Greatest Hits?

CNN on the pros and cons of Greatest Hits discs. There's some really interesting stuff in this one; like how Cake refused to do the Greatest Hits thing, and how Metallica and AC/DC's refusal to do the same is part of the reason they won't be found on iTunes (which potentially destroys the integrity of their albums).

Personally, I am a fan of Greatest Hits CD's, and yet I'm not. For some bands like Queen and Boston, having their best songs in one place is fantastic, and can even save me money, especially when a band has a lot of albums out there. But with other high profile bands, the same doesn't seem to apply. I think The Beatles' One is an absolute waste, because it certainly isn't the absolute best of the band, even if that is not the intent. When it comes to The Who, I've seen at least two different compilations each with a few different tracks. Why does one have The Kids Are Alright, but another is missing Old Red Wine? When a band has too many good songs, then the hits disc loses its effectiveness.

I do also agree with bands that believe in the power of the album. While a great deal of my music listening in college came from classic rock compilations, I find myself leaning more towards albums as I have more money to spend on tunes.

Finally, it is no surprise (But a damn shame) that greatest hits discs are being somewhat ruined by modern artists who are pressured by labels to release them. By now, I suppose Britney has enough material to draw from. But Hilary Duff? Does she even have more than two albums out? A compilation is pretty worthless if 40% of its content comes from the same place. It probably means you don't have many genuine hits.

But hey, who is surprised to see the music industry ruining a good thing to suit their own means, while completely misunderstanding the concept behind it?