Whitesnake's Greatest Hits is the universally first greatest hits album by the band Whitesnake,first released on 4 July in Europe and 19 July in the North America,by EMI Records and Geffen Records. The compilation features the group's well-known hits from a various amount of countries,predominately the success of their singles in North America,containing nine singles and two tracks from their previous recorded albums—Slide It In (1984),Whitesnake (also known as 1987),and Slip of the Tongue (1989)—as well as three tracks that were either previously unavailable in the United States or were released as B-sides.
Upon release,Whitesnake's Greatest Hits received positive reviews from music critics. It reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). However,it did not sold well in the United States,where it reached number 161 on the US Billboard 200 chart,but was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After the conclusion of the band's Greatest Hits tour,they were dropped by Geffen,and Whitesnake did not release another album in North America until 2008. The compilation was reissued in 2022 in its remixed form featuring a different track listing.
Background
In 1990,lead singer David Coverdale put the group on a hiatus after the Slip of the Tongue tour and withdrew from the public eye to reflect on his career. Three years later,he resurfaced by forming a collaboration with Jimmy Page. The album Coverdale–Page was released in March 1993,opening at number five in the US and number four in the UK. They played six concerts in Japan. The duo ended up selling more than one million copies worldwide.[6]
During rehearsals for the Coverdale—Page tour,Coverdale was informed by Geffen Records,the group's North American label at the time,were planning to release a greatest hits compilation,titled Whitesnake's Greatest Hits. The project initially featured recent songs that were successful in North America. Coverdale questioned the way the songs were going to be arranged. Meanwhile,the band's European label,EMI Records also planned to get hold of the upcoming title from Geffen and issue the compilation. Coverdale then envisioned a greatest hits album that would be conceived as two volumes,known as 'Volume I' and 'Volume II'—the first highlighting early blues rock,and the second containing hard rock and glam metal sound that brought them to a worldwide success,which Geffen had already assembled. The idea was done "so people would have the choice," Coverdale explained,given that Whitesnake had various successes in different regions. EMI had agreed to assemble his request but the original recordings that were meant for the 'Volume I' set could not be located at that time. He then wanted to do a set that contained Whitesnake's most successful albums ranging from 1984 to 1990,saying that he "wanted some good old Rock 'n' Roll bollocks at the bottom."[7]
Release and promotion
To promote Whitesnake's Greatest Hits,EMI planned a "heavily advertised" campaign and promotion starting off with other countries "one area at a time",involving local TV advertising,radio adverts,in-store window displays,and nationwide street poster campaign,followed by multiple publications,including Daily Mail and Daily Mirror. The goal was to keep the albums sales consistent throughout the summer,followed by "a one-week cool down period between each burst of activity."[8] The compilation was released on 4 July 1994 and received a positive response from the public. Rod MacSween from EMI convinced Coverdale to tour as Whitesnake. Although reluctant,Coverdale agreed and decided to reform the group.[6]
Commercial performance
In the band's main country,Whitesnake's Greatest Hits debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart on 16 July 1994.[9] This was the group's second highest charting position since their 1981 Come an' Get It album last peaked at number two. It went on to spend 12 weeks inside the chart[10] and received a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[11] The album debuted at the top spot for two weeks on the Rock &Metal Albums chart.[12][13][14] According to Coverdale,the album had already reached over 100,000 copies in the UK within two days after its release.[6]
Whitesnake's Greatest Hits also was successful in multiple countries. In Japan,the album peaked at number 27 and charted for six weeks.[15] Five years later,the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) certified it gold for shipment of 100,000 copies.[16] Across Europe,the album charted within the top twenty in multiple countries such as Portugal,[17] Sweden,[18] and Switzerland,[19] while peaking at number 13 on the pancontinental European Top 100 Albums chart.[17] In Finland,the album peaked at number six[20] and was certified gold for shipments of 21,755 copies.[21]
In Germany,Whitesnake's Greatest Hits reached number 51 on that chart and charted for 8 weeks. Despite having a successful cult following in that country,where all of the group's studio albums since Come an' Get It peaked inside the Top 30,the compilation failed to match its previous efforts.[22] In Australia,it peaked at number 34 and spent four weeks in that chart.[23] Nearly twelve years later,the album only peaked at number 95 in Spain.[24] In the United States,the compilation was a commercial failure on the US Billboard 200 chart,where it only peaked at number 161 and stayed for two weeks inside the chart. On 7 November 1995,the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it gold for sales of 500,000 units,and was eventually certified platinum for one million on 28 September 1998.[25]
The single "Is This Love" was reissued to promote Whitesnake's Greatest Hits,and featured the song "Sweet Lady Luck" (a B-side from the previous album Slip of the Tongue). This version reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.[10]
Reissue
On 6 May 2022,vocalist David Coverdale and RHINO Entertainment released the new remix for the Greatest Hits album (under the alias,Greatest Hits:Revisited,Remixed,Remastered),remixed by Chris Collier. It featured three new tracks in the tracklist:"Give Me All Your Love","Guilty of Love",and the band's 2011 album title track,"Forevermore",with the only track "Looking for Love" removed from the remixed version.[26]
The reissue charted on sub-genres of the UK Albums Chart,peaking at number 37 on the UK Rock &Metal Albums Chart running for a consecutive seven weeks,number 39 on Physical Albums,number 47 on Album Sales,number 98 on Album Downloads,and number 33 on the Scottish Albums chart.[27]
12Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1sted.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p.166. ISBN978-951-1-21053-5.
↑"Ratt Man for the 'Snake?!". Kerrang!. No.495. London, England: United Newspapers. 21 May 1994.
↑Bridenthal, Bryn; Hamm, Roy (1994). "Whitesnake - You can't keep the 'Snake down" (Press release). Los Angeles, California, United States: Geffen Records.
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