'Best Of' Albums Not So Great These Days

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'Best Of' Albums Not So Great These Days

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY

AP Music Writer

NEW YORK - A greatest-hits album once stood as a watershed - a milestone chronicling a collection of top-rated hits, culturally significant songs or the end of a stellar career.

But in recent years, a flood of "best of" titles from acts with only few years in the business - and performers with even fewer hits - have called into question how great a greatest-hits collection is.

Last fall, Britney Spears released "Greatest Hits: My Prerogative," a retrospective of her chart-topping, multiplatinum recording career - all six years of it. The Backstreet Boys put out "The Hits: Chapter One" in 2001 - just four years after releasing their first album.

"I don't know what you'd put on a record if you've only been making records for five years. I don't know what those greatest hits would be," said veteran rocker John Mellencamp.

At least Spears and the Boys had a steady collection of hits - or can say they have more than just one.

Among the more questionable greatest-hits collections that have popped up in recent years: "Toy Soldiers: The Best of Martika" (with one hit from the 1980s); "The Best of Mandy Moore," from an entertainer who had more success as an actress than she ever did as a singer; and "The Best of O.D.B.," from the late rapper who will best be remembered for his wild behavior and legal troubles than his chart-topping hits (or lack thereof).

And while teen queen Hilary Duff has sold millions of albums, she's only released two discs - the first one in 2003 - and neither spawned a top 10 hit. Her "best of" collection, "Most Wanted," hit record stores Tuesday.

"I guess with music becoming so disposable, things just happen so much faster now," said Collective Soul guitarist Dean Roland, whose band put out a greatest-hits album of its own in 2001. "The short answer to the whole thing is it comes out to a money issue. The labels can put a greatest-hits album out and it's going to sell."

They can be wildly popular. The Eagles' "Their Greatest Hits: 1971-1975" is the best-selling album in U.S. history, selling more than 28 million copies. They're also cheap to produce and promote.

Sheryl Crow, whose "The Very Best of Sheryl Crow," was a multiplatinum hit in 2003, agrees that in some cases, thoughts of profits weigh heavily. "Part of that is record labels continually try to work their catalog so they always have money coming in," Crow said.

But Kevin Gore, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Rhino Entertainment, which puts out various greatest-hits packages, compilations and boxed sets, says a "Best of Sugar Ray" - which they recently released - is valid, even if some may sneer.

"At the end of the day, there's a larger audience that will buy a greatest-hits collection than might buy the individual albums just because they've chosen not to buy the original albums," Gore said.

"Let's say there's two hit songs on a record from five years ago, and then there's another two hit songs from a record that's three years ago," he said. "You have a greater opportunity to bring in a larger audience because you're putting all the hits in one place."

It's an idea the Backstreet Boys agree with - even though, initially, they balked at the idea of putting one out.

"For me as an artist, like, when I see somebody put out a greatest-hits record, they're either finished, or they need some time (off)," said Brian Littrell. "I kind of felt it was too soon to put those great songs on a CD. I think I wanted our fans to miss them a little bit."

However, Howie Dorough said in many ways, the greatest-hits album - which sold more than 1 million copies and contained a few new tunes - may have drawn the casual fan who had never brought a Backstreet Boys CD.

"We've had, knock on wood, over 12 singles," Dorough said. "But for somebody who's not a truly Backstreet fan, (who) wants to go out and buy five different records? ... To be able to go and buy their greatest hits, I'd do that in a heartbeat."

A more critical issue, record companies say, is the decreasing shelf space to carry an artist's catalog. With the advent of Wal-Mart and Target as major record stores, there are fewer outlets where you might find several different albums from one artist.

"If an artist has five or six or seven albums in his or her catalog, a lot of times many retailers are only carrying two or three. Perhaps songs that were included on albums one, three and five might no longer get the kind of visibility or shelf space that a hits record will provide those particular songs," said Jeff Jones, executive vice president of Sony BMG's catalog division Legacy Recordings (whose catalog releases this year range from Miles Davis to Bob Dylan to ... Martika).

Which brings us back to Martika's "Best Of ..." collection.

At the time, her "Toy Soldiers" was enjoying a resurgence after Eminem sampled it on his song, "Like Toy Soldiers." Fans searching for the original song may have been out of luck, Jones said.

Stores weren't carrying her records anymore, he said, adding: "So without creating a new hits collection, there's no visibility."

Besides, just because the average person can't name more than one Martika song doesn't mean there aren't fans out there.

"A hits collection doesn't necessarily always have to be 16 No. 1 songs," Jones said.

Not anymore.

Which is good news for the PM Dawns, Lisa Stansfields and Color Me Badds of the world - who all have greatest-hits albums.

[mfuqua23]

I don't have too many Best Of CDs. 2pac, SWV, I made a Nas and Jagged Edge one. That's really it. I think there's a difference in "Greatest Hits" and the "Best of...". Michael Jackson is somebody that fits in either category. His Best of is most likely his GH. Nas is only a Best of, not a GH-er. GH should be defined as what got on the charts, or what fans of the artist(s) enjoyed the most. Best of... is more of an accomplishment the artist(s) have made for themselves in expressing their creativity.

[Frenetic]

Hahahaha..mandy moore got a best of?

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Nas could have a greatest hits albums from a lot of his hits in his career from his other albums that had more success, "Illmatic" wasn't mainstream so it'd be hard to put any of those songs on there.

[Turntable]

That Hillary Duff thing is realy crazy..I mean Britney realy had allot Hits but Hillary Duff?Lol that`s just crazy..

[JumpinJack AJ]

Yeah, alot of"Best of..." collections are just business moves these days. Since labels are so evil, they are quick 2 drop artists once they have one lack luster album (like Born To Reign). So the label will put out the Greatest Hits disc just 2 make money off them one more time and/or fulfill a record contract.

That's what happened with FP, Mandy Moore, and Jon B. They left their Sony labels so next thing u know they have greatest hits albums. Jon B only had 3 albums...Mandy Moore had 4. At least they were smart enuff 2 load each of their album up with all the singles they released. Jon B's had 2 unrelased songs...so there waz something new 2 it. Mandy Moore's had a DVD with ALL of her music videos as a part of the package, which i think waz a very cool idea. What kills me is those Millennium Collections that only have like 10 trax on them. Those are just pathetic, but i do have a few of those. They should work with the label and artist 2 load the CD up and give them proper album covers.

[Jonny 5]

I think Greatest Hits cd;s are wrong, unless the artist is definitely, or almost definitely finished with music. I wouldn't buy a greatest hits album otherwise, unless of course I thought they were finished, as in the case of JJFP Greatest Hits when I got it.

I've got The Sugarhill Gang, MC Hammer, Run DMC and JJFP...

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Labels usually release greatest hits albums when you leave them or get dropped from them like AJ said, greatest hits albums are good though when you're introduced to an artist, that's how I started listening to LL, 2Pac, MC Hammer, and JJFP.