"Greatest Hits" is a compilation album by American rock band the Foo Fighters, released on November 3, 2009. This album features a selection of the band's hit singles across their career, including tracks from their debut album and subsequent releases. The album includes hits from several key albums: from Foo Fighters (1995), "This Is a Call" and "Big Me"; from The Colour and the Shape (1997), "Monkey Wrench," "Everlong," and "My Hero"; from There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999), "Learn to Fly" and "Breakout"; from One by One (2002), "All My Life" and "Times Like These"; from In Your Honor (2005), "Best of You," which remains the band's highest-charting single in multiple countries; and from Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007), "The Pretender" and "Long Road to Ruin." The album also features two new songs: "Wheels," which was released as the first single on September 29, 2009, and "Word Forward," the latter of which was written in memory of Dave Grohl's friend, Jimmy. Both new tracks were recorded during the Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace tour with producer Butch Vig. A deluxe edition of the album includes a book and a DVD featuring music videos and live performances. Despite the album's success, Dave Grohl expressed his dissatisfaction with its release, stating he would have preferred to wait until after the band had disbanded. The band's label had wanted a greatest hits compilation for several years and invoked a contractual clause to produce it. Grohl felt the album didn't capture some of the band's best work, describing it as "like a CliffsNotes version" of their music. In the album's liner notes, he clarified that the collection reflects songs that have defined the band's identity, rather than their absolute best tracks. Overall, Greatest Hits serves as a retrospective of the Foo Fighters' significant impact on rock music while also showcasing their evolution over the years.
