Greatest Hits (The Cure album)

Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by
the Cure
Released7 November 2001
Recorded1979–2001
Genre
Length68:08
69:26 (bonus disc)
Label
The Cure chronology
Bloodflowers
(2000) 		Greatest Hits
(2001) 		Join the Dots
(2004)
Singles from The Cure: Greatest Hits
  1. "Cut Here"
    Released: October 2001
  2. "Just Say Yes"
    Released: December 2001
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Alternative Press[3]
musicOMH(average)[4]
Q[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]

Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by English rock band the Cure. It was first released in Japan on 7 November 2001,[6] before being released in the UK and Europe on 12 November and then in the US the day after. The band's relationship with longtime label Fiction Records came to a close, and the Cure were obliged to release one final album for the label. Lead singer Robert Smith agreed to release a greatest hits album under the condition that he could choose the tracks himself. The band also recorded a special studio album released as a bonus disc to some versions of the album. The disc, titled Acoustic Hits, consists of the eighteen songs from the North American release re-recorded using acoustic instruments.

History

Greatest Hits features select singles from the Cure's then-25 year history, along with the two new tracks "Cut Here" and "Just Say Yes".[7] All songs were newly remastered by Tim Young at Metropolis Mastering specifically for the collection.

The UK and international editions of the album feature a similar track listing, with the exception of three songs that only appear on one or the other: the international release features "The Walk", while the UK release excludes it in favour of "The Caterpillar" and "Pictures of You".

In an effort to provide something new for the hardcore fans who owned the previously released songs, Smith arranged for the band and former member Boris Williams to re-record acoustic versions of the Greatest Hits. Only the select first pressings of Greatest Hits were bundled with the bonus disc of Acoustic Hits.

Greatest Hits was also released on VHS and DVD. The video track listing mirrors that of the North American audio CD, with the exception of "The Caterpillar", "Pictures of You" and "Close to Me (Closest Mix)" which appear as hidden Easter eggs. Six of the acoustic performances also appear on the DVD.

The first vinyl version of this album was released on Record Store Day 2017 (22 April 2017) as two LP picture discs by the label Elektra Catalog Group. A quantity of 3250 were pressed. The release does not include the content of the Acoustic Hits disc,[8] which was given its own standalone release on standard black vinyl. On 5 July 2019, the album reached a new peak of number 19 in the UK Albums Chart following the Cure's headline set at that year's Glastonbury Festival.

Track listing

UK release[9]
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Boys Don't Cry"Non-album single2:42
2."A Forest" (Shortened Edit)Seventeen Seconds4:44
3."Let's Go to Bed"Non-album single3:34
4."The Love Cats"Non-album single3:40
5."The Caterpillar"The Top3:42
6."In Between Days"The Head on the Door2:58
7."Close to Me" (Remix)The Head on the Door3:42
8."Why Can't I Be You?"Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me3:14
9."Just Like Heaven" (Remix)Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me3:32
10."Lullaby" (Remix)Disintegration4:11
11."Lovesong" (Remix)Disintegration3:28
12."Pictures of You" (Single Edit)Disintegration4:49
13."Never Enough" (Single Mix)Mixed Up4:28
14."High" (Single Mix)Wish3:35
15."Friday I'm in Love"Wish3:35
16."Mint Car" (Radio Mix)Wild Mood Swings3:29
17."Wrong Number" (Single Mix)Galore6:01
18."Cut Here"Previously unreleased4:10
19."Just Say Yes"Previously unreleased3:29
International release
  1. "Boys Don't Cry"
  2. "A Forest" (Shortened Edit)
  3. "Let's Go to Bed"
  4. "The Walk" Single release only
  5. "The Love Cats"
  6. "In Between Days"
  7. "Close to Me" (Remix)
  8. "Why Can't I Be You?"
  9. "Just Like Heaven" (Bob Clearmountain Remix)
  10. "Lullaby"
  11. "Lovesong" (Remix)
  12. "Never Enough" (Single Mix)[9]
  13. "High" (Single Mix)
  14. "Friday I'm in Love"
  15. "Mint Car" (Radio Mix)
  16. "Wrong Number" (Single Mix)[9]
  17. "Cut Here"
  18. "Just Say Yes"
Bonus disc (Acoustic Hits)

Acoustic Hits, the bonus disc features newly recorded acoustic versions of songs.

  1. "Boys Don't Cry"
  2. "A Forest"
  3. "Let's Go to Bed"
  4. "The Walk"
  5. "The Love Cats"
  6. "In Between Days"
  7. "Close to Me"
  8. "Why Can't I Be You?"
  9. "Just Like Heaven"
  10. "Lullaby"
  11. "Lovesong"
  12. "Never Enough"
  13. "High"
  14. "Friday I'm in Love"
  15. "Mint Car"
  16. "Wrong Number"
  17. "Cut Here"
  18. "Just Say Yes"
Record Store Day 2017 release

Disc 1, Side A[8]

  1. "Boys Don't Cry"
  2. "A Forest"
  3. "Let's Go to Bed"
  4. "The Walk"
  5. "The Love Cats"

Disc 1, Side B[8]

  1. "In Between Days"
  2. "Close to Me"
  3. "Why Can't I Be You?"
  4. "Just Like Heaven"
  5. "Lullaby"

Disc 2, Side A[8]

  1. "Lovesong"
  2. "Never Enough"
  3. "High"
  4. "Friday I'm in Love"

Disc 2, Side B[8]

  1. "Mint Car"
  2. "Wrong Number"
  3. "Cut Here"
  4. "Just Say Yes"

Personnel

The following is the personnel for the Greatest Hits disc, and does not apply to the Acoustic Hits bonus disc.

Charts

2001–2002 chart performance for Greatest Hits
Chart (2001–2002) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 27
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[11] 34
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[13] 8
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[14] 38
European Albums (Music & Media)[15] 30
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] 22
Greek Albums (IFPI)[17] 8
Irish Albums (IRMA)[18] 11
Italian Albums (FIMI)[19] 30
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[20] 24
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[21] 18
Scottish Albums (OCC)[22] 47
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[23] 29
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 48
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 24
UK Albums (OCC)[26] 33
US Billboard 200[27] 58
2016 chart performance for Greatest Hits
Chart (2016) Peak
position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[28] 17
Chart performance for Greatest Hits (2017 remastered reissue)
Chart (2017) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 27
Irish Albums (OCC)[29] 17
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[30] 33
Scottish Albums (OCC)[31] 58
UK Albums (OCC)[32] 48
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[33] 9
2019 chart performance for Greatest Hits
Chart (2019) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[34] 21
UK Albums (OCC)[35] 19
Chart performance for Acoustic Hits
Chart (2017) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[36] 156
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[37] 110
Irish Albums (IRMA)[38] 65
UK Albums Sales (OCC)[39] 65
UK Physical Albums (OCC)[40] 53
UK Vinyl Albums (OCC)[41] 10
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[33] 22

Certifications

Certifications for Greatest Hits
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[42] Platinum 40,000^
Australia (ARIA)[43] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Belgium (BEA)[44] Gold 25,000*
Germany (BVMI)[45] Platinum 300,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[46] Gold 25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] 3× Platinum 900,000‡
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[48] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Hubbard, Michael (12 November 2001). "ALBUM REVIEWS The Cure – Greatest Hits". musicOMH. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  2. ^ Wilson, MacKensie. "Greatest Hits - The Cure". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Cure – Greatest Hits CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  4. ^ Hubbard, Michael (12 November 2001). "The Cure – Greatest Hits". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 28 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  5. ^ "The Cure: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  6. ^ "The Cure - Greatest Hits". Discogs. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  7. ^ Apter, Jeff (2006). Never Enough: The Story of The Cure. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-84449-827-7. ...Greatest Hits featured 'Just Say Yes', a good-natured vocal trade-off between Smith and Republica shouter Saffron, and 'Cut Here'...
  8. ^ a b c d e "RSD '17 Special Release: The Cure - Greatest Hits". recordstoreday.com. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  9. ^ a b c Amazon.com: Greatest Hits: Deluxe Sound & Vision: Music: The Cure
  10. ^ a b "Australiancharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  11. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Cure – Greatest Hits" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Greatest Hits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Greatest Hits" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  14. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  15. ^ "European Top 100 Albums". Music & Media. Vol. 19, no. 49. 1 June 1996. p. 12. OCLC 29800226.
  16. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Cure – Greatest Hits" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  17. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Week: 38/2020". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  18. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 46, 2001". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  19. ^ "Italiancharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  20. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  21. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  22. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  23. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  24. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  25. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  26. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  27. ^ "The Cure Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  28. ^ "Charts.nz – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  29. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  30. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  31. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  32. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  33. ^ a b "The Cure Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  35. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  36. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Acoustic Hits" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  37. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Cure – Acoustic Hits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  38. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Cure". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  39. ^ "Official Albums Sales Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  40. ^ "Official Physical Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  41. ^ "Official Vinyl Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  42. ^ "Gold & Platinum Certifications". CAPIF (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  43. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  44. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021.
  45. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (The Cure; 'Greatest Hits')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  46. ^ "Italian album certifications – The Cure – Greatest Hits" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 12 December 2018. Select "2015" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Greatest Hits" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  47. ^ "British album certifications – The Cure – Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  48. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2008". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 October 2012.