# Popular bands who have never released a "Best Of" Album **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2010, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219 "2010-03-12T09:33:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/1 "2010-03-12T09:33:12Z")
I was in a well-known music retailer this afternoon in the mood for a new CD, and thought I might get an AC/DC “Best Of”- they’re a well known, highly popular and successful band, so surely it should be in the “AC/DC” sub-section, right? That’s funny, I can’t seem to see one here. Perhaps they’re out of stock. No, explains the heavily Alternative-looking staff member, they’ve never actually released a “Best Of” CD. Wow, thinks I, but it would seem that’s true. I always thought a “Best Of” was _de rigueur_ for pretty much any band that’s released enough songs to fill a CD (and quite a few that haven’t), but apparently not. Which got me thinking: Which other big, popular, well-known, successful bands have never released a “Best Of” album? There must be a few, surely? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/2 "2010-03-12T11:15:13Z")
Technically, it’s not a ‘Best Of’ album, but you were mishandled. The Live Double Album is essentially a Best Of. > **[AC/DC - Live (2 CD Collector's Edition) - Amazon.com Music](https://www.amazon.com/AC-DC-Live/dp/B00008BXJJ)** > > ACDC LIVE returns remastered and with a special link to the a website with rare visual and audio of the band. The CD also comes with a 16 page booklet with photos and memorabilia. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/3 "2010-03-12T12:19:02Z")
The Who ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/4 "2010-03-12T12:37:03Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Technically, it’s not a ‘Best Of’ album, but you were mishandled. The Live Double Album is essentially a Best Of. > [AC/DC - Live (2 CD Collector's Edition) - Amazon.com Music](http://www.amazon.com/AC-DC-Live/dp/B00008BXJJ) I don’t really think that counts- it’s close, though. (And for the record, I hate live music/versions of songs for the most part). ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/5 "2010-03-12T12:39:52Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > The Who [The Who discography](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Who_discography) The Who has put out nearly twice as many compilation albums as they have actual studio albums! Some of them are more collections of previously released rare songs than ‘best of’ albums, however. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/6 "2010-03-12T13:08:38Z")
> [@Santos\_L\_Halper](#): > > [The Who discography](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Who_discography) > > The Who has put out nearly twice as many compilation albums as they have actual studio albums! Some of them are more collections of previously released rare songs than ‘best of’ albums, however. Hm, you don’t say. ---
**Author:** ![yastobaal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/258eb7/32.png) [@yastobaal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yastobaal)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/7 "2010-03-12T13:20:13Z")
So is the OP looking for only albums that are specifically Best of’s? You have said that a live collection is close but not right. If we are only going for named ‘best of’ albums how about Oasis. 7 studio albums and 2 compilations ‘The Masterplan’ and ‘Stop the Clocks’. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/8 "2010-03-12T13:29:54Z")
Blind Faith. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2010, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/9 "2010-03-12T13:45:23Z")
> [@yastobaal](#): > > If we are only going for named ‘best of’ albums how about Oasis. 7 studio albums and 2 compilations ‘The Masterplan’ and ‘Stop the Clocks’. “The Masterplan” is a B-sides collection, but “Stop the Clocks” is most definitely a best of. But then, what’s the difference between a compilation and a best of? ---
**Author:** ![Richie\_Incognito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e36b37/32.png) [@Richie\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richie_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/10 "2010-03-12T14:26:40Z")
Metallica never released a best of. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/11 "2010-03-12T15:10:18Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > The Who Not to pile on or anything, but one of the biggest complaints that Who geeks have is the endless series of “Best-Of” and compilation CDs / videos that various companies have dumped on the market. The last one, “Greatest Hits”, released in conjuction with their Super Bowl appearance, is the just the 2004 collection “Then And Now” with one track subtracted (Emminence Front) and one added (Real Good Looking Boy). ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/12 "2010-03-12T15:24:36Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Not to pile on or anything, but one of the biggest complaints that Who geeks have is the endless series of “Best-Of” and compilation CDs / videos that various companies have dumped on the market. > > The last one, “Greatest Hits”, released in conjuction with their Super Bowl appearance, is the just the 2004 collection “Then And Now” with one track subtracted (Emminence Front) and one added (Real Good Looking Boy). OK then, if not **The Who** maybe that great hard rock band \*\* The Whoosh\*\* ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/13 "2010-03-12T15:25:36Z")
Rats, missed the edit window! The new CD **added** “Emminence Front” and “It’s Not Enough” and removed “Old Red Wine”. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/14 "2010-03-12T16:06:49Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Blind Faith. Didn’t they just have one album? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/15 "2010-03-12T16:21:21Z")
Jefferson Airplane 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/16 "2010-03-12T16:52:41Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > No, explains the heavily Alternative-looking staff member, they’ve never actually released a “Best Of” CD. Does [Who Made Who](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Made_Who) count? Edit: Compilation album – that’s the word I was looking for. It is a compilation, not best-of. Thanks **blondebear** ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/17 "2010-03-12T16:53:50Z")
I know \*\*XTC \*\* released compilation albums, but I’m not sure if there was ever a “Best Of”. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/18 "2010-03-12T17:51:22Z")
There was a country band called Perfect Stranger that only had one radio hit. Their first CD was titled as “Great Hits” and they never had another one. Garth Brooks also released a “Best of Chris Gaines” CD. I guess both were technically correct. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/19 "2010-03-12T17:58:44Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Jefferson Airplane 😉 They actually had a “Worst of” plus some other compilations like “Flight Log”, “2400 Fulton Street” and “Jefferson Airplane Loves You” Joni Mitchell resisted her record company for years about putting out a greatest hits because that usually hurts catalog sales but eventually gave in (plus I think they had the right to if sales weren’t high enough). The Beatles had two “best of” in the early 1970s with “1962-1966” and “1967-1970”..both featuring photos of them looking down a staircase at two different times in their career but I don’t think any came out in the CD age. The three 2-CD “Anthology” is mostly outtakes/rejects ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219/20 "2010-03-12T18:09:01Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > They actually had a “Worst of”… That’s what the wink was for. > [@](#): > > - > > The Beatles had two “best of” in the early 1970s with “1962-1966” and “1967-1970”..both featuring photos of them looking down a staircase at two different times in their career but I don’t think any came out in the CD age. The three 2-CD “Anthology” is mostly outtakes/rejects\* Both the [Red](http://www.amazon.com/1962-1966-Red-Album-Beatles/dp/B000002UYZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1268416977&sr=1-1) and [Blue](http://www.amazon.com/1967-1970-Blue-Album-Beatles/dp/B000002UZ1/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1268416977&sr=1-2) staircase albums are available on CD, and don’t forget _[1](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_%28The_Beatles_album%29)_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-bands-who-have-never-released-a-best-of-album/532219.md?page=2)