Chrissy and I were throwing this around last night, and I want your opinion...
In your opinion, what qualifies an artist to be able to release a greatest hits album?
Is it 15 top 20 genre hits over a career? Is it a certain number of #1 singles? It is a super big mainstream artist? Is it 10 albums released? Is it 10 years in the business?
What are the qualifications?
Post your thoughts in the comments.
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3 comments:
Most artists nowdays sign up to a record label for several albums. The record label pretty much owns them unless you're just a very well known singer/group where you can tell the label where to shove it, but these are few and far between. If you only have one album to go before your contract expires, and both parties know that you're going to part ways, the label knows that you'll probably come up with a crappy album just to finish the contract and move on, so what they do is release a "greatest hits" album and ask you to come up with one or two new songs that will be included in the album as "bonus."
It's when the record label wants to release an album that has very little costs which means it's just easy and a money maker. Albums have big recording budgets; if you are using songs already recorded, that takes out the majority of the cost. They will do it when they think people will buy it/ when there are enough songs to put on it!!
All I really know, is I will be in line to buy Gary on Tuesday :)
There is not a standard or qualification for a greatest hits album. Think how many of these albums have tracks that you don't even immediately recognize.
Jimmy Buffett had it right - the name of his is greatest hits is 'Songs you know by heart'.
Of course, the main factor in the creation of one of these albums is the record company being able to assemble existing songs and spend just a little bit of cash for new package art, and viola!
In the future, all record companies should consult with Cletus as to the validity of outputing a greatest hits album.
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