"Greatest Hits, Volume II" is the second compilation album by the American rock band Chicago, released on November 23, 1981, by Columbia Records.
Following the underwhelming reception of 1980's Chicago XIV, Columbia Records dropped the band from its roster and canceled a lucrative contract that had recently been signed. As Chicago was in the process of reinventing itself with the help of producer David Foster, the label still had contractual obligations for a new release. Consequently, Columbia requested a sequel to the band's highly successful Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits (1975), which had cemented the band's place in popular music.
Greatest Hits, Volume II was released in November 1981, featuring minimalistic album artwork—primarily a collage of photos taken around the city of Chicago. The album lacked liner notes and was the only Chicago album not to feature the band's iconic logo, which had appeared on nearly every previous album cover. Instead, a small version of the logo from the band's second album was placed at the center of the photo collage.
The compilation primarily included tracks from Chicago VIII through Hot Streets (1978), marking the period when the band was still producing hits. However, by the late '70s, their hit-making streak had slowed down. The album also featured a few lesser-known tracks from the earlier part of their career, extending back to the era covered by Chicago IX.
Greatest Hits, Volume II was released just before the band's unexpected career revival with Chicago 16 in 1982. Despite its release, the album reached only #171 on the U.S. charts, reflecting the band's commercial struggles at the time. Additionally, the album included the song "Dialogue Part I & II," but notably, it featured only the Part II outro, leaving out Part I.
Like the first volume, Greatest Hits, Volume II was eventually superseded by The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning in 2002. Unlike its predecessor, however, Volume II has gone out of print.
