Queen - Greatest Hits [Gatefold, 180g] (2LP) [2016] Vinyl

Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by the British rock band Queen, released worldwide on 26 October 1981. It gathers the band's singles from their first chart appearance in 1974 with "Seven Seas of Rhye" through to "Flash" in 1980, and it remains the best-selling album of all time in the United Kingdom.

The Album

There was no universal track listing or cover art for Greatest Hits: each territory's tracks depended on which singles had been released there and how well they had charted. The UK edition was limited to the Queen singles that had reached the top 20 of the UK singles chart up to that point, plus "We Will Rock You", which had been the B-side of "We Are the Champions". Of the seventeen songs on that UK edition, Freddie Mercury wrote ten, Brian May five and John Deacon two. The cover photograph was taken by Lord Snowdon at his home studio using only natural light.

The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and climbed to number one the following week, spending four weeks at the top. It continued to sell throughout the decade to become the fourth-biggest selling album in the UK of the 1980s, passed five million UK copies by 2006, six million in February 2014 and seven million in July 2022. As of August 2026 it has spent 1,218 weeks on the UK Albums Chart and is certified 26 times platinum. Worldwide sales exceed 25 million copies, placing it among the best-selling albums of all time.

This Pressing

This is the Virgin EMI Records reissue released on 17 November 2016, pressed on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl across two LPs. The Bob Ludwig remaster, originally cut at Gateway Mastering, was lacquer cut at half speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. The records are pressed by Optimal Media and housed in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves of top opening card with curved corners and a wide die cut thumb section. Sleeve notes are by Jim Jenkins. A voucher to download an MP3 version of the album is included.

Tracklist

Side One

1. Bohemian Rhapsody (5:54)
2. Another One Bites The Dust (3:36)
3. Killer Queen (2:59)
4. Fat Bottomed Girls (3:21)

Side Two

1. Bicycle Race (3:02)
2. You're My Best Friend (2:51)
3. Don't Stop Me Now (3:29)
4. Save Me (3:48)

Side Three

1. Crazy Little Thing Called Love (2:43)
2. Somebody To Love (4:55)
3. Now I'm Here (4:13)
4. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (2:54)

Side Four

1. Play The Game (3:31)
2. Flash (2:47)
3. Seven Seas Of Rhye (2:48)
4. We Will Rock You (2:01)
5. We Are The Champions (2:59)