# Greatest Hits rip-offs! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2007, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733 "2007-04-26T13:58:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/41 "2007-04-26T16:28:43Z")
[This](http://www.amazon.com/ELV1S-30-Hits-Elvis-Presley/dp/B00006AG5N/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3972849-0935259?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1177604770&sr=1-1) is the album that I’m talking about. And my listening experience was more like **fishbicycle** than anyone else’s. The sound was just horrible. There were actually enough songs on it that I liked that I’d still consider it money well spent, except for the fact that they just sound terrible. I have tracks from garage bands that sound better. Remastered my ass…unless it was by a damn 8 year old on his 100-project science kits. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/42 "2007-04-26T16:34:15Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] I believe I used the word ‘gyp’ correctly. Do you mean posters will call me to task for using a word that is supposedly offensive to Gypsies? I don’t think Dopers will be that niggardly with their patience. [/QUOTE] Due respect — and I do think very highly of you, Biggirl — but some of our membership is indeed Romani. Kal, for one. He’s Washte’s husband. (I hope my memory is right.) I really don’t think using “gyp” in this context is any different from using “jew” in a similar context. The Romani people have suffered as much as or more than any other ethnic group, including yours or mine. I don’t mean to rain on your parade or anything. I’d just like you to be mindful of people we both respect, and you just sort of tossed this one off, it seemed to me. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/43 "2007-04-26T16:43:06Z")
Right. Niggardly is not related to nigger but gyp is related to gypsy, a word some consider as offensive as nigger. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/44 "2007-04-26T16:45:38Z")
FWIW, Billy Joel’s _Greatest Hits, Volumes 1 & 2_ came out originally in 3 different versions with 3 different track lists: the LP (which I bought, and which does not have “She’s Always a Woman”), the cassette (which I know nothing about), and the CD (which does have “She’s Always a Woman” but may lack other tracks present on the LP and cassette). Oh, and I had the old 1980 version of Queen’s _Greatest Hits_ on cassette (with the original release of “Under Pressure,” IIRC) and was hugely disappointed when the 2-disc gold-boxed set that came out left off “Keep Yourself Alive.” ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/45 "2007-04-26T16:49:35Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] FWIW, Billy Joel’s _Greatest Hits, Volumes 1 & 2_ [/QUOTE] The neat thing about that album is that the bonus track, “You’re Only Human (Second Wind),” subsequently became a hit, thus retroactively justifying its presence. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/46 "2007-04-26T16:51:21Z")
[QUOTE=Autumn Almanac] Good luck taking a band like the Beatles, Kinks, or Rolling Stones, and coming up with a list of “essential” songs with less than 40-50 entries! [/QUOTE] Good point. Still no excuse for the Beatles 1962-66 compilation to not have _Got to Get You into My Life_ or _Tomorrow Never Knows_ (yes I know they just copied the cuts verbatim from the vinyl version, still no excuse). ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/47 "2007-04-26T16:51:56Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] I don’t know about **gypped** , but when I bought _Edward the Great_, Iron Maiden’s greatest hits collection, and saw that it contained nothing from the pre-Bruce Dickinson era, I felt quite jewed. [/QUOTE] So how were you haggled down in price? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/48 "2007-04-26T16:55:28Z")
[QUOTE=Autumn Almanac] thus retroactively justifying its presence. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Absolutely _nothing_ justifies that song’s presence there or anywhere else! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/49 "2007-04-26T17:05:55Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Right. Niggardly is not related to nigger but gyp is related to gypsy, a word some consider as offensive as nigger. [/QUOTE] But as offensive as “nigger-guy”? Yes, I did watch South Park last night, why? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/50 "2007-04-26T17:15:27Z")
Speaking of Greatest Hits and gypsies, Cher (who had the hit song “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves” - how’s that for a segue?) has a bad habit of releasing a new greatest hits album after each of her hit songs. They have pretty much all of the same songs as the preceding one, plus the one hit. Sometimes she mixes it up by listing the tracks from newest to oldest instead of oldest to newest, but it’s still the same songs with the one new hit. But that doesn’t compare to The Alarm, who have seemingly made a career out of releasing the same 12 or so songs over and over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/51 "2007-04-26T17:21:50Z")
[QUOTE=Autumn Almanac] Yup. Also, some band’s careers are so long that unless you have six discs to fill, you’ll never come up with a tracklist that satifies everybody. Good luck taking a band like the Beatles, Kinks, or **Rolling Stones** , and coming up with a list of “essential” songs with less than 40-50 entries! [/QUOTE] I don’t know, at three discs I’d say “Singles Collection: The London Years” covers the Rolling Stones pretty well. All it’s really missing is “Start Me Up” and, again, that’s more a time machine issue than anything else. But it does include the original (and sucky) version of Time Is On My Side. There’s just no excuse for that. The rest of the set is classic. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/52 "2007-04-26T17:24:34Z")
Artists don’t have any say in whether there is a greatest hits album issued, or when. They may be consulted for one thing or another, but it is usually out of their hands. Time was, when the record company put out your GH, you were finished. The bean-counters weighed your current sales figures with past ones, and if your numbers went down, they’d opt not to renew your contract, put out your GH album and send you on your way. Unless Cher owns her old masters (unlikely) or has her own record label (unlikely), she isn’t responsible for reshuffling the order of her popular tracks for reissue after reissue. Since 2000, there have been 26 GH albums on 18 different labels, by Cher. She didn’t even have that many hits. ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/53 "2007-04-26T17:27:30Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] I don’t know, at three discs I’d say “Singles Collection: The London Years” covers the Rolling Stones pretty well. [/QUOTE] Clearly, you’d have to be on crack to say that a comp with no tracks from _Exile on Main St._ or _Some Girls_ covers the Stones pretty well. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/54 "2007-04-26T17:37:51Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] I’m referring to “30 #1 Hits” from 2002. The one that should be called “31 #1 Hits” because the JXL remix of “A Little Less Conversation” went to #1 after the CD was released. I haven’t seen a 2CD edition of it, but there may well be one. [/QUOTE] [Looks like I’m thinking of the Limited Edition pressing.](http://about.pricegrabber.com/search_fullinfomu.php/music_id=783886/masterid=578388601&mode=about_memphis&) That must be the one I’m thinking of, as it contains studio outtakes, and I don’t recall any modern mixing on that. I’ll have to have a listen to the first disc again. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/55 "2007-04-26T17:43:58Z")
[QUOTE=Autumn Almanac] Clearly, you’d have to be on crack to say that a comp with no tracks from _Exile on Main St._ or _Some Girls_ covers the Stones pretty well. 😉 [/QUOTE] Yeah! I have this one and it doesn’t even have “Miss You” on it! Also, there are tons of budget companies who will license maybe one good song and that’s it, and the front will say “Jethro Tull’s Greatest Hits featuring Bungle in the Jungle”, and it may be that song plus nine demos or unheard of songs. Also beware the greatest hits comp that has all the songs, but live or alternate versions. Or the dreaded multi-artist comp, like DISCO HITS! that has all the big songs, but not performed but the artists you know, but instead an orchestra or studio singers. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/56 "2007-04-26T17:44:40Z")
[QUOTE=Autumn Almanac] Clearly, you’d have to be on crack to say that a comp with no tracks from _Exile on Main St._ or _Some Girls_ covers the Stones pretty well. 😉 [/QUOTE] Time machine situation. Singles Collection cuts off at 1971. Both of those albums were released after that. ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/57 "2007-04-26T17:48:49Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] Time machine situation. Singles Collection cuts off at 1971. Both of those albums were released after that. [/QUOTE] Yeah… that’s exactly what I’m saying. It doesn’t “cover the Stones” if it only covers the Stones up until 1971. At least I. this music geek’s H. O. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/58 "2007-04-26T17:53:07Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] [Looks like I’m thinking of the Limited Edition pressing.](http://about.pricegrabber.com/search_fullinfomu.php/music_id=783886/masterid=578388601&mode=about_memphis&) That must be the one I’m thinking of, as it contains studio outtakes, and I don’t recall any modern mixing on that. I’ll have to have a listen to the first disc again. [/QUOTE] Boy, that looks interesting! I’d love to hear the second disc. I’ve never seen that edition listed anywhere before, and the one in your link was issued in Hong Kong. I see where identical ones from Japan and the UK are available on the collectors’ market, for no less than $32, but closer to $70. That’s a lotta cash, considering I have about 30 CDs of alternate takes and previously unreleased Elvis songs! ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/59 "2007-04-26T18:00:57Z")
More due respect, Biggirl (and others), but as pointed out above, “niggardly” (which Biggirl, in fact, used incorrectly) is not related to the word “nigger,” so is not a valid comparison. “Gyp” is, however, derived from “gypsy,” and is thus an ethnic slur. Although, judging from this thread, apparently it’s an ethnic slur that’s completely acceptable at the Dope. Note to self: must find more opportunities to use “jew” as a verb. And if “gyp” is acceptable, I suppose I can start using “nigger rich” without any fear of admonishment. Cool. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733/60 "2007-04-26T18:08:24Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] I believe I used the word ‘gyp’ correctly. Do you mean posters will call me to task for using a word that is supposedly offensive to Gypsies? I don’t think Dopers will be that niggardly with their patience. [/QUOTE] Well, the current version of the on-line O.E.D. describes the etymology of the word as: > [@](#): > > [perh. short for GIPSY] While the “perh” indicates that it’s not a settled issue, it’s close enough to justify a trade for an equally effective (but not potentially offensive) word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-rip-offs/401733.md?page=4)