Greatest Hits (Guns N' Roses album)

Updated on Jan 05, 2024

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Released March 23, 2004 Length 79:18 Release date 23 March 2004 Label Geffen Records		Recorded 1987–1994 Artist Guns N' Roses Producer Mike Clink Genres Hard rock, Heavy metal

Similar Guns N' Roses albums, Hard rock albums

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on March 23, 2004. Released by Geffen Records in part because of the delay in the making of Chinese Democracy, the album was subject to lawsuits by band member Axl Rose and former band members, in an attempt to block its release due to its track listing.

Despite the album having almost no promotion, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and number three on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release. Greatest Hits re-entered the Billboard 200 at number three in March 2012, selling about 85,000 copies as part of a promotion by both Amazon MP3 and Google Play that saw the album sold for 25 cents for one day. The album has proven a popular seller, selling over 5.2 million copies in the United States, as of 2012.

Notes

"Ain't It Fun" was censored for the compilation: "Ain't it fun when you tell her she's just a cunt" became "Ain't it fun when you tell her she's just a–", with guitar notes at 3:36 instead of the final word in the line. This version had never been officially released before, but had been broadcast by most radio stations when it was released as a single in 1993. Nonetheless, other profanity on the compilation remains unedited [the word "bitch" remains on "You Could Be Mine" (with your bitchslap rappin' and your cocaine tongue/you get nothin' done), and "fuck" remains on "Since I Don't Have You" (yeah, we're fucked, right before the guitar solo)].

Notably, the songwriting credits for the tracks from the Use Your Illusion albums have been changed to credit the entire band, while the original track listings credited individual band members. For instance, "November Rain" was originally credited as an Axl Rose solo composition. On this compilation, the song is credited to the entire band (Rose, Slash, McKagan, Stradlin).

Reception and lawsuit

Although the album received mainly positive reviews and sold well, fans criticized the track listing, citing lack of some popular songs and too many covers, as reason for complaint. Axl Rose immediately tried to block the release by suing Geffen, saying it would ruin his focus on Chinese Democracy and if he were to get the album finished and released sooner, the Greatest Hits album would be selling more, leaving the album unnoticed. Former bandmates Slash and Duff McKagan helped Rose file the lawsuit against Geffen, although they did not speak to each other in person. This failed and the album was released under Geffen Records' rights.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

W. Axl Rose – lead vocals, percussion on "Welcome to the Jungle", whistling on "Patience" and "Civil War", synthesizer and whistle on "Paradise City", piano on "November Rain"

Slash – lead guitar, acoustic guitar on "Civil War" and "Sweet Child O' Mine", lead acoustic guitar on "Patience"

Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar (on tracks 1-2, 4-11), rhythm acoustic guitar on "Patience", backing vocals on tracks 1–11

Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals, rhythm acoustic guitar on "Patience"

Steven Adler – drums (on tracks 1-2, 4, and 6), backing vocals on "Patience"

Matt Sorum – drums & backing vocals on tracks 5, 7–14

Dizzy Reed – keyboards & piano on tracks 5–14, organ

Gilby Clarke – rhythm guitar & backing vocals on tracks 12-13

Paul Tobias – rhythm guitar on "Sympathy for the Devil"

Michael Monroe – co-lead vocals on "Ain't it Fun"

Mike Staggs – additional guitars on "Ain't it Fun"

Songs

1Welcome to the Jungle4:34
2Sweet Child O' Mine5:56
3Patience5:56

References

Greatest Hits (Guns N' Roses album) Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents

Notes

Reception and lawsuit

Personnel

Songs

References