By Trent McMartin Sep 23, 2005, 10:03 GMT
Hillary Duff's compilation 'Most Wanted' was released last month.
Last month singer/actress Hillary Duff released her first greatest hits package "Most Wanted", which debuted at number one on Billboard's album charts. It was the teen queen's first number one record and most successful selling debut ever which begs the question; how does a teenager who has released only two albums and one Christmas compilation release a "Best of" compilation?
Journalist Nekesa Mumbi Moody recently wrote a very insightful and intriguing article for the Associated Press detailing the over flooding of the market with "Best of" compilations from artists associated with only one hit or a string of minor hits.
In the article Moody writes about some of the more questionable greatest-hits collections that have popped up in recent years including Duff's "Most Wanted", Britney Spears' "Greatest Hits: My Prerogative," (a retrospective of Spears' six year recording career), "Toy Soldiers: The Best of Martika" (one hit wonder from the summer of 1989); "The Best of Mandy Moore," (known more as an actress than singer) and "The Best of O.D.B.," (the late troubled hip hop artist who spent time in prison during his short career but did release the solid album "N***a Please" in 1999).
"Used to be a time when a band put out a 'Greatest Hits/Best Of' compilation midway through their career," wrote IGN writer Spence D in his recent review of Duff's "Most Wanted".
"Times have changed, however, and the new wave of pop stars tend to crank out Greatest Hits/Best Of, live and remix albums at the drop of a hat," he added.
The shelf life of a teen pop star is very short so the tendency to over-saturate the market with countless recordings and merchandise is regarded as a way to fully capitalize on what is a viewed as a limited opportunity to make a profit.
"It's all about money as usual," said Canadian writer Marc Gervais. "Usually artists don't have much of a choice when it comes to their own greatest hits packages."
Hits compilations are usually released to fill a contract obligation or when an artist leaves their old record company. They are an easy way to make money without spending much on making a brand new record.
Classic rockers Aerosmith have had their share of hits compilations and live records but frontman Steven Tyler insisted that the record company was to blame not the band.
"Y'know, you sign a multimillion-dollar contract, and the label says you owe them four studio albums," said Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler in a 2002 interview with Maxim magazine.
"What they don't tell you is that they've also got Greatest Hits tucked in there, Greatest Greatest Hits, the Not-So-Greatest Hits, the Outtakes, Classics Live, and Live Classics. They just keep releasing whatever they want to as long as the band's relevant. Unfortunately for us, we've remained relevant. It's f**king insane," added Tyler.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the top selling hits albums in U.S history are: 1.) Eagles "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" (28 Million). 2.) Billy Joel "Hits Vol. I & II" (21 million). 3.) The Beatles "1967-1970" (16 Million). 4.) Elton John "Greatest Hits" (16 Million). 5.) The Beatles (1962-1966) (15 Million).
The Eagles Greatest Hits album overcame Michael Jackson's Thriller to become the top selling album in the U.S of all-time. It's very unlikely that compilations from mall queen Tiffany or early 90's rap act PM Dawn will appear on this list any time soon.
The longevity and viability of artists has changed over the years, as has the music industry as a whole. Other than a handful of contemporary artists nobody seems destined to release the next "Hot Rocks" (The Rolling Stones) or "Smash Hits" (The Jimi Hendrix Experience).
"I just bought Pearl Jam's hits record and that is a hell of a 'best of' CD," said Gervais who also just recently attended a Pearl Jam concert.
Unlike Duff's Most Wanted, Pearl Jam's Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991-2003 culled it's material from a large back catalogue of albums, soundtracks and non-album singles, many of which date back over a decade or so.
"It's soundtrack music to people's lives, not some flash in the pan some teeny bopper dances to in her room," Gervais said.
Gervais knows that teen pop stars will always have an audience but he takes solace in the fact many of them will have very short, forgettable careers.
"This years hot new hits compilation from the latest mini pop is next years bargain bin item," he said. "Like seriously, are people really going to remember Lindsay Lohan in fifty years?"
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