Greatest Hits (Aerosmith album)

Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by Aerosmith
Released October 1980 (1980-10)[1]
Recorded 1972 at Intermedia Studios, Boston, Massachusetts; 1973–1977 and 1979 at Record Plant Studios, New York City, New York; February–March 1976 and August 1978 at the Wherehouse, Waltham, Massachusetts; June–October 1977 at the Cenacle, Armonk, New York; 1979 at Media Sound, New York City, New York[1]
Genre Hard rock
Length 37:15
Label Columbia
Producer Adrian Barber, Jack Douglas, Ray Colcord, Aerosmith, George Martin, Gary Lyons[2]
Aerosmith chronology
Night in the Ruts
(1979)		 Greatest Hits
(1980)		 Rock in a Hard Place
(1982)
Greatest Hits 1973–1988
Album art of 2004 revised version

Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released by Columbia Records in October 1980.[1] It went multi-platinum and contained the hits that made the band an icon of the 1970s rock era. A few remastered versions of Greatest Hits appeared in the 1990s and are considered partly responsible for the band's popular rejuvenation during the decade.

Some of the tracks were significantly edited from their original versions. The single version of "Same Old Song and Dance" was used, and was edited down almost a full minute. It also contained an alternate lyric which wasn't heard on Get Your Wings. The original lyric was "Gotcha with the cocaine, found with your gun." The alternate lyric, included on the compilation, was "You shady lookin' loser, you played with my gun." "Sweet Emotion" also used the considerably less popular single version. The coda which ends the song was replaced with a repeating of the chorus and fades out. The song also begins with the first chorus, cutting out the now famous talk box intro. "Kings and Queens" was also edited down, cutting the intro and certain other parts. "Walk This Way" was edited slightly, chanting the first chorus once instead of twice. The other remaining tracks were kept intact.

In 2004, a slightly revised version, Greatest Hits 1973–1988, was released, with the ten tracks in their edited versions retained, with five additional songs from the same era added, plus the 1991 version of "Sweet Emotion" and a live version of "One Way Street".

Greatest Hits is the band's bestselling album in the United States, achieving sales in excess of 11 million copies. The album was certified Diamond when its sales reached the ten million mark in 2001.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [3]
Robert Christgau (A-) [4]

Contents

Track listing

Original version

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s)[1] Length
1. "Dream On" (from Aerosmith) Steven Tyler Adrian Barber 4:27
2. "Same Old Song and Dance" (Single Version) (from Get Your Wings) Tyler, Joe Perry Jack Douglas, Ray Colcord 3:04
3. "Sweet Emotion" (Single Version) (from Toys in the Attic) Tyler, Tom Hamilton Jack Douglas 3:15
4. "Walk This Way" (from Toys in the Attic) Tyler, Perry Jack Douglas 3:33
5. "Last Child" (from Rocks) Tyler, Brad Whitford Jack Douglas, Aerosmith 3:28
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s)[1] Length
1. "Back in the Saddle" (from Rocks) Tyler, Perry Jack Douglas, Aerosmith 4:41
2. "Draw the Line" (from Draw the Line) Tyler, Perry Jack Douglas, Aerosmith 3:24
3. "Kings and Queens" (Single Version) (from Draw the Line) Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Tyler, Whitford, Jack Douglas Jack Douglas, Aerosmith 3:48
4. "Come Together" (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: The Original Soundtrack) John Lennon, Paul McCartney Jack Douglas, George Martin 3:47
5. "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" (from Night in the Ruts) George Morton Gary Lyons, Aerosmith 4:05

Track Listing - 2004 reissue

Track details same as Original Version track listing, except where noted.

No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Dream On"       4:26
2. "Mama Kin" (from Aerosmith) Tyler Adrian Barber 4:27
3. "Same Old Song and Dance"       3:03
4. "Seasons of Wither" (from Get Your Wings) Tyler Jack Douglas, Ray Colcord 4:57
5. "Sweet Emotion"       3:13
6. "Walk This Way"       3:32
7. "Big Ten Inch Record" (from Toys in the Attic) Fred Weismantel Jack Douglas 2:15
8. "Last Child"       3:27
9. "Back in the Saddle"       4:41
10. "Draw the Line"       3:23
11. "Kings and Queens"       3:49
12. "Come Together"       3:45
13. "Remember (Walking in the Sand)"       4:05
14. "Lightning Strikes" (from Rock in a Hard Place) Richard Supa Gary Lyons, Aerosmith 4:28
15. "Chip Away the Stone" (from Gems) Supa Jack Douglas 4:01
16. "Sweet Emotion" (1991 Thoener Remix - from Pandora's Box Single; Original version from Toys in the Attic) Tyler, Hamilton Jack Douglas 4:36
17. "One Way Street" (Live) (from Made in America; Original version from Aerosmith) Tyler   6:40

Personnel

Aerosmith
Additional musicians
Production

Charts

The album reached #53 on the Billboard 200 in 1980 and #154 in 1987.[5]

Certifications

Organization Level Date
RIAA – United States Gold[6] March 3, 1981
Platinum[6] January 27, 1986
2× Platinum[6] November 24, 1986
4× Platinum[6] November 21, 1988
5× Platinum[6] April 29, 1991
6× Platinum[6] March 10, 1992
8× Platinum[6] October 21, 1994
9× Platinum[6] August 1, 1996
Diamond[6] February 26, 2001
11× Platinum[6] December 13, 2007
CIA – Canada Gold Feb 27, 1997
Platinum Feb 27, 1997

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e (1991, 2002) Album notes for Pandora's Box by Aerosmith [CD liner]. United States: Columbia Records (C3K 86567).
  2. ^ (1980, 1993) Album notes for Greatest Hits by Aerosmith [CD liner]. United States: Columbia Records (CK 57367).
  3. ^ Prato, Greg. "Allmusic Review". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r175. Retrieved 2011-06-15. 
  4. ^ "Review". Robert Christgau. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=aerosmith. Retrieved 2011-06-15. 
  5. ^ "Aerosmith - Billboard Albums". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/aerosmith-p3508/charts-awards/billboard-albums. Retrieved November 27, 2010. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Gold and Platinum Database Search". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Greatest%20Hits&artist=Aerosmith&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 

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