Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on March 23, 2004. Released by Geffen Records in part because of the delay in the making of Chinese Democracy, the album was subject to lawsuits by band member Axl Rose and former band members, in an attempt to block its release due to its track listing.
Despite the album having almost no promotion, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart[1] and number three on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release.[2]Greatest Hits re-entered the Billboard 200 at number three in March 2012, selling about 85,000 copies as part of a promotion by both Amazon and Google Play that saw the album sold for 25 cents for one day.[3] The album has proven a popular seller, selling over six million copies in the United States by 2018.[4]Greatest Hits is one of the longest charting albums in the Billboard 200 era,[5] being one of only seven albums to notch at least 400 weeks on the chart by June 2017.[6] As of July 2023, it has spent 631 weeks on the chart.[7]
Lawsuitedit
Axl Rose immediately tried to block the release by suing Geffen, saying it would ruin his focus on Chinese Democracy and if he were to get the album finished and released sooner, the Greatest Hits album would be selling more, leaving the album unnoticed. Former bandmates Slash and Duff McKagan helped Rose file the lawsuit against Geffen, although they did not speak to each other in person.[8][9] The lawsuit failed and the album was released under Geffen Records' rights.[10][5]
The album received mixed reviews, with several critics complaining of the track listing, feeling several notable songs were missing.
AllMusic criticized the album for "(giving) an inaccurate portrait of the band", saying "it bears all the hallmarks of a slapdash compilation, hastily assembled by the label as a way to buy time between releases. There are no liner notes, the cardboard packaging is flimsy, (&) the remastering isn't notable."[11] The review singled out "Nightrain", "Estranged", "It's So Easy", "Mr. Brownstone" and "Used to Love Her" as songs that should have been on the album but weren't.
Pop Matters stated the album "does nothing to enhance the legacy of a once-proud rock band. There are no hidden insights into the inner workings of the group, no lost classics, and no evidence of their contribution to a new generation of musicians. Instead we are left with an inflated sticker price for a Pandora's box of tracks..."[16]Pitchfork criticized the compilation for having too many covers, as well as not including songs such as "Out Ta Get Me", "Used to Love Her", and "One in a Million".[13]BBC criticized the songs for being dated.[17]The Maneater stated "The appearance of the album gives the impression of a record company that focused solely on the fact that people would buy the album even if it were wrapped in brown wrapping paper." and criticized the compilation for not including songs such as "Estranged", "Mr. Brownstone", and "Pretty Tied Up".[18]
In a positive review, NME stated " It’s packed with pomp, spunk and circumstance, makes blokes want to fight and girls want to dance. What the fuck else is there?".[12]
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[19]
Guns N' Rosesedit
W. Axl Rose – lead vocals, percussion on "Welcome to the Jungle", whistling on "Patience" and "Civil War", synthesizer and whistle on "Paradise City", keyboards on "Since I Don't Have You" and "Live and Let Die", piano on "November Rain", "Yesterdays," and "Sympathy for the Devil"
Slash – lead guitar, acoustic guitar on "Civil War", "Sweet Child o' Mine" and "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", lead acoustic guitar on "Patience"
Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar (on tracks 1, 2, 4–11 and "Shadow of Your Love"), rhythm acoustic guitar on "Patience", backing vocals on tracks 1–11
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Referencesedit
^"The Official Charts Company – Guns N' Roses". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
^"Charts & Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
^"GUNS N' ROSES: 'Greatest Hits' Sells 85K Copies In One Week As Part Of 25-Cent Promotion". Blabbermouth.net. March 21, 2012. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
^Caulfield, Keith (January 5, 2018). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Nat King Cole Collects First Top 40 Album in More Than 50 Years". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
^ ab"Chart Moves: Guns N' Roses 'Hits' Longevity Milestone, 'Pitch Perfect' Still Selling Strong". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
^"Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Guns N' Roses 'Greatest' Hits Landmark 400th Week on Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017.
^"Guns N' Roses Greatest Hits Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
^Krgin, Borivoj (February 18, 2004). "Report: Guns N' Roses may sue to block 'Greatest Hits' album". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
^Wiederhorn, Jon (May 4, 2004). "Axl Rose Sued By Ex-Guns N' Roses Bandmates". MTV News. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
^Krgin, Borivoj (May 14, 2006). "Guns N' Roses: 'Greatest Hits' Certified Triple Platinum". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
^ ab"NME Album Reviews – Guns N' Roses : Greatest Hits". NME. March 19, 2004. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
^ ab"Guns N' Roses". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013.
^"Guns n Roses – Greatest Hits – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
^"Guns N' Roses: Greatest Hits - Reviews @ Ultimate-Guitar.com".
^"The Decade in Music – Charts – Top Billboard 200 Albums" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 50. December 19, 2009. p. 164. Retrieved July 19, 2023 – via World Radio History. Digit page 168 on the PDF archive.
^"ARIA Top 100 Albums of the 10's". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
^"Italian album certifications – Guns'N'Roses – Greatest Hits" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2016" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Greatest Hits" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
^"Portuguese album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Greatest Hits" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
^"Spanish album certifications" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Select Álbumes under "Categoría", select 2009 under "Año". Select 21 under "Semana". Click on "BUSCAR LISTA".
^"Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2004" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011.
^"The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Greatest Hits')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
^"British album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Appetite Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 2, 2023.