Near Miss: 10 of the best Greatest Hits albums.

Normally, after a group/band/singer has done about 6 albums, they'll release a BEST OF/Greatest Hits compilation. I personally love these albums. They allow someone (like myself) the chance to get into a band by listening to the best hits and then deciding if I want to splash out on the other albums. Take Thin Lizzy. I only ever heard a couple of their songs (Whiskey in the Jar, Jail Break), I had a listen, and I like a lot more of their stuff, so GH albums are a must. Here's the 10 (was originally 5, but there are so many good ones, it would be a crime to miss any out!!) I think are worth a listen to.

10: Journey - Greatest Hits.

With tracks like Seperate Ways (Worlds Apart), Open Arms and the classic Don't Stop Believing, this should be in every rock fans collection. A heady mix of feel good, rock out songs that you can't help but want to sing along to (especially Be Good To Yourself, which is the last song, and definitely one of the best I've heard).

9: Level 42 - The Definitive

There is a two disc version, but the one disc version contains the best tracks (save for Love Games, which is ok at best). From Running in the Family and Starchild to Micro Kid and Hot Water, nearly every track is a winner (apart from the track mentioned), and it shows why Level 42 were one of Britain's biggest bands in the 1980's.

8: Rainbow - Best Of

Another entry for Rainbow on one of my lists, the whole cd is just great. Including the songs Kill the King, A Light in the Black, Man on the Silver Mountain and the most famous track Since You've Been Gone

7: Led Zepplin - Mothership

Who hasn't heard of Led Zepplin? The track Whole Lotta Love was used for Top of the Pops, for chuffs sake! All the tracks, including Immigrant Song and Communication Breakdown, that are spread over the two discs are pure 70's rock, and that at it's heart is what counts. And even the front cover is brilliant!!

6: Elvis - HITStory

I might be cheating with this as it's three best of's in one, but the whole package comes as one, so it still counts. Containing the originally released 30 #1's and 2nd to None, and the unreleased The Story Continues, all three discs contain something that will please everyones ears. Cd 3 contains some tracks from the movies, like Kissin' Cousins, and GI Blues.

5: Prince - Ultimate

Many great tracks from the start of his career, through Purple Rain and Batman, to Diamond & Pearls and New Power Generation, with the songs Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette and Kiss, this is another Best Of that get's a thumbs up from me for getting me into just one of the greatest male solo artists of our time.

4: Blondie - Greatest Hits

Denis, Heart Of Glass, Rip Her To Shreds, Rapture, the list is (not really) endless, with track after track of classic music. Another recommendation and, again, another best of that got me into Blondie.

3: Phil Collins - Hits

I've always liked ol' Phil. And who wouldn't, with songs like Another Day in Paradise, Two Hearts (very 60's-ish), Sussudio and I Wish It Would Rain Down. The front cover is of worthy mention, as it's all his solo album front covers drawn and painted by hand, and looks quite good.

2: Alice Cooper - Best Of

As I've mentioned before, I love my rock music, and no collection is complete without at least one Alice Cooper album. This greatest hits album might not be the strongest (it's version of Billion Dollar Babies is a live track), but it does have the 1988 hit Poison and Feed My Frankenstein, that featured in Wayne's World.
Party on, Garth!

1: Shakin' Stevens - Epic Singles Chronology

2 discs, every one of his 80's songs and all his christmas singles. Maybe, the most complete collection of Shaky's singles ever. Including I Might (which had all the VIZ! characters on the front!), A Little Boogie Woogie and This Ol' House (which is a different version to the originally released version). This always takes me back to my childhood, and you've always got to have a guilty pleasure, and this is it.

Other notible mentions are:
The Very Best of KISS, O Yeah! Aerosmith Hits (also released as Aerosmith Anthology) & Poison Greatest Hits 86-96.

But I thought I'd go for a top ten that doesn't include ALL of the usual suspects, but mixes a lot of styles together.

Enjoy!