Timespace interview

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

The world needs Mick to write a book about Stevie's life and career. It would be titled *Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures with Stevie Nicks*. All of us ledgie should write letters to Mick asking him to do it.

Ok after emphasizing that it was a joke (guys, please don't get upset), I agree about the GH as a sign of a washed up. But for many singers and bands sometimes it was a sign of a turning point. Specially those GH released at the end or beginning of a decade. I'm thinking in Queen's GH. Though they already changed their style with The Game album, their 80s albums were radically different from those of the 70s. I compare GH Vol 1 (1981) with Vol 2 (1991) and it's so evident how the band changed.

Same as Madonna. The Immaculate Collection (1990) is very different than the GHV2 (2001).

The greatest example of releasing a Greatest Hits album and still going strong and blowing up charts is the Eagles. The Eagles Greatest Hits album had huge hits and was released in 1976 before Hotel California and The Long Run. I believe both those albums were their most successful and they came post Greatest Hits. Their volume 1 Greatest Hits is still ranked the best selling album by a rock artist. Very rare achievement and only The Eagles could have pulled that off. The album has sold 75 million copies worldwide, is the best selling Greatest Hits album ever and is the 4th best album of all time.
It sort of made sense for the Mac to release a Greatest Hits album in 1988. It was the end of an era and a beginning of another. It also gave the band a test case for the new members. The album sold really well but just imagine if the new line up had a big hit off it. Shockingly As Long As You Follow tanked and did not even make top 40.
Having said all that I believe Greatest Hits albums are cheezy when you love the band. The better songs are always the deeper cuts. The Greatest Hits packages I have bought were from artists I was a casual fan like Billy Squire and Pat Benatar.