Greatest Hits (The Cure album)

Greatest Hits is a 2001 compilation album by The Cure. 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. 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.

Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by The Cure
Released	13 November 2001
Recorded	1979–2001
Genre	Post-punk gothic rock new wave
Length	68:08 69:26 (bonus disc)
Label	Fiction (UK) Elektra (US)
The Cure chronology
Bloodflowers (2000) Greatest Hits (2001) Join the Dots (2004)
Singles from The Cure: Greatest Hits
"Cut Here" Released: 18 March 2001 "Just Say Yes" Released: 18 April 2001

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Alternative Press	[2]
musicOMH	(average)[3]
Q	[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]

History

Greatest Hits features select singles from their then-25 year history, along with the two new tracks "Cut Here" and "Just Say Yes".[5] All songs were newly remastered specifically for the collection.

The UK and International editions of the record feature a similar tracklist, 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 favor of "The Caterpillar" and "Pictures of You".

In an effort to provide something new for the hardcore fans who owned the previously released songs, Robert 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,[6] which was given its own standalone release on standard black vinyl. On the 5th of July 2019,the album reached a new peak of 19 in the UK album chart following their headline set at Glastonbury Festival.

Track listing

UK (Fiction/Polydor) release

1. "Boys Don't Cry" Single release only
2. "A Forest" (Shortened Edit)[7] from Seventeen Seconds
3. "Let's Go to Bed" Single release only
4. "The Lovecats" Single release only
5. "The Caterpillar" from The Top
6. "In Between Days" from The Head on the Door
7. "Close to Me" (Single Mix)[7] from The Head on the Door
8. "Why Can't I Be You?" from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
9. "Just Like Heaven" (Single Mix) from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
10. "Lullaby" (Single Mix) from Disintegration
11. "Lovesong" from Disintegration
12. "Pictures of You" (Single Mix)[7] from Disintegration
13. "Never Enough" (Single Version)[7] from Mixed Up
14. "High" from Wish
15. "Friday I'm in Love" from Wish
16. "Mint Car" from Wild Mood Swings
17. "Wrong Number" (Single Mix)[7] from Galore
18. "Cut Here" Previously unreleased
19. "Just Say Yes" Previously unreleased

International (Fiction/Polydor and Elektra) release

1. "Boys Don't Cry"
2. "A Forest" (Shortened Edit)[7]
3. "Let's Go to Bed"
4. "The Walk"
5. "The Lovecats"
6. "In Between Days"
7. "Close to Me"
8. "Why Can't I Be You?"
9. "Just Like Heaven"
10. "Lullaby" (Single Mix)[7]
11. "Lovesong"
12. "Never Enough" (Single Version)[7]
13. "High"
14. "Friday I'm in Love"
15. "Mint Car"
16. "Wrong Number" (Single Mix)[7]
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 Lovecats"
6. "Inbetween 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[6]

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

Disc 1, Side B[6]

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

Disc 2, Side A[6]

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

Disc 2, Side B[6]

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

Personnel

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

• Robert Smith – vocals, guitar (all the tracks)
• Porl Thompson - guitar (track 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14)
• Michael Dempsey - bass guitar (track 1)
• Simon Gallup – bass guitar (all except track 1, 3, 4 and 5)
• Perry Bamonte – guitar (track 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18)
• Matthieu Hartley - keyboards (track 2)
• Roger O'Donnell – keyboards (track 10, 11, 15, 16, 17 and 18)
• Lol Tolhurst - drums (track 1 and 2), keyboards (track 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10), vibraphone (track 5)
• Steve Goulding - drums (track 3)
• Jason Cooper – drums, percussion (track 15, 16, 17 and 18)
• Boris Williams – drums (track 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14)

Charts

Chart (2001–17)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8]	27
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[9]	34
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10]	5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[11]	8
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[12]	38
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13]	22
Irish Albums (IRMA)[14]	11
Italian Albums (FIMI)[15]	30
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[16]	17
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[17]	24
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[18]	33
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[19]	70
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[20]	48
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[21]	24
UK Albums (OCC)[22]	33
US Billboard 200[23]	58

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[24]	2× Platinum	140,000^^
Belgium (BEA)[25]	Gold	25,000^*
France (SNEP)[26]	Gold	155,900[27]
Italy (FIMI)[28]	Gold	25,000^*
United Kingdom (BPI)[29]	2× Platinum	600,000^^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[30]	Platinum	1,000,000^*
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Wilson, MacKensie. "Greatest Hits - The Cure". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
2. "Cure - Greatest Hits CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
3. Hubbard, Michael (12 November 2001). "The Cure - Greatest Hits". musicOMH. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
4. "The Cure: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
5. Jeff Apter Never Enough: The Story of The Cure- 2009 "Despite the guiding hand of Robert Smith, the differences between The Cure Greatest Hits, which appeared in 2003, and ... Greatest Hits featured 'Just Say Yes', a good-natured vocal trade-off between Smith and Republica shouter Saffron, ..."
6. "RSD '17 Special Release: The Cure - Greatest Hits". recordstoreday.com. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
7. Amazon.com: Greatest Hits: Deluxe Sound & Vision: Music: The Cure
8. "Australiancharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
9. "Austriancharts.at – The Cure – Greatest Hits" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
10. "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Greatest Hits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
11. "Ultratop.be – The Cure – Greatest Hits" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
12. "Danishcharts.dk – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
13. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Cure – Greatest Hits" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
14. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 46, 2001". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
15. "Italiancharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
16. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 1 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
17. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
18. "Portuguesecharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
19. "Spanishcharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
20. "Swedishcharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
21. "Swisscharts.com – The Cure – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
22. "Cure | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
23. "The Cure Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
24. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
25. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
26. "French album certifications – The Cure – Greatest Hits" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
27. http://www.infodisc.fr/Ventes_Albums_Tout_Temps.php?debut=2946
28. "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. Select "Greatest Hits" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
29. "British album certifications – The Cure – Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Greatest Hits in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
30. "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2008". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 October 2012.