Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by
James Taylor
ReleasedNovember 1976
RecordedDecember 1969 (1969-12) – October 1976 (1976-10)
Genre
Length43:42
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
James Taylor chronology
In the Pocket
(1976)		 Greatest Hits
(1976)		 JT
(1977)

Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, released in November 1976 by Warner Bros. Records. It remains Taylor's best-selling album, with over 11 million units being sold in the United States, making it among the best-selling albums of the 1970's.[2][3]

The album took place in the context of Taylor's end of his recording contract with Warner Records. It features redone versions of "Carolina in My Mind" and "Something in the Way She Moves", both of which had been previously included on Taylor's self-titled debut album in 1968. It also includes a previously unavailable live version of "Steamroller".[1]

The album did not rise higher than number 23 on the Billboard albums chart on its original release. However it became a steady seller for many years, and Greatest Hits has sold over 11,000,000 copies certifying it as an 11x Platinum album

In August 2012, the album re-entered the Billboard 200 albums chart, at number 15, which gave the album a new peak.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideC[4]
MusicHound Rock3.5/5[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

Music critic William Ruhlmann gave the album a positive review, writing for AllMusic that it constitutes a "reasonable collection for an artist who wasn't particularly well-defined by his singles". While cautioning that the release did not quite show the "evolution" of Taylor's songwriting, he stated that it remains "a good sampler" of the artist's early work.[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by James Taylor, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Something in the Way She Moves" (1976 re-recording)original version from James Taylor, 19693:13
2."Carolina in My Mind" (1976 re-recording)original version from James Taylor4:00
3."Fire and Rain"Sweet Baby James, 19703:26
4."Sweet Baby James"Sweet Baby James2:55
5."Country Road"Sweet Baby James3:26
6."You've Got a Friend" (Carole King)Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, 19714:33
Total length:21:33
Side two
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"One Man Dog, 19722:39
2."Walking Man"Walking Man, 19743:36
3."How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" (Holland-Dozier-Holland)Gorilla, 19753:39
4."Mexico"Gorilla3:01
5."Shower the People"In the Pocket, 19764:01
6."Steamroller" (live)original version from Sweet Baby James5:19
Total length:22:15

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Greatest Hits
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[11] 3× Platinum 210,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[12] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[13] Platinum 300,000*
United States (RIAA)[14] 11× Platinum 11,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 https://www.allmusic.com/album/r19702
  2. ↑ "JAMES TAYLOR album sales".
  3. ↑ "Best-selling albums of 1970's".
  4. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 15, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  5. ↑ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 1124. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  6. ↑ "James Taylor: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  7. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 305. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ↑ "James Taylor Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  9. ↑ "James Taylor Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  11. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  12. ↑ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 953. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  13. ↑ "British album certifications – James Taylor – Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  14. ↑ "American album certifications – James Taylor – Greatest Hits". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
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