Last Updated on December 18, 2025 by Black Sunshine Media
Some rock bands are built for albums. They reward patience, headphones, liner notes, and the kind of long-distance devotion that only comes from growing up with their music.
Other bands? They require a specialized type of curation.
This post is about the second group—the artists whose best selves appear when someone else trims the fat. Bands whose singles outshine their deep cuts. Bands whose catalog is too scattered, uneven, or chaotic to recommend wholesale. And bands who might be brilliant but still benefit from a tight, greatest-hits-style edit.
The Best Way to Understand an Artist?
Greatest hits albums get a bad reputation among “album purists,” but sometimes a compilation is the best way to understand a band’s whole deal.1 A great compilation can turn a messy career into a perpetual cash cow. It can make a “pretty good” band feel essential. And in some cases, it’s the only way their music truly works.
Here are the (mostly classic rock) bands that shine brightest in highlight form—some with at least one must-hear album in the mix, others who simply fire on all cylinders when someone else is driving.
Box sets DO NOT count as greatest hits albums. We’re only interested in albums that function as a vector of greatest hits, not outtakes and rarities, and preferably with “Greatest Hits” in the title of the album. Two-disc sets are acceptable.
Platinum & Gold Tiers
To make things fair, I’ve split bands into two tiers:
- Platinum: Bands with at least one front-to-back, 10/10 album you should absolutely own—but who are still best understood through their greatest hits.
- Gold: Artists who were single-delivery machines and are genuinely best served by a compilation.
And I’ll briefly discuss some of the bands that earn an exemption from the list.
Contingencies & Exemptions
Theoretically, you can’t go wrong with just about anybody’s greatest hits collection. Let’s consider a few case studies. [See also: Boston]
Case Study #1
The Beatles have the deepest catalog in classic rock—and they could easily be a greatest hits band. The “Red” (The Beatles 1962–1966) and “Blue” (1967–1970) compilations summarize their evolution so perfectly you could argue they’re the ideal entry point. Their Red and Blue albums don’t just recap their career—they’re arguably the smoothest, most listener-friendly version of The Beatles on record. But they’re a band best experienced through individual albums like Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966), Sgt. Pepper’s (1967) and The White Album (1968) as discrete and unparalleled listening events.
Other artists in the same boat: Rush, Bob Dylan, Queen, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, The Cure, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, The Clash, Van Halen, Genesis, David Bowie, and The Beach Boys2
Case Study #2
AC/DC is probably a greatest hits band, but they’re not a greatest hits band because:
- They’ve never officially released a greatest hits collection (see more below).
- They have two perfect albums that bridge their career between original singer Bon Scott and Brian Johnson.
Highway to Hell (1979) from the Bon Scott era, and Back in Black (1980) with Johnson are greatest hits albums in themselves. Neither record has a weak track. Anybody interested in classic and hard rock should own both albums. In fact, I’d steer them away from the AC/DC greatest hits collections because they contain filler.
The closest AC/DC comes to a greatest hits is two soundtrack albums, Who Made Who (1986) and the Iron Man 2 (2010) soundtrack, which compiled some of their popular songs. They also have two box sets, Bonfire and Backtracks, which include rarities and live versions of their music.
Other artists in the same boat: Metallica and Tool (actively against greatest hits collections),3 and Phish (better as a live band experience)
Platinum Tier: The Greatest of the Greatest Hits Bands
Their peak albums are holy scripture for fans, but for most listeners, the strongest experience is a curated run of hits—pure sunshine, no detours.
Boston
Let’s establish from the outset that Boston is the archetype of the “greatest hits band.”
Their debut album (1976) is a virtual best-of collection, but Don’t Look Back (1978) only had a couple of sweet jams (the title track, “A Man I’ll Never Be”, and “Feelin’ Satisfied”). Otherwise, the Boston who made the first album is not the same Boston who released Third Stage (1986), and certainly not Walk On (2004) without vocalist Brad Delp.
You’d be doing yourself a huge disservice by getting Boston’s Greatest Hits (1997), one of the most deeply flawed compilations I’ve ever heard.
- It opens with two unreleased tracks: a power ballad (“Tell Me”) and a jumbled stab at new wave (“Higher Power”). Neither track sounds anything like “More Than a Feeling”. “Higher Power” sounds an awful lot like “She’s a Beauty” by The Tubes.
- The two tracks from Third Stage are a wash. “Cool the Engines” is classic Boston hard rock, but the adult contemporary power ballad “Amanda” sounds like Peter Cetera and late-stage Chicago. Yuck.
- The inclusion of a track from Walk On (“Livin’ For You”) isn’t even the “hit” on the album, which happened to be “I Need Your Love”, but it doesn’t matter because Brad Delp isn’t singing on either cut.
★★
1997
All the hits are here, but questionable track sequencing and unreleased, subpar songs at the top
U2
As a former massive fan in my early teens, and now 40 years later, I can’t think of a band that has aged as poorly as U2. Most of their music makes my teeth grind, and I hear stuff from the 1980s and wonder, “Man, what was I thinking?” But then again, I liked Duran Duran, too. So my taste was questionable. Anyway, those first two albums, Boy (1980) and October (1981), have struggled against the test of time.
On the other hand, U2 has at least three original albums that should keep them out of the greatest hits club: War (1983), The Joshua Tree (1987), and Achtung Baby (1990). But then they have several stinkbombs like Zooropa (1993) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), and I won’t even mention the album that came pre-installed on the new iPhone. Ridiculous.
The Best of 1980–1990 (1998) contains the group’s hit singles from the 1980s, i.e., all the good stuff, but also mixes in some live staples, and a re-recording of the 1987 B-side “Sweetest Thing”. The album was followed by another compilation, The Best of 1990–2000 (2002), which you can probably skip entirely.
★★★★
1998
Includes their hit singles from the 1980s, live tracks, and a re-recording of the 1987 B-side "Sweetest Thing"
Pearl Jam
No sooner had I written the above paragraph about U2 than I thought, “Oh yeah, Pearl Jam hasn’t aged very well either.” Their first three albums are standard alternative grunge rock, and most fans would cling to Ten (1991) as a life preserver in hard times.
Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003) is a two-disc compilation album reissued in 2013 as The Essential Pearl Jam. It’s got everything you need, from “Jeremy” and “Alive” to “Daughter” and “Corduroy”.
★★★★
2013
Reissue of Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003), a two-disc compilation album with all the hits and more
Prince
Again, I’m a big fan of this guy, and I’ve owned half his catalog at some point in time.
The Very Best of Prince (2001) contains most of his commercially successful singles from 1979 to 1991, including “Little Red Corvette”, “When Doves Cry”, “Let’s Go Crazy”, “Kiss”, and “Alphabet Street”.
However, The Hits/The B-Sides (1993) is a comprehensive three-disc set—technically, a box set. Discs one and two were released separately, under the titles The Hits 1 and The Hits 2, respectively, but The B-Sides disc could only be obtained by purchasing the full set.
Yes
This is just my opinion, of course, and you’re free to ignore me with prejudice, but I’m even asking myself, “How can you [I] give Genesis a pass but stick it to Yes?” And I suppose it comes down to a question: Which band made Tales From Topographic Oceans (1973)?
Over the course of the 1970s, both Genesis and Yes went through transformations from serious prog rock to top 40 and modern rock. Genesis simply made better records. If you stack them up against Yes from the mid ’70s to the early ’80s—it’s not even close.
| Genesis vs. Yes: Head-to-Head Album Face-Off (1974–1983) | ||
| Genesis | Yes | Edge |
| The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) | Relayer (1974) | Genesis |
| A Trick of the Tail (1976) Wind & Wuthering (1976) | Going for the One (1977) | Genesis |
| …And Then There Were Three… (1978) | Tormato (1978) | Yes |
| Duke (1980) Abacab (1981) | Drama (1980) | Genesis |
| Genesis (1983) | 90125 (1983) | Genesis |
The Yes Album (1970), Fragile (1971), and Close to the Edge (1973) are phenomenal records, but they’ve all got some filler. Highlights: The Very Best of Yes (1993) covers the essence of the band and their career.
★★★★
1993
12-track, single-disc collection that spans most of the group's history, from their debut album Yes (1969) to Big Generator (1987)
Radiohead
I’m not trying to be edgy or contrarian here. I think The Bends (1995) and OK Computer (1997) are great albums. However, a casual listener can easily get away with The Best of Radiohead (2008). It’s all killer, no filler.
★★★★★
2008
16 classic tracks including "Creep", "My Iron Lung", "No Surprises", "Paranoid Android" and more
Bruce Springsteen
Greatest Hits (1995) covers Springsteen’s most popular cuts from Born to Run (1975) through the Philadelphia soundtrack (1993), so it’s missing all those deep cuts like “Growin’ Up” and “Rosalita” from his earlier albums. It’s a perfect primer for somebody who’s never heard of Bruce Springsteen, and a letdown for anybody who has.
The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003) is part of a series of “Essential” sets released by Sony Music. It includes songs from various Springsteen albums and concerts up to the year 2003. Perfect!
Soundgarden
Superunknown (1994) is a must-hear album, possibly the pinnacle of alternative metal. But the band is best experienced through A-Sides (1997), with a track list curated by the band themselves.
★★★★
1997
Missing a few deeper cuts for serious fans, but otherwise, a great collection of their heaviest jams!
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The first four albums are great, but…
We only need to consider their peak years from 1972–1977. Anything after the plane crash is not Skynyrd, I’m sorry.
The Essential Lynryrd Skynyrd (1998) has more than enough to keep everybody entertained, and digs pretty deep on cuts like “Was I Right or Wrong?” and “All I Can Do is Write About It”.
★★★
1998
Two-disc set contains all the major and minor hits, but probably misses a deep cut or two
Elton John
The problem with Elton John is “Which Greatest Hits Album Do We Want?” because he’s got 18 hit compilations—that’s not a misprint—18 to choose from, each with its own merits and flair. Fortunately, I’ve identified the six most notable collections to choose from, ranked from best to unethical.
- The Very Best of Elton John (1990) spans his second album, Elton John (1970), to Sleeping with the Past (1989), and for my money is the best of the bunch because it doesn’t contain any Lion King material.
- Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (2002) is also excellent but contains “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”.
- Greatest Hits Volume I (1974) was the best-selling album of 1975, but it only has 10 tracks, and doesn’t cover anything after 1974, obviously. The album is out of print, but the songs are available as downloads and repackaged on subsequent releases.
- Greatest Hits Volume II (1977) contains one song from 1971, two songs from 1974 that were not on the first greatest hits album, several hit songs from 1975, and two hit singles from 1976. So, you really need that first compilation to make it with this selection.
- Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits (2007) is missing some important cuts like “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, “Levon”, and “The Bitch is Back”, to name a few. It doesn’t have his version of “Pinball Wizard”, and that’s gotta be on there for it to be a proper greatest hits package.
- Diamonds (2017) was released in a single-disc version, a 2-CD version, a 3-CD deluxe box set, and a 2-LP vinyl version, which feels like a blatant cash grab, and you get all the good stuff from The Very Best of Elton John.
Fleetwood Mac
A contentious entry because Rumours (1977) might stand alone, but it’s only part of the band’s career trajectory, and not entirely representative. Their eras are fractured, their lineups unstable. In theory, a single greatest hits comp might stitch the story together better than any single album ever could. Unfortunately, that greatest hits album doesn’t exist.
Aside from Rumours, every other album in the Fleetwood Mac catalog has a couple of good tracks and a bunch of fluff. To get a complete single-dose consumable from Fleetwood Mac, the album would need to traverse three eras, each with its own selection of good cuts:
- Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac (1968–1971)
- Danny Kirwan-Bob Welch-Christine McVie’s Fleetwood Mac (1971–1975)
- Buckingham-Nicks’ Fleetwood Mac (1975–present)
Unfortunately, we’ve got a bit of an “Elton John problem” when it comes to choice. These guys have over a dozen compilations to choose from. Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits (1971) covers the Peter Green era. Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits (1998) covers the Buckingham-Nicks era from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s.
The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (2002) covers the Buckingham-Nicks era with a few Peter Green era cuts for good measure. It’s close enough for rock n’ roll.
★★★★
2002
A comprehensive collection focused on the Buckingham-Nicks era (with a handful of Peter Green cuts)—good enough
R.E.M.
[Rolling up my sleeves] OK, I’m going to be a little controversial here. Their first three classic albums: Murmur (1983), Reckoning (1984), and Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) deserve respect. And I didn’t panic when they signed with Warner Bros. and released Green (1988). But I think R.E.M. completely jumped the shark on Out of Time (1991) with “Losing My Religion”. That’s when they lost me. “Shiny Happy People”.
When I started this list, I thought, “There can’t be an album with ‘Shiny Happy People’.”
So I can’t recommend Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011 (2011), even though it’s by far their best greatest hits album. Why? It’s got “Shiny Happy People”. Otherwise, it’s a fantastic retrospective, even if you don’t love their later stuff like “Man on the Moon”, which I don’t.
And I Feel Fine… The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982–1987 (2006) is the album I reach for when I need some R.E.M., but it’s a double album with a lot of rarities and alternate mixes, and it doesn’t contain any of the Warner Bros. material. For that, we need In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 (2003), which captures the whole bittersweet Athens-to-pop trajectory in one perfect sweep, minus the I.R.S. years, an approachable version most listeners end up loving. And “Shiny Happy People” was deliberately left off the album.
The solution? A compromise. The Best of R.E.M. (1991) contains all their top cuts before Out of Time.
Guns N’ Roses
GN’ R is one of the most overrated bands of all time, in any subgenre of rock. No band has gone further with less than GN’R. They are even-steven with Oasis on the scale of rock n’ roll mediocrity.
“Welcome to the Jungle” is one of the greatest opening tracks in rock music, but the GN’R debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987), contains three good songs, a shitload of cowbell, and a bunch of Aerosmith B-sides. And Aerosmith was interesting for brief periods in their long and illustrious career. But they were done after Rocks (1976).
Those three good songs on Appetite: “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Paradise City”, and “Sweet Child o’ Mine” are undeniably classic tracks that continue to bristle with energy. The rest of the album (running time of 54+ minutes) is nonsense, running the gamut from lame to offensive.
Greatest Hits (2004) is exactly what you need. It grabs all the hits from Appetite and the Use Your Illusion records.
★★★★
2004
A one-stop shop of their classic tracks and other stuff you might hear on the radio
The Doors
The eponymous debut album (1967) is a slam dunk, but the rest of their catalog is inconsistent. I can’t, in good conscience, tell you that The Soft Parade (1968) is a must-hear album. Half mystic poetry, half keyboard jam-band. A compilation gives you the spacious, cinematic version of The Doors without the bloat.
Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine (1972) is a double-disc set that skips a few of the classics like “Light My Fire” and “Love Me Two Times”, but that’s not a problem.
★★★★★
A flawless collection of classic tracks and deep cuts, minus "Light My Fire"!
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Petty made good, consistent albums like Damn the Torpedoes (1979) and Hard Promises (1981), and taught a masterclass in American radio rock. His singles are timeless. The albums are solid. However, the Greatest Hits (1993) collection is the purest distillation of Petty’s sentimental American rock.
Cheap Trick
Regardless of my personal connection with Cheap Trick and their seminal live album, Cheap Trick at Budokan (1978), everybody else can get The Essential Cheap Trick (2004).
★★★★★
2004
Contains at least one song from every album up to Special One (2003)
The Kinks
They’re a phenomenal album band, but The Kink Kronikles (1990) gives you the sharpest version of their British storytelling era—tight, tuneful, unbeatable.
★★★★★
1990
One of those rare compilations that stands on its own in a band's discography
Tears for Fears
Three monster albums, but the hits define them. The Hurting (1983) is a landmark achievement in new wave, but it’s got a few slow spots. Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92) (1992) gives you the emotional high points without the long detours.
★★★★
1992
Covers their first three essential albums
Eagles
I’m content to let people have Hotel California (1976) and The Long Run (1979) as standalone albums. But most of us don’t have the patience for that. Let’s get The Complete Greatest Hits (2003) and call it a day.
Devo
Honestly, Devo albums can be just a touch too transcendant or conceptual. Their hits form a quirky, brilliant, extremely digestible mini-universe. Hot Potatoes: The Best of Devo (1993) captures the essence of an American treasure.
Note: We’re recommending the U.K. version because the U.S. version inexplicably omits “Mongoloid”.
★★★★
1993
The best available single-disc overview of Devo's career, hitting nearly all of the most significant moments from their first five albums
The B-52’s
A party band with nuclear-strength singles. Their debut album (1979) is a showstopper, but Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation (1998) is basically a portable good time.
★★★★★
1998
16 singles and fan-favorite album tracks in chronological order
The Cars
Another Boston band with a near-perfect debut album that could be its greatest hits collection. Their hits are flawless—power pop designed for radio. Their albums are inconsistent. The Cars (1978) and Candy-O (1979) seemed like singles wrapped in albums that often feel like delivery systems for those singles. The Cars’ Greatest Hits (1985) collection is the real payoff.
Nirvana
Look, man, I treat Nirvana like any other multi-platinum artist. They’ve got some hot cuts. Nevermind (1991) was a world-changing album—kinda. I can’t sit through the whole thing, but whatever. They’re still a greatest hits band.
Nirvana (2002) includes songs from the band’s three studio albums, Bleach (1989), Nevermind (1991), and In Utero (1993), and the live album MTV Unplugged in New York, (1994) along with the single “Sliver,” originally released in 1990 and later on the band’s rarities compilation, Incesticide (1992). Additionally, it includes the previously unreleased song “You Know You’re Right”, recorded in 1994 during Nirvana’s final studio session. It also includes a version of “Been a Son” that was previously only available on a U.K. limited release, and the Scott Litt remix of “Pennyroyal Tea”.
★★★
2002
Contains all their hits and then some, but disappointing to established fans
The Psychedelic Furs
Their moody, stylish, occasionally shapeless third album, Forever Now (1982), produced by Todd Rundgren, is one of my favorite albums. However, their singles hit much harder than their albums flow; All of This and Nothing (1988) fixes that in one swoop.
★★★★
1988
From post-punk underground darlings to top 40 modern rock classic cuts
Peter Gabriel
Gabriel has several strong solo albums, but Shaking the Tree (1990; remastered in 2010) is the gateway to a career that’s constantly reframed as one evolving idea.
Gold Tier: Bands Made for Greatest Hits Collections
Kiss
The patron saints of greatest hits bands. Double Platinum (1978) might be their only actually good album.
Steve Miller Band
When a group puts out a greatest hits collection within five or six years of its inception, you’re not talking about album artists. You’re talking about records with one or two hot jams, surrounded by fluff. SMB was no exception. Greatest Hits 1974–78 (1978) is one of the best-selling records of all time and arguably, one of the best compilations in the classic rock genre. But it’s only telling a slice of the SMB story, which merits a few sentences.
Until 1972-ish, the Steve Miller band released five psychedelic blues rock albums that gained a cult following but didn’t move many units. Starting with The Joker (1973), the group released a string of AOR hits on Fly Like an Eagle (1976) and Book of Dreams (1977). Four years later, Circle of Love (1981) tanked. Abracadabra (1982) was a modest comeback, going platinum with the title track…aaaannndd that’s the end of that.
A proper Steve Miller Band best-of should include both eras of the band, which the 2003 compilation Young Hearts: Complete Greatest Hits does splendidly.
Bob Marley & the Wailers
Back in the days when I used to spend a lot of time in dive bars, I had encyclopaedic knowledge of 1990s and 2000s jukeboxes. Way before phone apps and all that shit. Anyway, there were probably 5–7 albums you could guarantee were gonna be on the jukebox without setting foot in the bar. At least one Zeppelin and Sabbath album, Back in Black, Thriller, some Patsy Cline best-of, Appetite for Destruction, and Bob Marley & the Wailers’ Legend (1984).
The Smiths
No reason to get salty about it. The Smiths were always a singles band anyway. You’ve got multiple options, but I think The Very Best of the Smiths (2001) is a great choice.
Traffic
The first band on the list that doesn’t have enough hits to populate an entire album. Feelin’ Alright: The Very Best of Traffic (2000) was re-released in 2007 as Traffic: The Definitive Collection (as part of Universal’s The Definitive Collection series). Both compilations are full of deep cuts because, frankly, that’s all they have.
Alice Cooper
I’m not in the mood to argue about an artist with 21 compilation albums, nearly all of them a “best of” or “hits” collection. And I’m definitely not going to waste time on Alice Cooper’s career trajectory and the evolution of power ballads. Alice Cooper’s Greatest Hits (1974) is the only greatest hits album by the band Alice Cooper, and the only one you really need.
Bob Seger
With 10 million copies sold in the U.S. alone, it’s not even a question of if you should get Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band’s Greatest Hits (1994), it’s a matter of when?
Bonus for the true Seger fans: Get Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets (2011). It covers everything from “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” to “Wait for Me” (from Face the Promise (2006).
Judas Priest
I’m biased because I love Screaming for Vengeance (1982), but nah.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Most CCR records have one or two hits, plus maybe a sleeper track. The rest is choogle. What is choogle? Choogle is white-boy boogie.
CCR released seven studio albums, which means they have approximately 20 good-to-great jams, all of which fit quite nicely on a single compact disc, Chronicle, Vol. 1 (1976), also known as Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits. [Note: “Keep on Chooglin'” is not on the greatest hit compilation.]
Foreigner
The debut album (1977) has four solid tracks. Double Vision (1978) has two. Head Games (1979) has one. Foreigner 4 (1981) has four good tracks. Throw in a couple of later-period ballads and there you go: Foreigner: Complete Greatest Hits (2002).
Supertramp
The cult of Supertramp would have you believe Crime of the Century (1974) and Breakfast in America (1979) are among the finest rock albums ever made. They might be, but every song can’t be a hit. The Very Best of Supertramp (1990) is one banger after another.
New Order
Substance (1987) is not just a greatest hits collection—it’s the New Order album. The AC/DC of synth-pop made the same studio album 10 times in a row. The singles define them better than the LPs ever could.
Substance covers 1981–1987, but (the best of) New Order (1994) goes a little deeper with alternate mixes of their best cuts. The compilation primarily consists of seven-inch mixes of the group’s singles from 1985 onwards.
Anecdotally, the band’s bassist Peter Hook said that Substance was created because Factory Records’ owner Tony Wilson bought a new car with a CD player and wanted all of New Order’s hits on a single disc.
Blondie
One of the most versatile pop rock bands ever. Their albums jump and skip genres hard; a compilation smooths the ride into something sleek. All killer, no genre-hopping whiplash. Blondie’s Greatest Hits (2002) makes them sound like the coolest band ever assembled.
INXS
Albums were inconsistent, but the radio singles were immaculate. The Greatest Hits (1994) is a straight shot of shrimp-on-the-barbie charisma.
Billy Joel
Billy Joel is one of the most mainstream and successful artists of the last 50 years, but he’s not exactly a beacon of modern rock. If you’re a big fan of his music, you’re automatically going to own copies of The Stranger (1977) and Glass Houses (1980). However, if you’re a casual listener who heard a Billy Joel song on the radio and liked it, let’s say it was a cut like “It’s Still Rock N’ Roll to Me”, and you came to me and said, “Hey, I heard a Billy Joel song the other day, and I liked it. Can you turn me on to more Billy Joel?” I’d say, “Fuck yeah! Get his greatest hits collection. It’s called….”
Joel has released several best-of collections. Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II (1985) is the one to get. I doesn’t contain “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, so we’re good there.
Simple Minds
They’re a band of eras—some great, some… less great. 40: The Best of Simple Minds (2001) condenses the ambition into something sharp and accessible.
Bush
Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994–2023 (2023) gives you the grunge-adjacent essentials without the filler.
Styx
A band of undeniable peaks and bewildering valleys. When they’re good, they’re outstanding (“Renegade”, “Angry Young Man”), and when they’re bad, they stink up the joint (“Babe”, “Mr. Roboto). Greatest Hits (1995) gives you the peaks and avoids some, not all, of the valleys. “Babe” is gonna be on any Styx greatest hits album, so you suck it up.
Alice in Chains
I was skeptical of Alice in Chains until I saw them live at Lollapalooza ’92, and I thought, “Alright, I get it now. Kind of.” They brought the rock. I’m just not sure how deep you wanna get into their albums when Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999) has everything you need from the band before they got a new lead singer.
REO Speedwagon
If you’re here to roll with the changes, or maybe it’s time fo you to fly, The Hits (2001) is the correct door. A Decade of Rock and Roll (1980) predates their biggest hit, Hi-Infidelity (1980), so it’s missing some hot cuts like “Take It On the Run” and “Don’t Let Him Go”.
Blue Öyster Cult
For the average listener, you need “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, “Godzilla”, and maybe “Burnin’ for You”. Dial up The Essential Blue Öyster Cult (2003).
Def Leppard
The problem with most Def Leppard best-of collections is the scarity of tracks from High ‘N’ Dry (1981), the album before Pyromania (1983), and, in my opinion, their most appealing work. It doesn’t matter anyway because the anthems always tower over the albums. Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection (2005) set is the purest Leppard experience.
Aerosmith
The cockroaches of American hard rock. We’ve tried to kill them, hell, they’ve been their own worst enemies, but they just keep comin’ at us. Their hits cut across messy decades. The Essential Aerosmith (2011) is the best way to avoid their dry spells entirely.
Scorpions
Go ahead, name more than one song from any Scorpions album….
I think I can do three songs from Blackout (1982): the title track, “No One Like You”, and “Can’t Live Without You”. Oh yeah, “China White”!
Scorps had massive singles, interesting personnel and stylistic changes, and yet, repetitive albums. The Best of Scorpions: Millennium Collection (2001) is the way to go, trust me, a guy who knows more than three songs from Blackout.
Mötley Crüe
The hits tell the real story: sleaze, hooks, fireworks, strip clubs, tattoos, Hollywood. At one point, the hair metal ‘heir apparent’ to Van Halen. Everything else is homework. Greatest Hits (1998) is an updated version of Decade of Decadence (1991).
Jefferson Airplane / Starship
Too many identities, too many genres. The Essential Jefferson Aiplane/Starship (2012) lets you jump from “White Rabbit” to “We Built This City (on Rock n’ Roll)” without the hassle.
Chicago
A sprawling catalog that’s 50% brilliance, 50% high school jazz band bullshit or adult contemporary power ballads. The Chicago Story: Complete Greatest Hits (2014) is the filter they desperately need.
The Monkees
Their singles are eternal. Their albums…not so much. Greatest Hits (1995) has everything.
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
Beautiful melodies but wildly uneven albums. I called them “roller skating rock” because they sounded like a hybrid of Chuck Berry and disco. The Essential Electric Light Orchestra (2003) makes them sound legendary.
ZZ Top
Even fans admit the singles overshadow the album cuts. Greatest Hits (1992) is their most enjoyable mode.
Lenny Kravitz
When you add ’em all up, Lenny has some incredible singles over a long career; the albums can be uneven. Greatest Hits (2025) is a career comprehensive compilation that most artists dream of.
Kansas
Man, I went down a fuckin’ Kansas k-hole about 10 years ago, mainly obsessed with their two mid-’70s albums Leftoverture (1976) and Point of Know Return (1977). Squirrel nut prog rock with a violin player. I was fascinated by how these two records contain all three of the band’s important hits: “Carry On My Wayward Son”, “Dust in the Wind”, and “Point of Know Return”, but everything else is challenging. And I’m being nice.
The Best of Kansas (1995) is as good as any other compilation.
Smashing Pumpkins
Rotten Apples (2001) gives you the whiny core of the band without the endurance-test tracklists of “rarities and B-sides.” This band can fuck completely off. It’s just here for the random clicks.
Oasis
Oasis’ singles are their true legacy. Stop the Clocks (2006) is basically a fantasy version of the band people think they were. Their lad rock mythology is tied up in their singles. A compilation gives you the unearned confidence and faux-heartbreak without the filler.
Allman Brothers Band
Can you feel me running out of gas right now? Kind of like The Essential Allman Brothers Band: The Epic Years (2004)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Heart
Oooooh, barracuda.
Journey
Alright, here we go…. Steve Perry, right? Dude is a fuckin’ superstar. They’ve got a couple of cuts without him, but the majority of their hits were with Steve. And that’s the direction we need to go. Greatest Hits (1988).
Iron Maiden
Somewhere Back in Time: The Best of Iron Maiden 1980–90(2008)
Santana
A band/brand with great moments scattered across decades. The Best of Santana (1998) has the hits before Supernatural (1999).
Final Word
Greatest hits albums get treated like shortcuts, but they’re really just another format—one that solves problems albums sometimes create. They focus the story, highlight the strengths, and cut the fat. And they remind you that a perfect three-minute single can say more about a band than twelve deep cuts ever will.
If anything, greatest hits albums are the most honest version of rock music: a highlight reel of moments when everything clicked.
