Greatest Hits (Guns N' Roses album)

Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by Guns N' Roses
Released March 23, 2004
Recorded 1987–1994
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal
Length 79:18
Label Geffen
Producer Guns N' Roses
Mike Clink
Bill Levenson
Guns N' Roses compilation chronology
Use Your Illusion
(1998)Use Your Illusion1998		 Greatest Hits
(2004)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
NME[2]
Pitchfork Media3.9/10[3]
StylusD+[4]
BBCmixed[5]

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on March 23, 2004. Released by Geffen Records in part because of the delay in the making of Chinese Democracy, the album was subject to lawsuits by band member Axl Rose and former band members, in an attempt to block its release due to its track listing.[6]

Despite the album having almost no promotion, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart[7] and number three on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release.[8] Greatest Hits re-entered the Billboard 200 at number three in March 2012, selling about 85,000 copies as part of a promotion by both Amazon MP3 and Google Play that saw the album sold for 25 cents for one day.[9] The album has proven a popular seller, selling over 5.93 million copies in the United States, as of 2017.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Welcome to the Jungle"Slash, Axl RoseAppetite for Destruction (1987)4:32
2."Sweet Child o' Mine"Slash, Rose, Izzy StradlinAppetite for Destruction5:55
3."Patience"StradlinG N' R Lies (1988)5:56
4."Paradise City"Stradlin, Slash, Duff McKagan, RoseAppetite for Destruction6:47
5."Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Bob Dylan cover)Bob DylanUse Your Illusion II (1991)5:36
6."Civil War"Rose, Slash, McKaganUse Your Illusion II7:42
7."You Could Be Mine"Stradlin, RoseUse Your Illusion II5:44
8."Don't Cry" (Original version)Stradlin, RoseUse Your Illusion I (1991)4:51
9."November Rain"RoseUse Your Illusion I8:57
10."Live and Let Die" (Paul McCartney & Wings cover)Paul McCartney, Linda McCartneyUse Your Illusion I3:02
11."Yesterdays"Rose, West Arkeen, Del James, Billy McCloudUse Your Illusion II3:18
12."Ain't It Fun" (The Dead Boys cover)Cheetah Chrome, Peter Laughner"The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993)5:10
13."Since I Don't Have You" (The Skyliners cover)Joseph Rock, James Beaumont"The Spaghetti Incident?"4:18
14."Sympathy for the Devil" (The Rolling Stones cover)Mick Jagger, Keith RichardsInterview with the Vampire soundtrack (1994)7:36
Total length:79:18

Notes

Reception and lawsuit

Although the album received mainly positive reviews and sold well, fans criticized the track listing, citing lack of some popular songs and too many covers, as reason for complaint. Axl Rose immediately tried to block the release by suing Geffen, saying it would ruin his focus on Chinese Democracy and if he were to get the album finished and released sooner, the Greatest Hits album would be selling more, leaving the album unnoticed. Former bandmates Slash and Duff McKagan helped Rose file the lawsuit against Geffen, although they did not speak to each other in person. This failed and the album was released under Geffen Records' rights.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[10]

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[11] 2× Platinum 80,000^
Australia (ARIA)[12] 9× Platinum 630,000^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[13] Gold 50,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[14] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Germany (BVMI)[15] Platinum 200,000^
Greece (IFPI Greece)[16] Gold 10,000^
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 6× Platinum 90,000^
Italy (FIMI)[18] 2× Platinum 200,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[19] Gold 100,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[20] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[21] 6× Platinum 90,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[22] Platinum 20,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[23] Platinum 100,000^
Sweden (GLF)[24] Platinum 60,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[25] Platinum 40,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] 6× Platinum 1,800,000^
United States (RIAA)[27] 5× Platinum 5,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[28] 4× Platinum 4,000,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Greatest Hits at AllMusic
  2. ↑ "NME Album Reviews - Guns N' Roses : Greatest Hits". Nme.Com. 2004-03-19. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  3. ↑ "Guns N' Roses". Pitchfork.
  4. ↑ "Guns n Roses - Greatest Hits - Review". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  5. ↑ "Music - Review of Guns N' Roses - Greatest Hits". BBC. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  6. ↑ "Judge denies Axl Rose bid to stop release of CD". USA Today. March 23, 2004. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Chart Stats - Guns N' Roses". Chart Stats. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Charts & Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  9. ↑ "GUNS N' ROSES: 'Greatest Hits' Sells 85K Copies In One Week As Part Of 25-Cent Promotion". Blabbermouth.net. 21 March 2012. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  10. ↑ Greatest Hits (Media notes). Guns N' Roses. Geffen Records. 2004.
  11. ↑ "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  12. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Greatest Hits" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos.
  14. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Guns 'N Roses – Greatest Hits". Music Canada.
  15. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Guns 'N Roses; 'Greatest Hits')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  16. ↑ "Greek album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Greatest Hits" (in Greek). IFPI Greece.
  17. ↑ "Irish album certifications – Guns N Roses – Greatest Hits". Irish Recorded Music Association.
  18. ↑ "Italian album certifications – Guns'N'Roses – Greatest Hits" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana.
  19. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Guns N Roses – Greatest Hits" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2004年5月 on the drop-down menu
  20. ↑ "Certificaciones 2004". AMPROFON (in Spanish). Facebook. 2004. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  21. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Greatest Hits". Recorded Music NZ.
  22. ↑ "Polish album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Greatest Hits" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Spanish album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Greatest Hits" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Select album under "Chart", enter ' in the field "Year". Select ' in the field "Semana". Click on "Search Charts"
  24. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2004" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
  25. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Guns N' Roses; 'Greatest Hits')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  26. ↑ "British album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Appetite Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Appetite Greatest Hits in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  27. ↑ "American album certifications – Guns N' Roses – Greatest Hits". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  28. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2013". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
Preceded by
Anastacia by Anastacia
D12 World by D12		 UK number one album
April 24, 2004 – May 7, 2004
May 15, 2004 – May 21, 2004 		Succeeded by
D12 World by D12
Hopes and Fears by Keane
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