Greatest Hits (James Taylor album)

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Greatest Hits
James Taylor - Greatest Hits.jpg
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 compilation album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor. Released in November 1976. To this day, it is the best-selling album of his career.

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 #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 a Platinum album eleven times over, and a diamond album once (for 10 million copies).

In August 2012, the album re-entered the Billboard albums chart[why?] at #15, which gave the album a new peak.

Reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4.5/5 stars[1]
Christgau's Record GuideC[2]
MusicHound Rock3.5/5[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide4.5/5 stars[4]

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 didn't 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 songs were written by James Taylor except where noted.

Side 1
  1. "Something in the Way She Moves" (1976 Version) – 3:14
  2. "Carolina in My Mind" (1976 Version) – 4:00
  3. "Fire and Rain" – 3:26
  4. "Sweet Baby James" – 2:55
  5. "Country Road" – 3:26
  6. "You've Got a Friend" (Carole King) – 4:33
Side 2
  1. "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" – 2:39
  2. "Walking Man" – 3:36
  3. "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 3:39
  4. "Mexico" – 3:01
  5. "Shower the People" – 4:01
  6. "Steamroller" (Live) – 5:19

Personnel[]

Charts[]

Sales and certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[9] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[10] Platinum 300,000*
United States (RIAA)[11] 11× Platinum 11,000,000^

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

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d https://www.allmusic.com/album/r19702
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "James Taylor: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "James Taylor Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  7. ^ "James Taylor Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  8. ^ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  9. ^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 953. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  10. ^ "British album certifications – James Taylor – Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  11. ^ "American album certifications – James Taylor – Greatest Hits". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
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