Ask Billboard: Greatest Hits, Greatest Misses

[Johnny Stew]

From Keith Caulfield's June 8th Ask Billboard column.

GREATEST HITS, GREATEST MISSES

Hi Keith,

I have a question about greatest hits albums. Who has the final say of what songs go on them? The artist or the record company?

It seems like over the past few years we have been bombarded with them, and I must say I find it frustrating when songs that you love from the artist are not on the greatest hits, even if the song was a released single.

The most current example I have is Stevie Nicks' latest (hits set, "Crystal Visions"). I was very disappointed that many of her singles were left off it, but yet we get "live" versions, Fleetwood Mac songs and duplicate songs on it. This seemed weird to me especially since she released two albums between her first greatest hits, 1991's "Timespace" and this one.

Same with Sheryl Crow's greatest hits, there were two versions of "The First Cut Is The Deepest" while other singles of hers were left out. Madonna is another example with "GHV2: Greatest Hits Volume 2" where she put on songs like "Drowned World" and yet left off several released singles.

Any info about this would be great!

Thanks so much!

Ryan Gibson
Toronto

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Hello Ryan,

Who determines what is included on a greatest hits album varies from project to project. For example, if you are a record label compiling a hits package for an artist that is no longer signed to the label, you can imagine that the input from the artist could be quite minimal.

Alternately, if you are, say, Madonna, and your entire body of work resides with one label, and you are still signed to the label, and you are an artist of incredible importance, you can bet that they have a lot of creative control over a hits package.

That's why Madonna's "GHV2" album has its quirks ¬ she determined what the tracklist would be.

The same goes for Nicks' "Crystal Visions." I contacted Nicks' publicist Liz Rosenberg (who also represents Madonna), who filled me in on "Crystal."
Nicks made all of the decisions with regards to what would be on the album, the order of the tracks and which versions of the songs would be included.

When picking songs for "Crystal," Nicks also considered which of her songs were already represented on existing hits packages from her and Fleetwood Mac.

Personally speaking, I think "Crystal Visions" is quite a fun collection.

One could quibble with how minor singles like "After the Glitter Fades" Or "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" are not included. However, the album does have all of Nicks' solo top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including her most famous solo songs, "Stand Back" and "Edge of Seventeen."

Maybe someday we'll probably get a "The Best of Stevie Nicks" compilation that will have all of her solo hits combined with her Fleetwood Mac hits.

That way, you'd get one album that has "Stand Back" alongside "Gold Dust Woman" and "Edge of Seventeen" next to "Sara."

For more information on Nicks, visit her official Web site.

[Travis]

Interesting email JS, thanks for posting. Ya know, now that Stevie is on Warner / Reprise as a solo act, I wonder if we will ever have a Stevie Best Of CD that does in fact contain all of her official singles, solo and with FM? I remember a few years back (maybe more than a few) there was a CD issued “The Best Of Grace Slick”, which contained her hits with the band as well as her solo stuff. So it’s not like it could not happen for Stevie, they would just have to work out the legal stuff. It would definitely have to be a 2 CD set. I’ve listed what I think is the complete list of Stevie’s official singles – not counting songs like “Long Way To Go”, “Twisted”, “Reconsider Me”, “If You Ever Did Believe”, “Every Day”, “Sorcerer” and “Say You Will” all of which were only issued on a promo CD issued to radio, with the exception of “Long Way To Go” which was a UK single. But if any of them were to be included, of course simply insert then in the appropriate position. Did I miss anything JS?


CD 1
Rhiannon (Single Remix)
Dreams
Whenever I Call You Friend (with Kenny Loggins)
Sara (Single Version)
Sisters Of The Moon (Remix)
Fireflies (Edited Remix)
Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around
Leather and Lace (Single Edit)
Edge Of Seventeen (Single Edit)
After The Glitter Fades
Gypsy
Smiling Islands (with Robbie Patton)
Stand Back
If Anyone Falls
Nightbird
Talk To Me

CD 2
I Can’t Wait
Needles and Pins (with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You (Radio Edit)
Seven Wonders
Rooms On Fire
Long Way To Go
Two Kinds Of Love
Whole Lotta Trouble
Sometimes It’s A Bitch
Love’s A Hard Game To Play (edited remix)
Paper Doll
Maybe Love (Remix)
Blue Denim (Remix)
Silver Springs (Live)
Landslide (Live)
Planets Of The Universe