems like a fair amount of time for this Foos collection, but I agree with the idea that 10 years/4 albums is an adequate amount of time for such a hits package.

On another note:

Has any major artist other than AC/DC refrained from releasing a “Greatest Hits / Best of” compilation?

I’m ready for an AC/DC compilation!

Who Made Who was a compilation.

Joy Division only existed as a band for 3 years and have 4 compilations and a box set to their name.

I think what’s being overlooked here is that some of these releases really should simply be referred to as “singles collections” rather than Greatest Hits collections… The Eagles or the Beatles or Elvis or Madonna can release a GH record in complete sincerity. Fall Out Boy? Not so much. So let’s call these things what they really are…

If you have released only one or two albums, there is no excuse for a compilation. Three is pushing it. Four, maybe.

Regarding timing, Fall Out Boy has no business releasing a compilation right now unless they are sensing that their time is (nearly?) over. Which it likely is.

Foo Fighters, on the other hand… I agree with Dave Grohl, though if you were to add all their other well-known songs and fan faves to the current “Greatest Hits”, you could easily come up with a 2-CD compilation. I think the Foos are one of the best bands around, and I hope to see their “Greatest Hits Volume 2″ in 2025.

I picked up all the related albums this week. Foo Fighters’s CD/DVD combo is a gorgeous package. While the CD is basically irrelevant, the DVD is long overdue. The Nirvana “Bleach” 20th anniversary is an absolute stunner (packaging wise). The Nirvana at Reading CD/DVD package is a bit of a yawn but I expect the actual perfomance on it will be the best of all three. Something to bide the time until Vultures drops in 2 weeks.

One thing to consider is that these days, “hits” are practically an irrelevant concept. Back in the day, bands like The Beatles and Sly & The Family Stone released songs, and they were truly part of the popular culture and consciousness. These days, most people will be completely unaware of songs that are in the “Top 10″ (which represents absolutely nothing; they are simply overplayed only on stations with an urban format).

Yes, best-of/hits collections do work best for those whose careers are either over…or at least have a great deal of catalog developed.

The Sly & The Family Stone Greatest Hits is an interesting choice, because it is quite a step above the average collection. It covered just a few years, but also has a very cohesive theme, due to the fact that it was released right before they changed their sound to a more cynical, narcotic, dark-funk groove. It represents the positive, psychedelic joyful explosion they cemented their early reputation.

Two other “hits” albums I think are above-average collections that stand on their own:
Donovan – Greatest Hits
The Who – Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy

I think it really boils down to where an artist is at in their career. Of course record labels are just money-hungry fucks, but I think a band should release a greatest hits album when they’re ready to move on or feel like shedding the past, not just for the sake of it.

With the ability to burn your own cd’s, why not just make your own AC/DC compilation? Still, I don’t really understand their reluctance to release a greatest hits set. It’s okay to hear their songs out of sequence from the albums. They’re not Pink Floyd.

Everybody and CSM make the finest points. There was once a time when you had to be a well-established artist for a certain period and be considered a veteran in order to release a Greatest Hits compilation. Now anyone who’s had 5 Top Ten hits within a couple years has a Greatest Hits CD coming out, it’s stupid. Fall Out Boy rose to prominence in 2006, and now they have a compilation album? Is this their way of telling us they’re breaking up? Cause otherwise I see no reason for a Greatest Hits from these guys. Also, I don’t think they matter anymore. Thanks to the internet, you can download any song from any album quite easily and form your own “Greatest Hits” playlist on your iPod. The only compilation CDs people bother buying are the ones from The Beatles.

A brand new band should just call their first album a “greatest hits”. Might as well get it out of the way so they don’t come asking 3 years later.

Bob – Who Made Who was a compilation in the sense that it included songs from various AC/DC releases, but hardly qualifies as a “Greatest Hits or Best of” collection.

A 2 disc, 36 track “Essential” AC/DC collection would be more what I had in mind. Including the classic Bon Scott tracks on one disc, and the Brian Johnson hits on the other.

While this would be a huge seller, this would essentially kill sales of the bands catalog. Which is the real reason IMO – that AC/DC has refused to do it.

This crap that they’re ‘an album band’ is a bunch of BS. As pointed out, they’re not Pink Floyd.

I think the Foos deserve to have a greatest hits album, but all it is is just their singles. They have way better songs that should be on it. Screw Fall Out Boy

I can’t even name one Fall Out Boy tune for fuckssake.

Foos are cool, Grohl is cool and Them Crooked Vultures are going to melt brains! Can’t wait.

The Rolling Stones put out best of “High Tides and Green Grass” about 2 years into the game but by then I think they had so many hits they didn’t all make it and they probably made 6-7 albums. It was about every 4 months back then and you got a new record from The Beatles or The Stones.

Hey Johnny Park!
I’ll Stick Around
No Way Back
Baker Street (cover)

“Fall Out Boy are definitely jumping the gun. I only know 2 or 3 of their songs, and MAYBE you could make an argument for 3 or 4 more. That’s not gonna cut it.”

So let me kget this straight…Just be YOU dont know their songs, they shouldnt put out a greatest hits?? By that logic, some 15 year old kid could say ‘I only know 2 beatles songs – so they shouldnt really have any best of compilations. I mean, I’ll admit that FOB are cutting it close – but they definately have enough to fill a 10 song greatest hits, Ill give them that.

***so let me get this straight…Just because YOU***

the greatest hits doesnt do them justice, its basically just listening to the radio on a cd. its not the meat of the band, just the bones that gave them structure and something to build off of.

I don’t think AC/DC’s back catalog would suffer that much. People will still buy “Back in Black” and “Highway to Hell.” However, by releasing a greatest hits CD, it would allow us to skip the crap albums like “Flick of the Switch” and “Ballbreaker” by just giving us the one or two good songs from those albums.

get your facts right RS. Britney has only had 2 Hits releases. My Pregroative which was a Greatest Hits and now her Singles Collection.

If you’re referring to B In The Mix: The Remixes as a Greatest Hits i wouldn’t necessarily count that. Yes it has remixed songs of past hits but mainly In The Zone and 2 new songs. It was pretty much the best remixes going around at the time of her mostly current songs – not a greatest hits collection.

Well, Greatest Hits can be used in 2 Ways:

1. A measure to re-start a Band (or Singers) career.

2. A measure to sustain a Band (or Singers) career.

3. A measure to end a Band (or Singers) career.

To me, Greatest Hits is more like “Russian Roulette”…

“Your turn comrade – SPIN!”

“coachmaddog”, I will take the “nice guy” persona any day over most of the current d-bag personas in rock. Grohl doesn’t take himself seriously and he is known for being great to his fans. He is absolutely right that there are better songs than the track list and that honesty is hard to come by in the music business.

AC/DC aren’t the only ones reluctant to do a greatest hits – what about Metallica?

The Foo’s one could have easily been better, but it’s a collection of “hits”, not their “greatest songs”. I still don’t get why The One isn’t on there (or Generator… wasn’t Generator a single?)

The other side of the coin is: How many “greastest hits” collections is TOO many? There’s Zeppelin…. Seems like they put out one a year. It’s getting a little old and I’m a huge fan. Their stuff is good enough to stand on its own.

The first album I ever bought was the Stones High Tide & Green Grass. It got me interested in the band. And it’s probably the best introduction to the Stones a music fan could have. Looking forward to the Foo’s GH album.

I consider AC/DC Live to be a greatest hits, kinda. One of the best sounding live albums of all time!

metallica never put one out and probally never will. just sayin

The funny thing is reason AC/DC refuse to release a “Greatest Hits”: according to Angus Young, “We’re an album band, not a singles band.”

If there was ever a band whose songs stand on their own, and whose albums have very little identity on their own, it’s AC/DC. In fact, a CD containing TNT, You Shook Me, Dirty Deeds and Stiff Upper Lip would hang together BETTER than their regular albums (despite the presence of two lead singers) because there would be no filler.

Tom Petty’s Greatest Hits is always a favorite. It was the last release to feature drummer Stan Lynch (whose last recording with the band was on Mary Jane’s Last Dance) and also their last before signing with Warner Brothers. It serves as a good divider between the band’s 70’s and 80’s material and their excellent work from the 90s and beyond. They’re one of the few bands that could easily have a Greatest Hits Vol. 2…but that brings up a whole different discussion altogether!

the foo’s should put out a greatest hits. they have been around long enough and the songs stand the test of time so to speak. foo fighters are a relevant band. the way things are these days it does seem like hits sets are over-saturating everything, but then again albums have not been selling well at all lately and this might be the backlash to that. we want something with substance and not a quick fix. fall out boy releasing a greatest hits seems very premature, but this could be a sign that the record buying public has lost interest in them (didn’t their last album flop big time?).

Bill…

I get out there, I go to bars, I listen to the radio, and I occasionally watch a little MTV. If I don’t know their songs, it wasn’t a hit. (And based on what I know of Fall Out Boy, it DEFINITELY wasn’t “great”, but that’s beside the point)

When the Beatles’ songs came out, they were all cross-genre, massive #1 hits. They still get played today. Every cover band in the world knows their songs. They make terrible movies like “Across The Universe” filled with their songs that 15-years-olds in 2009 love. The comparison between Fall Out Boy and the goddamn BEATLES is the most ludicrous bit of “logic” I have ever heard in my life. You should be embarrassed with yourself.

I agree with Oddjob – AC/Dc is no “album band”.

However, I will disagree with the notion that FOB doesn’t have any hits. They have some very catchy hit songs over the last few years, that have been hard to avoid. But it IS too early for them to be releasing a hits compilation.

zbtrocker – while ‘AC/DC Live’ does post an impressive track list, it is after all – a LIVE album – and not the classic studio versions of the songs that still get played so much around the world. I think we need an AC/DC collection with the original versions of their classic material. A “live” album just doesn’t do it for me.

Sadly, I think Metallica will release a ‘Best of’ before AC/DC does.

kiss should do a greatest hits i dont think they ever have. even if they are not ones to exploit themselves it would be nice.

Most of the time a Best Of CD is part of the bands record contract and the artists have little or nothing to do with the record. It can also serve as a way to fulfill a contract so that the artist can move to another label. A live album, box set or remix album serve the same purpose. Bands are signed to a seven record deal and most either fade away or get big and want a better contract…hence the Best Of CD.

Tom Petty Greatest Hits is huge catalog seller and still he makes great records.
The Eagles Greatest Hits is one of the all time best selling albums.
I’m not sure that was the end of The Eagles, I think they chose that.
Kiss has more hit collections than you could imagine, you can get at least two at your local WalMart.

“There was once a time when you had to be a well-established artist for a certain period and be considered a veteran in order to release a Greatest Hits compilation.”

That’s completely untrue and based on nostalgia.

“Fall Out Boy rose to prominence in 2006, and now they have a compilation album? Is this their way of telling us they’re breaking up?”

Again, wrong. Fall Out Boy rose to prominence in pop punk circles as early as 2003 (first album went gold very quickly).

But Fall Out Boy isn’t behind this, and neither is Dave Grohl. The record labels are. (Remember the uproar over the GNR and Nirvana ones?) The timing is the big tell: it’s Christmas season. These things are stocking stuffers.

But, to get back to the topic, to me The Fugees were least “deserving.” Two albums, only one of which had hits.

Greatest Hits albums are totally obsolete.
With iTunes and such, people just DL whatever songs they want anyway.

If anyone could be considered an “album” band, it’s Pink Floyd, and even they put out two greatest hits collections (or 3 if you count “Works”, although nobody does). AND, you can buy all their songs on iTunes. So what’s up with AC/DC? Are they just pompous a-holes?

To whomever says that the record companies are the ones behind these greatest hits albums… I think at the end of the day the responsibility of the artist trumps what the record companies say.

Anyone who wishes to have their music seen as having any artistic merit would have the logic to know when their catalogue warrants a greatest hits compilation and not a gimmick to hold on to your 15 minutes or stuff a stocking… clearly too many of these bands don’t value the work they have put into their music enough to weigh in on when a greatest hits is appropriate.

I had the misfortune of being a tweener when Fall Out Boy first came out, and, of course, became a fan. I agree with comments before – there’s about 3, at the most 5 FOB songs that I can think of (and I know many, too many) that could even remotely qualify as hits. They’ve had two successful albums (Cork Tree, Infinity) and one decent one (Infinity on High). I don’t know anybody who owns folie a whatever. That definatly does not qualify a greatest hits album. Not even singles. There’s probably some obsessive teenager who needs to grow up (as the rest of us did) who’s looking forward to this, but I can speak for the masses when I say that a greatest hits album is a terrible idea.

la roux sucks big hairy goat balls why is this even on the television. It’s makes my eyes hurt. What is wrong with this country when crap like this makes it big. It’s probably because of all the immigrants. If not then shame on you america for making this piece of shit a hit.

Across the Universe is a fantastic movie.