A greatest hits album is an album by a musical artist or group that contains some of their biggest hits. A lot of artists don’t like them because they feel like their singles belong to the album from which they came. They don’t like taking songs from different albums, eras, and phases and cramming them together. But you can’t deny the appeal of a greatest hits album to the audience. You get an album of all the best songs without any filler material. You get to experience more of the range and scope of their music. And it’s less of a dent on your wallet, which is always good. The first greatest hits album I ever bought was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was the best decision I ever made. I knew that I liked “Free Fallin’” and “The Waiting” but I had no idea what was in store for me. I bought it, opened it, and shoved it in the car stereo and went for a drive. The first few chords of “American Girl” came on and my life was forever changed. I played that CD on repeat for the next few weeks. I went out and bought almost every single Tom Petty album I could. I’ve seen him in concert three times, soon to be four. I became a huge Tom Petty fan, all thanks to his greatest hits album. I’ve gone and bought a bunch of other greatest hits albums from other artists ranging from Neil Young to ZZ Top to the Doobie Brothers. Each greatest hit album purchase has led to me buying other individual albums from those artists. A good greatest hits album is like an advertisement that you pay to listen to, and then you go out and spend more money on their other albums. You get more entertainment, they get more cash in their pockets, everybody wins.
Critically Rated at 15/17
Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young
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