"Greatest Hits" is the eleventh official album release by Elton John, serving as his first compilation album. Released in November 1974, it spans the years 1970 to 1974, featuring ten of John's singles. The album varies slightly between its North American and European/Australian releases.
Upon its release, "Greatest Hits" achieved immense commercial success, topping the album charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It maintained the number one position for ten consecutive weeks in the US and eleven weeks in the UK. In Canada, it held the number one spot for 13 weeks, only briefly displaced by Jim Croce's "Photographs & Memories".
In the US, "Greatest Hits" was the best-selling album of 1975 and is Elton John's second best-selling album to date, achieving RIAA diamond certification for sales exceeding 10 million copies. As of April 2016, it has been certified for 17 million units in the US alone. Worldwide, the album has sold over 24 million copies, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Although all tracks from "Greatest Hits" are available for download, the album itself is currently out of print. It has been succeeded by several other greatest hits compilations over the years, including "The Very Best of Elton John" (1990), "Greatest Hits 1970–2002" (2002), "Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits" (2007), and "Diamonds" (2017).
