| Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | October 18, 2005 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 72:16 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Melissa Etheridge chronology | ||||
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Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records on October 18, 2005. It featured 17 tracks from her then-17-year career, five of which were newly recorded.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| ArtistDirect.com | (4.5/5)[ citation needed ] |
AllMusic rated the album 4+1⁄2 out of 5 stars, and stated "Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled is a comprehensive, entertaining, and ultimately redemptive collection from a woman who truly deserves it."
The album peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200. [1] With its release, Etheridge also released the single "Refugee", a cover of the Tom Petty song; it reached No. 96 on the Pop 100. Also released for radio was the new song "I Run for Life", written about her struggle with breast cancer. The song reached No. 80 on the Pop 100 and No. 10 on the Adult Contemporary charts.
The album was certified Gold in December 2005, for sales of over 500,000 copies. This was Etheridge's first Gold certification since Breakdown in 1999. [2]
All songs by Melissa Etheridge, except where noted
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [3] | 73 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [4] | 61 |
| US Billboard 200 [5] | 14 |
Singles – Billboard (United States) [6]
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Refugee" | Pop 100 | 96 |
| 2005 | "I Run for Life" | Pop 100 | 80 |
| 2005 | "I Run for Life" | Adult Contemporary | 10 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) [7] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 and its lead single, "Bring Me Some Water", garnered Etheridge her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female in 1989. Her second album, Brave and Crazy, appeared that same year and earned Etheridge two more Grammy nominations. In 1992, Etheridge released her third album, Never Enough, and its lead single, "Ain't It Heavy", won Etheridge her first Grammy Award.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released on November 16, 1993. It is Petty's best-selling album to date and was certified 12× Platinum by the RIAA on April 28, 2015. The single "Mary Jane's Last Dance" became one of Petty's most popular songs, reaching No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The other new song on the album is a cover of the Thunderclap Newman hit "Something in the Air". The album contains no songs from 1987's Let Me Up . However, three songs from Petty's 1989 solo album Full Moon Fever were included.
Brave and Crazy is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records on September 11, 1989. As of 2010, the album has sold 632,000 copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Never Enough is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records on March 17, 1992. As of 2010, the album has sold 997,000 copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Yes I Am is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records on September 21, 1993. The pivotal album that gave Etheridge national and international recognition, the rock ballad "Come to My Window" was the first single released from the album, which peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its video featured the actress Juliette Lewis having a nervous breakdown. This single was quickly followed by "I'm the Only One", which became a major hit in the US and reached No. 8 on the Hot 100, and "If I Wanted To", which reached No. 16. By 2010, the album had sold over 4,348,000 copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Your Little Secret is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records on November 14, 1995. It is her highest-charting album on the Billboard 200, where it peaked at No. 6. The album also contained three singles, "Your Little Secret", "I Want to Come Over", and "Nowhere to Go". "I Want to Come Over" went on to reach No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Nowhere to Go" peaked at No. 40.
"Come to My Window" is a song by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1993 as the second single from her fourth studio album, Yes I Am (1993). This was the first song to become a hit after Etheridge publicly announced that she was a lesbian. With the driving force of gay rights, the song gained substantial airplay on radio stations, mostly through call-in requests. The song debuted on the Billboard charts after the first week of its release, reaching number 25 on the chart, remaining on the Hot 100 for 44 weeks and being certified Gold. The song also charted in Canada, reaching number 13 on the RPM Top Singles chart. It was the second song from Etheridge that earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In 2019, Billboard included "Come to My Window" in its list of the "30 Lesbian Love Songs".
"Free Fallin'" is the opening track from American musician Tom Petty's debut solo album, Full Moon Fever (1989). The song was written by Petty and his writing partner for the album, Jeff Lynne, and features Lynne on backing vocals and bass guitar. The duo wrote and recorded the single in two days, making it the first song completed for Full Moon Fever.
"Piece of My Heart" is a romantic soul song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. Franklin's single peaked in December 1967 at number 10 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart in the United States.
"Refugee" is a song recorded by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in January 1980 as the second single from their album Damn the Torpedoes, and peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The song is in compound AABA form.
"I'm the Only One" is a song by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge from her fourth studio album, Yes I Am (1993). It was released as the first single in September 1993, reaching No. 12 in Canada and No. 26 in the Netherlands. In the United States, it was slow to gain momentum, but after the success of "Come to My Window", it was re-released, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in January 1995. It remains Etheridge's biggest hit on either chart and earned her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1995.
"Breakdown" is the first single from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' self-titled debut album. It became a Top 40 hit in the United States and Canada.
"No Souvenirs" is a song by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, release as the second single from her second album, Brave and Crazy, in August 1989. Despite peaking at number 95 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the song experienced more success internationally, reaching number 30 in Australia and number four in Canada, where it became Etheridge's highest-charting single until "I Want to Come Over" reached number one in 1996.
"Bring Me Some Water" is the debut single of American singer Melissa Etheridge. It was released in 1988 and became a hit in several countries, reaching the top 20 in Australia, New Zealand, and on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.
"Like the Way I Do" is a song by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released as the second US single from her first album, Melissa Etheridge (1988). In the United Kingdom, "Don't You Need" was released as the second single.
"Angels Would Fall" is a song by American musician Melissa Etheridge, released as the first single from her sixth album, Breakdown (1999), on August 31, 1999.
This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge. She has released 16 studio albums, 43 singles and 38 music videos on Island Records, Universal Music Group, ME Records, and BMG. Over the course of her career, she has amassed five Platinum albums, three of which are multi-platinum, and two Gold albums. She also has 11 Billboard Hot 100 charting singles, with six of them hitting the Top 40, and 11 Billboard Adult Contemporary charting singles, all peaking in the Top 40. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, she has sold 13 million certified albums in the United States.
Fearless Love is the 11th studio album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records and Def Jam Music Group on April 27, 2010. Etheridge stated in an interview the album is "about being fearless. It's about choosing love over fear. It's a way, a philosophy of living life that suits me well." The album was recorded at the Document Room in Malibu, and Hensons Studios in Hollywood, CA. It features twelve tracks on the standard release and two bonus tracks on the deluxe edition.
"Walls (Circus)" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Tom Petty and recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in July 1996 as the first single from their soundtrack album Songs and Music from "She's the One". The song features Lindsey Buckingham on background vocals and was recorded at Sound City Studios by engineer Sylvia Massy. The song peaked at number 69 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. An alternate arrangement of the song, played at a faster tempo, was included on the soundtrack under the title "Walls (No. 3)". The song was later covered by Glen Campbell on his 2008 album Meet Glen Campbell and by the Lumineers on the first anniversary of Petty's death.
The Best of Everything is a 2019 greatest hits album with recordings made by Tom Petty, with his backing band The Heartbreakers, as a solo artist, and with Mudcrutch. It was released on March 1.
