Saturday, November 02, 2024

Greatest Hits Albums, Once a Must Purchase, Lost Their Mojo

Looking at the roster of top-selling records, you could easily think greatest hits albums are doing better than ever. As of September, two dozen had made it onto the music industry's list of the 200 bestsellers this year, compared with only 10 in 2010.

Posted by lamplighter at 10:31 PM | 34 COMMENTS | permalink

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... In reality, the cultural and economic might of collections like the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), the all-time bestseller in the US, has declined dramatically in recent years. Purchases have tumbled as streaming replaced CDs and digital purchases as the primary way people consume music. These once-mainstream releases are now viewed primarily as a novelty item -- designed for superfans and their vinyl or CD collections, often with dressy packaging and a price that can top $100.

These records are for "someone who wants to own a product and support an artist in a different way than in streaming," said Michael Kachko, a senior vice president at BMG, whose artists include Mötley Cre and Jelly Roll. "This is your starting point."

For decades, listeners stocked their shelves with greatest hits albums as a cost effective way to acquire the best of an artist's music in one purchase. They became so prevalent that, even today, two of the 10 best-selling albums in the US are greatest hits compilations. In addition to the Eagles' collection, Billy Joel's Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II ranks among the most-purchased ever. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-11-01 02:21 PM

I have some Greatest Hits albums, such as Journey, and Blood Sweat & Tear,Ultimate Alabama, The Animals Resppective, More cost effective than buying individual albums is many cases.

Of course then there are groups who I love like The Doors, which I own every album, as all of ABBAs because my wife love that one.

#2 | Posted by MSgt at 2024-11-01 04:20 PM


"...because my wife love that one." -

#2 | Posted by MSgt

Did you know that your wife is voting for Kamala Harris for president, MSgt?

I thought I would give you a heads up on that.

You're welcome.


#3 | Posted by Hans at 2024-11-01 04:58 PM

I had a copy of Eagles Greatest Hits on 8- track, but it was inexplicably a quadrophonic tape. So you could REALLY hear the bass. Not much else, but ...

#4 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-11-02 11:01 PM

4. I'd consider that good fortune. I was stuck living with someone for six weeks in 1975 who had the only turntable and who played the Eagles incessantly. I can sing their first three albums about note for note and have hated them ever since.

The Netflix show on David Geffen had some interesting info about them. He wanted to come out with that greatest hits album and everyone told him it was too soon. Ended up becoming bestselling album in history.

#5 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2024-11-02 11:09 PM

@#2 ... The Animals Resppective, ...

A side story ...

Back in the day of vinyl and reel-to-reel tape recorders ... (I'm talking mid- to late-1960's)

I replied to an article in the local newspaper --- send music tapes to the troops in Vietnam.

So I did. At the time, i was in my mid- late-teens. So with my parents' approval ...

I sent multiple 7-inch reels of music to the address provided.

Six hours of the local radio station (WABC-AM, sometimes WMCA-AM) on a reel of tape.

The thank-you letters I got back from the soldiers who listened to those tapes were nothing short of inspiring for me, as a teen.

Wow. My only regret at this point is that I did not save those letters. They gave me hope and a fixity of purpose.

I even sent one of the soldiers $100 (with parent's OK, of course, it was their check) to buy a new Sony tape deck for me.

A couple weeks later, the tape deck arrived on the door step.

I still know that soldier's name, and google shows me that he is still serving the Country.





#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-11-03 12:23 AM

&^nbsp

@#2 ... I have some Greatest Hits albums ...

yeah, as do I.

Many of which I have digitized and put into the media system here ( jriver.com )

Lemme do a quick search...

Al Green
Alice Cooper
America
Animals
Argent
Association
Band

...

woof, more than I had expected.

Yeah, back in the day, I bought the greatest hits albums ....

#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-11-03 12:28 AM

@#6 ... A side story ....

Why I said it is a side story ...

Yeah, after you read all that ...

One of the letters I received from a soldier in Vietnam highlighted the Animals tune he appreciated ...

Animals - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (US Version) (1966)
www.youtube.com



#8 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-11-03 12:34 AM

You -------- still buy music? OK boomer. I have not bought an album since Metallica Black when I was in like the 3rd grade.

#9 | Posted by deadman at 2024-11-03 06:42 AM

This is definitely a boomer thread, however, back in 2007 my late, great uncle willed to me around 350 LPs and 45s, among which were about 20-30 greatest hits records.

Although he kept his records in pristine condition, there were a few that one could tell were played hundreds of times. One he seemed to play the most was "Alltime Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison", which had his newspaper obituary tucked into the gatefold sleeve which fell out when I first opened the cover.

#10 | Posted by NerfHerder at 2024-11-03 09:58 AM

You -------- still buy music?

--------? I believe that is known as a "tell".

#11 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-11-03 10:37 AM

More recent bands have fewer "hits" to package and repackaging older bands with 1 or 2 new mixes or some obscure demos got old years ago.
But, when any schmoe with ProTools, or some such, can pump out pro-sounding stuff, there's just no point in the packages, any more. The gates have been stormed, the gatekeepers overrun and nobody has to prove themselves on the road before they get recorded.

Fortunately, there's a century of recorded music out there, and anything you've never heard before is "new" music.

#12 | Posted by morris at 2024-11-03 12:30 PM

P.S.
I own about 3000 lps, as many cds, and a s--tload of stuff on cassette and ripped from discs from the libraries of whichever cities I have found myself in over the last 20 years. Plus 45s ans a handful of 78s. Couldn't resist that copy of "Let Me Play With Your Poodle" by Tampa Red.

#13 | Posted by morris at 2024-11-03 12:36 PM

These days musicians on a recording may not ever even meet each other, much less play together... they just go to the studio and record their track.

- anything you've never heard before is "new" music.

That's true, and fortunately so.

I like to watch a few real first listen Reactors, especially those who are musicians, to see how the kids today feel about the classic rock tunes.

I watched several do Child in Time, and basically freak out over the depth of feeling in the music.

#14 | Posted by Corky at 2024-11-03 12:41 PM

"You'd better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone,

For the times they are 'a changin'..."

---Bobby D

#15 | Posted by Angrydad at 2024-11-03 08:04 PM

"More recent bands have fewer "hits" to package
#12 | Posted by morris"

That is because liberals control entertainment and have made everything "fake & gay". Music now must have the hook every 15 seconds so the TikTok generation does not get bored and change the track. Take out any actual talent in playing a musical instrument in place of a drum track and you have the modern garbage music of today. Hell, lyrics can't even be controversial any more in relation to the government, being degenerate is actually encouraged (LGBT, drug use, being a whore, etc). As disappointing as Rage Against the Machine becoming Rage for the Machine is, there is literally no acts outside of country music that tells of actual struggles or government abuse.

#16 | Posted by deadman at 2024-11-03 08:23 PM

First there was this ...

Do you honestly think something went wrong on the server side to repost 1000+ times by Hans or was he sitting in his basement continuously hitting the publish comment button with ever growing incel rage until it finally posted 1000+ times? My bet is that someone's mom didn't bring the pizza rolls in time and Hans was rage hitting submit while likely screaming the n-word at the top of his lungs. Thankfully, he likely resides in a windowless basement so no one was exposed to his racial abuse.

#18 | Posted by deadman at 2024-10-17 08:23 PM

...and then there was this...
#18 | Posted by: deadman | Flag: Serious level

Interestingly enough, this is post #18.

"Any significantly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

#22 | Posted by Hans at 2024-10-17 08:58 PM

This is just way too easy.

#17 | Posted by Hans at 2024-11-03 08:30 PM

#16

www.youtube.com

#18 | Posted by Corky at 2024-11-03 08:31 PM

no acts outside of country music that tells of actual struggles

Claudio is such a troll. He probably thinks Ashley's diary was real.

#19 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-11-03 08:35 PM

"#18 | Posted by Corky"

That you for proving my point by linking to a song that exemplifies what I am talking about - compare this was the modern "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake.

#20 | Posted by deadman at 2024-11-03 08:38 PM

"Claudio is such a troll. He probably thinks Ashley's diary was real.
#19 | Posted by REDIAL"

You probably thing Justin Trudeau did not get fired for sleeping with his underage student.

#21 | Posted by deadman at 2024-11-03 08:39 PM

#21 | Posted by deadman (new) | Flag: Hans' Love Letter to deadman

#22 | Posted by Hans at 2024-11-03 08:41 PM

#21 | Posted by deadman (new) | Flag: Serious level

#23 | Posted by Hans at 2024-11-03 08:42 PM

- Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake.

Your top ten?

And Ella Fitzgerald is like Metallica?

jajaja!

#24 | Posted by Corky at 2024-11-03 08:45 PM

"And Ella Fitzgerald is like Metallica?
jajaja!
#24 | Posted by Corky"

Real instruments or synths?
Real vocals or autotune?
Constant repeat of the hook?

Yeah, this is way more akin to Metallica than to Justin Timberlake.

#25 | Posted by deadman at 2024-11-03 08:50 PM

That's it Claudio... use your aggressive feelings boy, let the hate flow through you.

#26 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-11-03 08:51 PM

Funny.... coming from like the J. Timberlake of the Retort.

Or maybe the Nickelback.

#27 | Posted by Corky at 2024-11-03 08:53 PM

"Or maybe the Nickelback.
#27 | Posted by Corky"

I will gladly take Nickelback over 90% of the music produced over the last 5 years. The reality is that you only hate Nickelback because "the cool kids" told you it was cool to do so.

Also, you should not let Redial hear you say that. Next to saying that jean jacket + jeans is a bad look, there are no bigger fighting words for the Canucks.

#28 | Posted by deadman at 2024-11-03 08:58 PM

#28

I said as much in #14. More succinctly, of course, but you repeating that the new music sucks is, well, it's repetitive and old news.

But then, so are you.

#29 | Posted by Corky at 2024-11-03 09:10 PM

"#29 | Posted by Corky"

OK Boomer.

#30 | Posted by deadman at 2024-11-03 09:27 PM

#30

For when you've, 'got nothing'.

Argument-free retorts are a dime a dozen, and over-priced at that.

#31 | Posted by Corky at 2024-11-04 12:10 PM

One of the letters I received from a soldier in Vietnam highlighted the Animals tune he appreciated ...
Animals - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (US Version) (1966)
www.youtube.com

#8 | POSTED BY LAMPLIGHTER AT 2024-11-03 12:34 AM | FLAG: You brought back a memory as we played that one a lot and sang along with it.

#32 | Posted by MSgt at 2024-11-04 04:19 PM

@#32 ... You brought back a memory as we played that one a lot and sang along with it. ...

Yeah, that is the impression I remember from the letter I received.

#33 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-11-04 07:12 PM

John Fogerty - I Saw It On T.V. (1985)
www.youtube.com

Lyrics excerpt...

www.azlyrics.com

...
They sent us home to watch the show comming on the little screen
A man named Ike was in the white house big black limosine

There were many shows that followed from hooter to dootyville
Though I saw them all I can't recall which cartoon were real
The coons skin caps Yankee bats the hound dog mans big start
The A bomb fears Annette had ears I lusted in my heart

A young man from Boston said "sail the new frontier"
And we watched the dream dead end in Dallas

They buried innocents that year

[Chorus:]
I know it's true oh so true cause I saw it on T.V.
...



#34 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-11-04 08:27 PM

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