What are some of the best "Greatest Hits" compilations you've ever purchased?

Mike Oldfield ~ "The Platinum Collection" {3CD} {included singles and extended versions}

Mike Oldfield ~ "The Complete Mike Oldfield" {2CD} {included previously unreleased live tracks}

Stevie Nicks ~ "Timespace" {my first SN album}

Stevie Nicks ~ "The Enchanted Boxed Set" {3 CD} {included b-sides, soundtrack songs, and live tracks}

Fleetwood Mac ~ "25 Years : The Chain" {4 CD}

{included songs from the first 6 years, new songs, 1 live track, and alternative versions}

Pink Floyd ~ "Echoes" {2 CD}

Capercaillie ~ "Grace and Pride : 1984 - 2004" {2 CD}

Led Zeppelin ~ "Remasters" {2 CD}

Jimi Hendrix ~ "Experience Hendrix" {limited edition 2 CD}

The Who ~ "The Ultimate Collection" {2 CD}

The Rolling Stones ~ "40 Licks" {2 CD}

"The Very Best of Sting and The Police"

Heart ~ "These Dreams : Heart's Greatest Hits"

Interesting question. Live albums I'd say definitely (James Brown's Live At The Apollo is generally considered a classic). Compilations are more problematic because the kudos is shared by the artist(s) with the compiler. And there are different kinds of compilations: single artist greatest hits (or rare tracks, or both) single genre single time period thematically linked soundtracks for film/tv the personal mix tape tribute albums mix albums (Armand Van Buren for example) But on the whole I'd have to say I have some great compilations. So, after much waffling, yes, both types can be considered 'great'.

I don't like greatest hit albums normally, unless it's an artist that I don't care enough about to have their best albums. Takes the tracks from a, more or less, coherent album and puts them in some kind of out of context order. The following are exceptions to that somehow.

Dylan: "Biograph" 3 CDs. 1962-1981. Some previously released versions some not.

Dylan: "No Direction Home" 3 CDs. The Bootleg Series Volume 7. 1959-1966. The Martin Scorsese film songs.

Dylan:

"The Bootleg Series - Volumes 1-3 [rare & unreleased]"

1961-1991. 38 previously unreleased songs and alternative takes on others. 3 CDs.

Dylan "Live 1966" 2 CDs. The Bootleg Series Volume 4. The live world tour of 1965. This is the big controversial tour when he switched to electric and got alternatively booed and cheered around the world. Fan "Judas" - Dylan "I don't believe you - you're a liar". Dylan to band "Turn it up, play it ******* loud"

Dylan also released two previously unreleased songs ("Watching The River Flow" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece" produced by Leon Russell) on his second greatest hits (volume II) album. He's a rebel!

Pink Floyd - Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd

Queen - Greatest Hits Vol.1 (UK)

Beatles - #1´s

Bob Marley - Legend

Three Dog Night - The Complete Hits

Sting - Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994

AC/DC - Live!

Ramones - Greatest Hits

Eagles - The Very Best of Eagles

Cat Stevens - The Very Best of Cat Stevens

Bob Dylans Greatest hits Vol 1 2 & 3

Journey - Greatest Hits - Solid and everything is there

Earth Wind and Fire- The Eternal Flame

Prince - The Hits/The B Sides

Eagles - Greatest Hits 1, at one time, highest selling record.

Styx - Come Sail Away - The Anthology

I have Bowie - Changes 1 and always liked that.

I usually hate those things because they usually just compile hit songs, which are usually the worst by an artist, but here are a few I did dig a lot.

The Essential UFO

The Best Of The Doors

The Best Of Motorhead (Roadrunner Records version)

The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 71-75

Decade: Duran Duran

Rock n' Soul part 1- Daryl Hall & John Oates

The Hits- REO Speedwagon

So Far, So Good- Bryan Adams

Back to Front- Lionel Richie

Hot Rocks- Rolling Stones

Some of those as well as: I think of the Rolling Thunder Review as a Dylan Grts.hts. and:

Jackson Browne -best of

Niel Young

James Taylor

Dire Straights - sultans of swing

CSNY

Queen

Beatles

Joan Armatrading

Stevie Wonder - Song Review

Tammy Wynette - 16 biggest hits

Wliie Nelson

Bilie Joel - Essentials

Fleetwood Mac

Prince - the hits

Springsteen

The Doors

Janis Joplin

RHCP

Steely Dan

Just to name a few.................

Beckology by Jeff Beck

Journey Greatest Hits by Journey

The Best Of Cream by Cream