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Greatest Hits

by Queen

Released: October 26, 1981

Rock

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Breakthrough.

The Album

"Greatest Hits" is a compilation album by the British rock band Queen, released on October 26, 1981. In subsequent years, various versions and companion albums, such as Classic Queen and Greatest Hits II, were released, each with different track listings. The cover art generated controversy for its similarity to another band's EP cover, leading to legal disputes.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

Additionally, the album was released alongside a video…

Additionally, the album was released alongside a video compilation titled Greatest Flix and a photo book called Greatest Pix.

Watch and listen

Explore the Album

Queen - Greatest Hits

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Then

Reception

It features the band's biggest hits from their first chart appearance in 1974 with "Seven Seas of Rhye" up to their 1980 hit "Flash." The album's track listing varied by territory, depending on which singles were released and successful in each region. The album topped the UK Albums Chart for four weeks and has spent over 1,100 weeks on the chart, certified 23× platinum in the UK. In the US, it peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 and has been certified 9× platinum.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"Greatest Hits" is a compilation album by the British rock band Queen, released on October 26, 1981. It features the band's biggest hits from their first chart appearance in 1974 with "Seven Seas of Rhye" up to their 1980 hit "Flash." The album's track listing varied by territory, depending on which singles were released and successful in each region. It became Queen's best-selling album, with over 25 million copies sold, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. The album topped the UK Albums Chart for four weeks and has spent over 1,100 weeks on the chart, certified 23× platinum in the UK. In the US, it peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 and has been certified 9× platinum.

The cover art generated controversy for its similarity to another band's EP cover, leading to legal disputes. Additionally, the album was released alongside a video compilation titled Greatest Flix and a photo book called Greatest Pix. In subsequent years, various versions and companion albums, such as Classic Queen and Greatest Hits II, were released, each with different track listings.