nodeerforamonth

Your loss.

Jimmy James

For me, it's just the opposite. I'm re-accumulating the Scott CDs after a few years away from the music (I previously owned the albums on tape mostly). It's the Johnson years (post Back In Black) I'd like a greatest hits collection for. As it is, I'll probably just buy The Razor's Edge and For Those About to Rock and forget about the rest.

Rypro 525

actually, pink floyd does have a gh package called "echos, the best of pink floyd" but it doesn't have all of the big tracks that radio staitions play.

regarding metallica, they would need to do a 2 disc set with pre black and post black albums. Plus, unlike some of these gh artists, most of the albums by the 3 bands mentioned in your post are really good.

Chrisedge

The sheer volume of high quality bootlegs keeps me rolling along. Add to the fact that they did include several unreleased, now "official" live recordings in the "Complete U2" from iTunes (unavailable by album only) = enough for me.

ike0000

Another example:

DJLinus

Not much I can add regarding why the two bands don't have GH albums, so I'll just state what grinds my gears: when a live version is put on a collection in place of its studio version (assuming that the live version is not the popular/definitive recording of the song). It's not so much a problem for those artists that I buy just about anything they put out. For artists that I am just a casual fan of, it is annoying.

Obligatory Kids in the Hall quote: "Greatest Hits albums are for housewives and little girls."

Michael Allred

I like Greatest Hits albums. For me, I'm not such a HUGE fan of AC/DC that I want to buy every album of theirs just to have the songs I want. I would much prefer a 2 CD set containing (for me) the best stuff.

I've read the argument that if AC/DC puts out a hits album it will hurt sales of their catalog. I can see that, sure but there is a flipside. Hits albums can introduce people to the band's work and may very well entice them to go back and buy the albums. It can work both ways.

Hardcore fans would not likely buy a hits album in the first place seeing as they own all the stuff already, casual fans don't want to buy 10 CDs for a handful of songs htye like. So why not a hits album?

Say you're a member of AC/DC (or Metallica) and some exec says they would like a hits album for the holiday season. You damn well KNOW any hits album will be huge for you (either band would debut in the top 10, without a doubt) so even if (and that's a big "if") your catalog saw a slight drop in sales but saw 5 million copies of your hits album fly off the shelves, possibly creating new fans by giving folks a nice overview of your career, wouldn't you go for it?

STR1PES

the problem would be that both bands catalogues are HUGE.

To do a proper Greatest hits box set for both bands you'd almost have a triple disc set, and stack all three discs to the 80 minute mark.

And even than, not everybody will be pleased because everybody's opinions of greatest hits are different.

If you are those bands, that's a good problem to have.

Myself, I own every Metallica(even the herendous St. Anger, I can't help it I must complete my collection once I start) & ACDC album out(major releases)

You'd have to seperate the ACDC's w/bon & without Bon
Metallica would have to be Before Black album & after Black.

Michael Corvin

But we aren't talking a dip in sales a few months within release we are talking a permenant dip in sales. Once a GH is out there there is no going back.

As for a GH introducing the artist to a new fan, I don't buy it(with these artists). These 2(3 w/Floyd) bands have full CDs full of hits. Master of Puppets, Black, Who Made Who, Back in Black, the Wall, DSotM, etc. Anyone who hasn't heard anything from these bands(obviously living under a rock) can pick up any of those albums and have a good taste for the artist and not get stuck with an album of filler.

Like I said, these artists are discovered every year by a new high schooler. Kind of like a rite of passage. That has been done all this time w/o a GH. Why fix what ain't broke?

Not to mention, at least in the case of Metallica, they've already been accused for selling out once. A greatest hits is just another way of selling out for the quick buck and viewed negatively by the core fans.

BSTNFAN

Personally, I'd like to see more from both of them in multi-channel and a GH package would be perfect.

DJLinus

Maybe a compromise: Not that I'm putting him on par with these two bands, but Garth Brooks's greatest hits disc was only in print for a year and sold over 8 million copies (according to AMG).

It'd be interesting to know what kind of impact that put on his catalog, other marketing stunts by him aside.

Michael Corvin

Well being at the top of his game and retiring didn't hurt either. But I see what you are getting at.

MeatMop

I've read before that AC/DC won't release a GH album because they think it'll hurt/cheapen their existing catalog.

If you're looking for a "Greatest Hits," pick up the Big Balls DVD- it's a 2 parter- 1 Bon disc (videos are mostly live performances or TV Appearances) and 1 Brian disc.

Meat.

Jimmy James

I wonder if the proper place for an AC/DC or Metallica greatest hits album would be to release it only to a certain online music store only for sale by the album and have it be the only music released (at least initially) by them online. I don't actually know enough about the online business to know if that's a good idea or not, but at least it hasn't been mentioned yet.

STR1PES

you hit the nail on the head

both bands should put out a double make a limited edition & take it out of print after 3-6 months.

Only problem......kids will be downloading this once it hits the market.....the internet wasn't as big with downloads during the Garth fiasco

Michael Corvin

Well if you are trying attract new listeners this would go against that goal.

rw2516

Don't listen to Mettalica, but as for AC/DC I can't understand why anyone wouldn't want the complete albums up through Back in Black. It's album rock. There was a time when I thought it would be cool to make personal compilation discs of bands like Zeppelin, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, etc. and finally gave up in frustration because I couldn't make up my mind what to put in what to leave out. I continue to listen to them they way they were meant to be heard as complete albums.

The latest Rolling Stone has an article about artists that haven't allowed there songs to be available for download. One of the reasons Led Zeppelin won't do is because they don't want the albums broken up into songs. Part of their original deal with Atlantic Records back in '68 is that there would be NO singles released. Atlantic snuck a couple out without the band's permission. If Zep ever goes online it'll probably be complete album only and you wont be albe to rearrange the order of the songs. You could probably rearrange using another burning program though if the songs are sperate files. It would be a pretty good deal still since several have only 8 songs. $7.92 for an album. The Song Remains the Same for $8.91. Unless they put a higher total album price above .99/per song.

STR1PES

hate to burst your bubble man, but Zep already put out a greatest hits package unless this is one of the albums atlantic snuck in:



Disc 1 of 2


1. Good Times, Bad Times
2. Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You
3. Dazed And Confused
4. Communication Breakdown
5. Whole Lotta Love
6. What Is And What Should Never Be
7. Immigrant Song
8. Since I've Been Loving You
9. Black Dog
10. Rock And Roll
11. The Battle Of Evermore
12. When The Levee Breaks
13. Stairway To Heaven

Disc 2 of 2

1. The Song Remains The Same
2. No Quarter
3. Houses Of The Holy
4. Trampled Underfoot
5. Kashmir
6. Ten Years Gone
7. Achilles Last Stand
8. Nobody's Fault But Mine
9. All My Love
10. In The Evening

Michael Corvin

Not to mention the following GH collections:







not to mention the BBC set is essentially a GH of their first 4 albums:


Zep has certainly hit the GH well. One too many times if you ask me.

Love that third album cover, BTW.

Michael Allred

You're still missing out on something. A LARGE portion of music listeners ONLy want the hits and as many of them on 1-2 CDs as possible. Their tastes may vary and like 1 song on one album, 3 on another, etc. A hits album is the only way you're gonna reach them.

I should also point out that I am an example of someone getting hooked by buying a hits album. I became a Queen fan in the early 90s after I purchased the "Classic Queen" CD and I never looked back.

and kids also discover bands by hits albums as well. It goes both ways.

Hits albums aren't for hard core fans in the first place so I don't see why their opinions would matter that much. Besides that, Metallica have reached a certain level of success that a portion of their fanbase not liking a release won't affect them one bit.

Jimmy James

Would it? I don't know the generational adoption rates for online music, but my guess would be that the younger the listener, the more likely they have adopted it. That was actually one of the things that led me to suggest this tactic.

Rypro 525

also, the most recent zeppelin gh album doesn't have many of the big radio songs anyways.