| Hits to the Head | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | 11 March 2022 | |||
| Recorded | June 2003 – 2021 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 69:20 | |||
| Label | Domino | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Franz Ferdinand chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100 [1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Clash | 9/10 [3] |
| PopMatters | 6/10 [4] |
| Under the Radar | 7/10 [5] |
Hits to the Head is a greatest hits album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, released on 11 March 2022 through the Domino Recording Company.
The album was announced on 2 November 2021, coinciding with the release of the single "Billy Goodbye". [6]
Of the decision to release a greatest hits album, lead singer Alex Kapranos compared the selection process of tracks for it to "writing a set-list for a festival", while further adding: "I have friends who believe you're somehow not a "real" fan if you own a best of rather than a discography. I disagree. I think of my parents' record collection as a kid. I loved their compilation LPs. I am so grateful that they had Changes or Rolled Gold . Those LPs were my entrance point. My introduction." [7]
The album includes the band's singles with the exception of the album track "Outsiders". The versions available on the compilation are for the most part single versions and edits, except two exclusive edits, "Walk Away" and "The Fallen", and "Glimpse of Love" which is presented with the album version.
On vinyl issues of the album, each side presents an "Era" of the band. The first side (Tracks 1-5) covers their debut album, second side (6-10) covers their sophomore album, etc. [8]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Darts of Pleasure" ( Franz Ferdinand , 2004) | Tore Johansson | 3:00 | |
| 2. | "Take Me Out" (Franz Ferdinand, 2004) |
| Johansson | 3:59 |
| 3. | "The Dark of the Matinée" (Franz Ferdinand, 2004) |
| Johansson | 4:05 |
| 4. | "Michael" (Franz Ferdinand, 2004) |
| Johansson | 3:23 |
| 5. | "This Fire" (single version; original album version from Franz Ferdinand, 2004) |
| Rich Costey | 3:34 |
| 6. | "Do You Want To" ( You Could Have It So Much Better , 2005) |
|
| 3:36 |
| 7. | "Walk Away" (HTTH edit; You Could Have It So Much Better, 2005) |
|
| 3:28 |
| 8. | "The Fallen" (HTTH edit; You Could Have It So Much Better, 2005) |
|
| 2:57 |
| 9. | "Outsiders" (You Could Have It So Much Better, 2005) |
|
| 3:37 |
| 10. | "Lucid Dreams" (non-album single; 2008) |
|
| 3:44 |
| 11. | "Ulysses" ( Tonight: Franz Ferdinand , 2009) |
|
| 3:10 |
| 12. | "No You Girls" (Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, 2009) |
|
| 3:22 |
| 13. | "Right Action" ( Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action , 2013) |
| 2:56 | |
| 14. | "Evil Eye" (Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, 2013) |
|
| 2:46 |
| 15. | "Love Illumination" (Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, 2013) |
| Kapranos | 3:45 |
| 16. | "Stand on the Horizon" (Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, 2013) |
|
| 4:25 |
| 17. | "Always Ascending" ( Always Ascending , 2018) |
| Philippe Zdar | 3:50 |
| 18. | "Glimpse of Love" (Always Ascending, 2018) |
| Zdar | 3:13 |
| 19. | "Curious" (newly recorded) | Kapranos |
| 2:49 |
| 20. | "Billy Goodbye" (newly recorded) | Kapranos |
| 3:41 |
| Total length: | 69:20 | |||
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [9] | 78 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [10] | 15 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [11] | 22 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [12] | 5 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [13] | 31 |
| French Albums (SNEP) [14] | 55 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [15] | 9 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) [16] | 45 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) [17] | 10 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [18] | 4 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [19] | 16 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [20] | 15 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [21] | 7 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [22] | 42 |
Franz Ferdinand is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, first released on 9 February 2004 through the Domino Recording Company. It was recorded during 2003 at Gula Studios in Malmö, Sweden, with Tore Johansson, who produced the majority of the album, with two tracks produced by the band themselves. It entered the United Kingdom album charts at number three in February 2004 and contains the UK top ten singles "Take Me Out" and "The Dark of the Matinée" as well as UK top 20 hit "Michael".
1967–1970, also known as the Blue Album, is a compilation album of songs by the English rock band the Beatles, spanning the years indicated in the title. A double LP, it was released with 1962–1966 in April 1973. 1967–1970 topped the Billboard albums chart in the United States and peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. It was re-released in September 1993 on CD, charting at number 4 in the United Kingdom.
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1992.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the British rock band Queen, released worldwide on 26 October 1981. The album consisted of Queen's biggest hits since their first chart appearance in 1974 with "Seven Seas of Rhye", up to their 1980 hit "Flash". There was no universal track listing or cover art for the album, and each territory's tracks were dependent on what singles had been released there and which were successful. In 1992, the US version of the album Classic Queen was released following the band's rekindled popularity in the nation.
Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album by Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain, released on November 8, 2004, by Mercury Nashville. The album contains seventeen of Twain's top ten hits, including all of her seven number one hits on the Hot Country Songs. Excluded from the track list is Twain's self-titled debut album, of which no songs were included. Some songs are included in their pop versions such as "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!".
Greatest Hits is the second greatest hits album and second compilation album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on Nov. 18, 2003, by Warner Bros. Records. Aside from their cover of "Higher Ground", all songs on the album are from the band's tenure on Warner Bros. Records from 1991 to 2002, in addition to two newly recorded songs.
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 21 November 1988 by Warner Bros. Records. It covers the period of the band's greatest commercial success, from the mid-1970s to the late-1980s.
You Could Have It So Much Better is the second studio album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It was first released on 28 September 2005 in Japan, and later on 3 October in the UK, through the Domino Recording Company. Recorded in both New York City and their own studio in Glasgow with producer Rich Costey, the album spawned four UK top 30 singles: "Do You Want To", "The Fallen", "Walk Away" and "Eleanor Put Your Boots On."
Greatest Hits is a hits compilation released by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams on 18 October 2004. The album includes two new songs, "Radio" and "Misunderstood", which were both released as singles. The album is his seventh overall release in the United Kingdom.
Elton John One Night Only – The Greatest Hits is a live album released by English musician Elton John in 2000. The album was recorded on 20 and 21 October 2000 at Madison Square Garden during his Medusa Tour. An extended version was also released as a DVD, entitled One Night Only: The Greatest Hits Live at Madison Square Garden. While the album is called One Night Only, it was in fact recorded over two nights. Due to technical issues on the first night, most of the recordings were drawn from the second show. In the US, it was certified gold in July 2001 by the RIAA.
The discography of Franz Ferdinand, a Scottish indie rock band, consists of six studio albums, one remix album, two compilation albums, two live albums, one video album, six extended plays, 29 singles, four promotional singles and 33 music videos.
The discography of Eternal, a British female R&B and pop group, consists of four studio albums, five compilation albums, one remix album, two video albums and twenty-two singles on EMI Records. Eternal has sold over 10 million albums, with Always & Forever (15), Power of a Woman (25) and Before the Rain (35) ranked in the UK Official Charts Company's Top 40 biggest girl band studio albums of the last 25 years.
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, released on 26 January 2009 through the Domino Recording Company. In contrast to their speedily-recorded second studio album, You Could Have It So Much Better (2005), the band chose to take some time off before recording a new album. Writing sessions began in early 2007 and recording took place in 2008 at the town hall of Govan, Scotland, and producer Dan Carey's studio in South London.
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album released by American rock band the Foo Fighters on November 3, 2009.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released by Island Records on October 29, 2010.
Greatest Hits... So Far!!! is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Pink. It was released on November 12, 2010, by Jive Records, in celebration of Pink's first decade on the music scene. The album features Pink's biggest hits from all her studio albums. Its track list differs depending on region, with four new tracks, only two of which are included in the North American edition.
Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action is the fourth studio album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It was released through the Domino Recording Company on 26 August 2013 in the United Kingdom and on 27 August in the United States. It was the band's first studio album since Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, which was released four years earlier. It is also the band's final album to feature guitarist Nick McCarthy.
FFS was a supergroup formed by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand and American art rock band Sparks. Their formation was announced on 9 March 2015, but the two bands had been recording since at least the mid-2000s. The group's eponymous debut studio album was recorded in late 2014 and released through the Domino Recording Company in the UK on 8 June and in the US on 9 June 2015.
FFS is the only studio album by Scottish-American supergroup FFS, consisting of members from the Scottish band Franz Ferdinand and the American band Sparks. It was released on 8 June 2015 through Domino. The album was recorded during a 15-day period in late 2014 at RAK Studios in London and was produced by Grammy Award-winning record producer John Congleton. Although the album itself was recorded in 2014, the two bands first met each other in mid-2000s. Upon release, the album received positive reviews from music critics.
Always Ascending is the fifth studio album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It was released on 9 February 2018 through the Domino Recording Company. It is the band's first non-collaborative album in over four years, following Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action (2013). It is also their first album to feature new member Julian Corrie, who joined shortly after the departure of Nick McCarthy, and their last to feature drummer Paul Thomson. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. It peaked at number three in Scotland and number six in the UK. Four singles were released from the album: "Always Ascending", "Feel the Love Go", "Lazy Boy" and an alternative version of "Glimpse of Love". Several tracks from the album are featured during scenes or the closing credits of various episodes of the television show Loudermilk.