Greatest Hits, later re-released as Greatest Hits 1973–1988, is the first greatest hits compilation album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released by Columbia Records on November 11, 1980.
Release and reception
Although the official website for Aerosmith lists the release for Greatest Hits as October 1980, it was delayed until November 11, 1980.
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 was not 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 single version; it begins with the first chorus, cutting out the now famous talk box intro and the coda was replaced with a repeating chorus and fades out. "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.
On April 21, 1997, a slightly revised version, Greatest Hits 1973–1988, was released outside the US, 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 highest RIAA certified album in the United States, having been certified 12× Platinum in 2021.
Track listing
Original version
Personnel
Aerosmith
- Steven Tyler – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion, producer, arrangement
- Joe Perry – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, arrangement, except on "Lightning Strikes"
- Brad Whitford – rhythm and lead guitar, producer, arrangement
- Tom Hamilton – bass guitar, producer, arrangement
- Joey Kramer – drums, producer, arrangement
Additional musicians
- Jimmy Crespo – lead guitar, backing vocals on "Lightning Strikes"
- Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone on "Same Old Song and Dance" and "Big Ten Inch Record"
- Randy Brecker – trumpet on "Same Old Song and Dance"
- Stan Bronstein – baritone saxophone on "Same Old Song and Dance"
- Jon Pearson – trombone on "Same Old Song and Dance"
- David Woodford – saxophone on "Mama Kin"
- Scott Cushnie – keyboards, piano on "Big Ten Inch Record"
- Jay Messina – bass marimba on "Sweet Emotion"
Production
- Jack Douglas – producer, arrangement
- Adrian Barber – producer
- George Martin – producer
- Ray Colcord – producer
- Jay Messina – engineer
- Vic Anesini – remastering
- Janet Perr – cover concept
- John Berg – design
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for Greatest Hits
! scope="col"| Chart (1980–2020)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2019 year-end chart performance for Greatest Hits
! scope="col"| Chart (2019)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)
| 63
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2020 year-end chart performance for Greatest Hits
! scope="col"| Chart (2020)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)
| 41
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2021 year-end chart performance for Greatest Hits
! scope="col"| Chart (2021)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)
| 44
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2024 year-end chart performance for Greatest Hits
! scope="col"| Chart (2024)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
| 129
|}
Certifications
Release history
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release history and formats for Greatest Hits
!Region
!Date
!Format
!Tracks
!Label
!Catalog #
!Barcode
!Edition
!Series
!Notes
|-
|US
|Nov 11, 1980
|LP
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|FC 36865
|074643686518
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|Some front covers have the right side of the logo, others the left side
|-
|US
|Nov 11, 1980
|Cassette
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|FCT 36865
|074643686549
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|Some issues have the “0 7464-36865-1” LP barcode
|-
|US
|Nov 11, 1980
|8-Track
|11
|Columbia/CBS
|FCA 36865
|074643686587
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|Grey Shell; "Walk This Way" is listed twice
|-
|US
|Jul 1983
|LP
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|PC 36865
|074643686518
|align="center"|—
|The Nice Price
|
|-
|US
|Jul 1983
|Cassette
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|PCT 36865
|074643686549
|align="center"|—
|The Nice Price
|
|-
|US
|Aug 30, 1988
|CD
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|CK 36865
|074643686525
|align="center"|—
|Best Value Series
|Longbox
|-
|US
|Jan 1989
|LP
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|FC 36865
|074643686518 01
|align="center"|—
|Chart Busters
|
|-
|US
|Jan 1989
|Cassette
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|FCT 36865
|074643686549 01
|align="center"|—
|Chart Busters
|
|-
|US
|Mar 1990
|LP
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|PC 36865
|074643686518 02
|align="center"|—
|The Nice Price
|
|-
|US
|Mar 1990
|CD
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|CK 36865
|074643686525
|align="center"|—
|The Nice Price
|Longbox
|-
|US
|Mar 1990
|Cassette
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|PCT 36865
|074643686549 02
|align="center"|—
|The Nice Price
|
|-
|US
|Oct 20, 1990
|CD
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|CK 36865
|074643686525
|align="center"|—
|The Nice Price
|possibly released in a "The Nice Price" Longbox
|-
|US
|Apr 1, 1993
|CD
|10
|Columbia/CBS
|CK 36865
|074643686525
|align="center"|—
|The Nice Price
|Dogbone sticker
|-
|US
|Sep 7, 1993
|CD
|10
|Columbia/SMEI
|CK 57367
|074645736723
|Special Limited Collector's Edition
|Best Value
|1993 Remaster; sched. for Aug 24, 1993 - delayed 2 weeks
|-
|US
|Sep 7, 1993
|Cassette
|10
|Columbia/SMEI
|CT 57367
|074645736747
|align="center"|—
|Best Value
|1993 Remaster; sched. for Aug 24, 1993 - delayed 2 weeks
|-
|US
|Sep 14, 1993
|MiniDisc
|10
|Columbia/SMEI
|CM 57367
|074645736785
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|1993 Remaster; sched. for Aug 24, 1993 - delayed 3 weeks
|-
|US
|Feb 1, 2008
|MP3 256k
|10
|Columbia/SBME
|CK 57367
|074645736723
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|1993 Remaster; album only
|-
|US
|Jul 1, 2009
|MP3 192k
|10
|Columbia/SME
|CK 57367
|074645736723
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|1993 Remaster; album only
|-
|US
|Oct 6, 2009
|MP3 320k
|10
|Columbia/SME
|CK 57367
|074645736723
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|1993 Remaster; album only; approx. date; issued between Oct 6 - Nov 28, 2009
|-
|US
|Aug 26, 2011
|MP3 256k
|10
|Columbia/SME
|CK 57367
|074645736723
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|1993 Remaster; individ. tracks
|-
|US
|Aug 26, 2011
|MP3 320k
|10
|Columbia/SME
|CK 57367
|074645736723
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|1993 Remaster; individ. tracks
|-
|US
|Sep 6, 2011
|AAC 256k
|10
|Columbia/SME
|CK 57367
|074645736723
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|1993 Remaster; individ. tracks
|-
|US
|Nov 6, 2012
|AAC 256k
|10
|Columbia/SME
|88644 37119 4
|886443711945
|align="center"|—
|Mastered for iTunes
|2012 Remaster; individ. tracks
|-
|US
|Apr 21, 2014
|FLAC 96/24
|10
|Columbia/SME
|88644 37119 4
|886443711945
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|2012 Remaster; album only
|-
|US
|Sep 26, 2014
|CD
|10
|Columbia/SMEI
|CK 57367
|888750363527
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|1993 Remaster; also listed as Jan 16, 2015
|-
|US
|Sep 26, 2014
|CD
|10
|Columbia/SMEI
|CK 57367
|888750363626
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|1993 Remaster; also listed as Nov 11, 2014
|-
|US
|Jun 21, 2019
|LP
|10
|Columbia/SME
|19075846981
|190758469812
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|140 Gram
|-
|US
|Aug 7, 2019
|AAC 256k
|10
|Columbia/SME
|88644 37119 4
|886443711945
|align="center"|—
|Apple Digital Master
|2012 Remaster; individ. tracks
|-
|US
|Sep 27, 2019
|FLAC 96/24
|10
|Columbia/SME
|88644 37119 4
|886443711945
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|2012 Remaster; album only
|-
|US
|Nov 29, 2019
|LP
|10
|Columbia/SME
|19075977671
|190759776711
|align="center"|—
|Walmart Exclusive
|White Vinyl
|}
See also
- List of best-selling albums in the United States