Best-of Albums.

GrandMasterTerwynn · Post by **GrandMasterTerwynn** » 2005-06-27 07:41pm

You know what I'm talking about. When a record company dredges through its catalogue and puts together all the songs from a given band that ever had airplay and packs them up with a little blurb on the liner notes about the history of the band, and maybe some remarks from one of the band members who hasn't somehow died of a drug overdose/gone solo/joined another band in an entirely different genre/is currently working as a night shift manager at 7-11 after blowing his fortune snorting coke off the asses of prostitites.

My question to you folks is about how much of your music collection is made up of Best-of albums? Or even live concert albums where they just happen to be performing all their greatest hits. And I mean a best-of album for a specific band, rather than compilations of different artists.

I ask this because, looking through my music collection, I find that 40 out of the 100 or so albums I have happen to be best-of collections, and at least one of them motivated me to pick up the rest of the artist-in-question's catalogue.

Post by **Dalton** » 2005-06-27 07:44pm

Well, I have the Guns N' Roses Greatest Hits album and a couple of AC/DC live albums, but I think that's it.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2005-06-27 07:50pm

GrandMasterTerwynn wrote:\

My question to you folks is about how much of your music collection is made up of Best-of albums? Or even live concert albums where they just happen to be performing all their greatest hits. And I mean a best-of album for a specific band, rather than compilations of different artists.

Very few. On the rare circumstances I buy a concert or best of album, it's typically because they add new material to existing songs, or it sounds much better than the original (in the case of live albums). Or, on the rare chance that I consider the band to be good enough, I'll buy a concert or best of album to add to my collection.

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2005-06-27 07:55pm

I don't think it amounts to 10 percent but there are a number of 'Best of's in my collection.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2005-06-27 10:07pm

I have a few, probably around 5 or so out of roughly 200 CDs. With some artists there's so much filler on their albums that it's not worth buying them separately to get all the songs you like. That's when I buy their greatest hits albums. In rare cases the musician has such a huge catalogue of material that you don't even know where to start, so you buy the "best of" to get a feel for them and slowly fill out the collection from there.

Lord Poe · Post by **Lord Poe** » 2005-06-28 03:37am

I love "Best Of" compilations. Why would I want to buy a whole "Dexy's Midnight Runners" CD to just get "Come On Eileen"?

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2005-06-28 01:10pm

Less than 10%. I'm a completist, really.

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2005-06-28 01:46pm

About 22%, I usually get them to start off a collection. (Usually with rock)

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2005-06-28 03:21pm

I have a couple of greatest hits albums (Journey, Bob Seeger, Queen) and some boxed sets (Jimmy Buffett, Led Zeppelin). I love live albums. Some of my all time favorite albums are live: Jimmy Buffett, You Had To Be There! recorded in Atlanta in the late 70's. It's out of print and i only have it on Cassette.... Phish, A Live One... and who can forget The Moody Blues at The Red Rocks.

Caius · Post by **Caius** » 2005-06-29 09:01am

I'm about 10 percent, I've got one or two "best of" albums. (The Doors & Black Sabbath) mostly getting my play.

My sister on the other hand goes nuts for them. Most of her cd collection is made up of "best of" albums. Then she goes and dl's all the groups regular albums and burns them. And it usually doesn't matter if she really likes the band or not. My dad had a Guess Who best of album, she didn't really like them, but ended up "stealing" it from my dad because of how much she played it.

Post by **Zaia** » 2005-06-29 04:16pm

the .303 bookworm wrote:About 22%, I usually get them to start off a collection. (Usually with rock)

22%? That seems a rather random percentage to cite.

I think mine's probably between 10-15%, with a lot more live albums which are pseudo-greatest-hits than actual greatest hits albums. For instance, I just picked up "Show" by The Cure which is a fantastic live album which just happens to have two of my favourite Cure songs on it. Way better than just a greatest hits collection, since I get to hear the live renditions of those songs plus others I don't know yet. So, booyahs all around.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2005-06-29 04:20pm

I have a Jonny Cash, a Dick Dale and a Discocks (that´s obscure Japanese Punk Rock) best of, and i think that´s it.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2005-06-29 04:21pm

Zaia wrote:
the .303 bookworm wrote:About 22%, I usually get them to start off a collection. (Usually with rock)
22%? That seems a rather random percentage to cite.

Probably because you can type 22 faster than 20.

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2005-06-29 04:23pm

Out of the albums that I bought in a shop about a fifth are best of, I have a lot more from my parents and the internet.

Also Do soundtracks count as best of? if not then only about 5-10% of my music counts as best of.

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2005-06-29 04:35pm

the .303 bookworm wrote: Also Do soundtracks count as best of? if not then only about 5-10% of my music counts as best of.

Err- I'd say 'no', really. The 'best of' what selection IS the soundtrack? Yes, of course, the music in the movie. But given that soundtracks tend to represent the vast majority to total of a movie's music, that's something of a self-defeating criterion, no?

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2005-06-29 04:38pm

Batman wrote:
the .303 bookworm wrote: Also Do soundtracks count as best of? if not then only about 5-10% of my music counts as best of.
Err- I'd say 'no', really. The 'best of' what selection IS the soundtrack? Yes, of course, the music in the movie. But given that soundtracks tend to represent the vast majority to total of a movie's music, that's something of a self-defeating criterion, no?

Good point in that case only 5-10% (Mainly rock and the beatle, eltohn jioh and elvis)

Dooku's Disciple · Post by **Dooku's Disciple** » 2005-07-01 01:49am

I listen to a lot of prehistoric hard rock and metal bands, and often the only way to get their material in a remastered format is to wait for the inevitable best-of or box set (before the Japanese vinyl replica reissues with bonus tracks come out of course).

DD

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2005-07-01 02:10am

We have the best of 1980-1990s and best of 1990-2000s of U2.

And I have a whole bunch of Best of this and this Trance and Dance stuff on my comp.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2005-07-01 04:19am

Probably about ten percent when you figure in live concerts. I one exactly two greatests hits collections, one double disc and the other triple disc. The former because I like a fair number of their songs but am not that big a fan and the latter because I'm a huge fan and there's a lot of interveiw material, a disc of live stuff with music and discussion, and a couple new songs.

Other than that it's all concert albums and live recordings.

Alferd Packer · Post by **Alferd Packer** » 2005-07-01 03:34pm

I think, all told, two:

Rage Against the Machine: Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium(best live album ever!)
Rob Zombie: Past, Present, and Future. A solid investment, as it has some hard to find tracks that were only available on movie soundtracks.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2005-07-01 06:27pm

Hey Dalt, are those AC/DC live albums any good? It really irks me that there is no "best of" collections for them, and I don't like generally go and buy live albums of bands.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2005-07-01 06:30pm

I have...like...2. Aerosmith Greatest hits and Aerosmith "Big Ones" ( I call big ones the "Angel clone album" On account of every song from angel to 1999 was angel with different words.)

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Best-of Albums.

Well, what fraction of your collection is best-of?

Best-of Albums.

Re: Best-of Albums.