The Hits (REO Speedwagon album)

Last updated
The Hits
REO Hits.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedMay 31, 1988 (US) [1]
April 30, 2002 (Remastered)
RecordedJanuary 1976April 1988
Genre Rock
Length52:55
Label Epic
Producer
REO Speedwagon chronology
Life as We Know It
(1987)
The Hits
(1988)
The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken
(1990)
Singles from The Hits
  1. "Here with Me"
    Released: June 1988
  2. "I Don't Want to Lose You"
    Released: November 1988
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Robert Christgau C [3]

The Hits is a compilation album from REO Speedwagon. It contains hits such as "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "Keep on Loving You", as well as new tracks "Here with Me" and "I Don't Want to Lose You". "Here with Me" cracked the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. [4] and the top ten on the Adult Contemporary chart; however, it would be the last single to feature drummer Alan Gratzer and guitarist Gary Richrath, as they each left the band within the year following this album's release. The album has sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. which led it to go 4× Platinum.

Contents

A conspicuous absentee from the album is "Keep the Fire Burnin' ", which reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982. The collection is one of several released by the band's label. The album was remastered and reissued in 2002. The album was also re-released in 2020 on black and white vinyl. [5]

Cash Box called "Here with Me" a "power ballad that lifts you up where you belong, a majestic and sweeping effort that has romanticism, leavened with pop sensibility." [6] Cash Box called "I Don't Want to Lose You" a "hard-driving, corporate-sounding rocker." [7]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."I Don't Want to Lose You" Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg  3:08
2."Here with Me" Rick Braun, Kevin Cronin  5:05
3."Roll with the Changes"Cronin You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish (1978)5:37
4."Keep on Loving You"Cronin Hi Infidelity (1980)3:21
5."That Ain't Love"Cronin Life as We Know It (1987)4:02
6."Take It on the Run" Gary Richrath Hi Infidelity4:02
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
7."Don't Let Him Go"CroninHi Infidelity3:48
8."Can't Fight This Feeling"Cronin Wheels Are Turnin' (1984)4:55
9."Keep Pushin'"Cronin R.E.O. (1976)4:06
10."In My Dreams"Cronin, KellyLife as We Know It4:31
11."Time for Me to Fly"CroninYou Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish3:44
12."Ridin' the Storm Out" (live)Richrath Live: You Get What You Play For (1977)5:51
CD edition track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."I Don't Want to Lose You"Kelly, Steinberg Keith Olsen 3:08
2."Here with Me"Cronin, BraunOlsen5:05
3."Roll with the Changes"Cronin Kevin Cronin, Gary Richrath 5:37
4."Keep on Loving You"Cronin Kevin Beamish, Cronin, Richrath3:21
5."That Ain't Love"CroninDavid Devore, Cronin, Richrath, Alan Gratzer 4:02
6."Take It on the Run"RichrathBeamish, Cronin, Richrath4:02
7."In My Dreams"Cronin, KellyDevore, Cronin, Richrath, Gratzer4:31
8."Don't Let Him Go"CroninBeamish, Cronin, Richrath3:48
9."Can't Fight This Feeling"CroninCronin, Richrath, Gratzer4:55
10."Keep Pushin'"CroninJohn Stronach4:06
11."Time for Me to Fly"CroninCronin, Richrath3:44
12."One Lonely Night" Neal Doughty Cronin, Richrath, Gratzer3:23
13."Back on the Road Again" Bruce Hall Beamish, Cronin, Richrath5:29
14."Ridin' the Storm Out" (live)RichrathStronach, John Henning, Richrath5:51
Total length:61:07

Personnel

REO Speedwagon

Additional personnel [8]

Production

Studios

Charts

Chart performance for The Hits
Chart (1988)Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [9] 62
US Billboard 200 [10] 56

Certifications

Certifications for The Hits
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [11] 4× Platinum4,000,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [12] Silver60,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Catalog numbers

Notes

  1. "RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America .
  2. Allmusic review
  3. Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
  4. "Billboard: Hot 100 REO Speedwagon". Billboard . Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  5. "REO Speedwagon - The Hits (2020, Clear w/Black and White Splatter, Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  6. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. July 2, 1988. p. 14. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  7. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. October 8, 1988. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  8. REO Speedwagon The Hits - "I Don't Want to Lose You" and "Here with Me". Sony Music Entertainment. 1988. p. 3.
  9. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 8565". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  10. "REO Speedwagon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  11. "American album certifications – R.E.O._Speedwagon – The Hits". Recording Industry Association of America.
  12. "British album certifications – REO Speedwagon – The Hits". British Phonographic Industry.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">REO Speedwagon</span> American rock band

REO Speedwagon, or simply REO, is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. Their best-selling album, Hi Infidelity (1980), contained four US Top 40 hits and sold more than 10 million copies.

<i>Hi Infidelity</i> 1980 studio album by REO Speedwagon

Hi Infidelity is the ninth studio album by American rock band REO Speedwagon, released on November 21, 1980, by Epic Records. The album became a big hit in the United States, peaking at number one on the Billboard 200, spending 15 weeks at number one. It went on to become the biggest-selling album of 1981, eventually being certified 10 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>The Ballads</i> (REO Speedwagon album) 1999 compilation album by REO Speedwagon

The Ballads is a 1999 compilation album by REO Speedwagon. It features some of the band's previously recorded hit ballads as well as two new songs, Just For You and Til The Rivers Run Dry.

<i>The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken</i> 1990 studio album by REO Speedwagon

The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken is the thirteenth studio album by REO Speedwagon, and was released in 1990.

<i>Wheels Are Turnin</i> 1984 studio album by REO Speedwagon

Wheels Are Turnin' is the eleventh studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in November 1984. It reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200. The lead single was "I Do' Wanna Know," which stalled at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, "Can't Fight This Feeling," was REO's second and longest-running number one single. Other singles released were "One Lonely Night" and "Live Every Moment". These singles also reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #19 and #34, respectively. The singles from the album also had success on other Billboard charts: "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "I Do' Wanna Know" each reached #5 on the Mainstream Rock chart, with "One Lonely Night" reaching #17, and "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "One Lonely Night" reached #3 and #10, respectively on the Adult Contemporary chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keep On Loving You (song)</span> 1980 single by REO Speedwagon

"Keep On Loving You" is a ballad written by Kevin Cronin and performed by American rock band REO Speedwagon. It features the lead guitar work of Gary Richrath. The song first appeared on REO Speedwagon's 1980 album Hi Infidelity. It was the first REO Speedwagon single to break the top 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching the number-one spot for one week in March 1981. The single was certified platinum for U.S. sales of over one million copies. It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>R.E.O./T.W.O.</i> 1972 studio album by REO Speedwagon

R.E.O./T.W.O. is the second studio album released by the Illinois-based rock band REO Speedwagon, released in 1972. Under the leadership of guitarist Gary Richrath, this album continued the musical direction set on 1971's REO Speedwagon with Richrath's own compositions carrying the record.

<i>You Can Tune a Piano, but You Cant Tuna Fish</i> Album by REO Speedwagon

You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish is the seventh studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1978. It was their first album to be co-produced by lead singer Kevin Cronin and lead guitarist Gary Richrath. The album was REO's first to make the Top 40, peaking at No. 29. The album sold over 2 million copies in the US, which led it to being certified 2× Platinum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take It on the Run</span> 1981 single by REO Speedwagon

"Take It on the Run" is a song by American rock band REO Speedwagon off the band's ninth studio album Hi Infidelity (1980). The song was written by lead guitarist Gary Richrath. "Take It on the Run" was the follow-up single behind the group's number-one hit, "Keep On Loving You". The single went gold on April 17, 1989. "Take It on the Run" has appeared on dozens of "various artists" compilation albums, as well as several REO Speedwagon greatest-hits albums. The 2017 song "Messin' Around" by Pitbull featuring Enrique Iglesias interpolates "Take It on the Run".

<i>Live: You Get What You Play For</i> 1977 live album by REO Speedwagon

Live: You Get What You Play For is a live album by rock band REO Speedwagon, released as a double-LP in 1977. It was recorded at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building in Kansas City, Kansas, the Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kiel Auditorium in Saint Louis, Missouri and Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom in Atlanta, Georgia. It peaked at number #72 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1977. The song "Ridin' the Storm Out" reached #94 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, but has since become a classic rock radio staple. The album went platinum on December 14, 1978.

<i>Good Trouble</i> (album) 1982 studio album by REO Speedwagon

Good Trouble is the tenth studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1982 as a follow-up to Hi Infidelity. It peaked at #7 on the Billboard charts. The single "Keep the Fire Burnin'" gave the band a #7 hit on Billboard's Pop Singles Chart and a #2 hit on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, their highest-charting hit on this chart.

<i>R.E.O. Speedwagon</i> (album) 1971 studio album by REO Speedwagon

R.E.O. Speedwagon is the debut studio album by American rock band REO Speedwagon. Released in 1971, it was the only album recorded with singer Terry Luttrell, who would go on to join Starcastle. Kevin Cronin joined the band for R.E.O./T.W.O. This album concluded with a progressive rock song unlike the later arena rock songs that made them famous.

<i>Nine Lives</i> (REO Speedwagon album) 1979 studio album by REO Speedwagon

Nine Lives is the eighth studio album by REO Speedwagon. It peaked at number #33 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1979. The album went gold on December 5, 1979. The title Nine Lives was chosen because the album was the band's ninth, including their live album, and it also featured nine songs. It was the last REO album to prominently feature a more hard rock sound. The group would turn to more pop-oriented material with 1980's Hi Infidelity. In 2013, the album was released on CD by UK-based company Rock Candy Records, with expanded liner notes and photos.

<i>R.E.O.</i> (album) 1976 studio album by REO Speedwagon

R.E.O. is the sixth studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1976. It peaked at number 159 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1976. It marked the return of Kevin Cronin to the band after a four-year absence. Five of the songs were featured on the band's subsequent live album, Live: You Get What You Play For. Many fans refer to the album as C.O.W. due to the background of the cover art.

<i>Ridin the Storm Out</i> 1973 studio album by REO Speedwagon

Ridin' the Storm Out is the third studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1973. It peaked at number 171 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1981, and reached platinum status in 1989. It was the first album to feature Mike Murphy on vocals. The sessions started out with Kevin Cronin, but he left the band before the album was finished, due to creative differences. The title track would later become a hit for the band on their live album, after Cronin had returned to the band. The song refers to the band being stuck in a harsh winter blizzard after a show in Boulder, Colorado, at a bar named Tulagi.

<i>Life as We Know It</i> (REO Speedwagon album) 1987 studio album by REO Speedwagon

Life as We Know It is the twelfth studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keep the Fire Burnin' (REO Speedwagon song)</span> 1982 single by REO Speedwagon

"Keep the Fire Burnin'" is a song by REO Speedwagon from their 1982 album Good Trouble. This single was the only track from the Good Trouble album to make the top ten on the pop charts, cresting at number seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let Him Go</span> 1981 single by REO Speedwagon

"Don't Let Him Go" is a song written by Kevin Cronin. It was originally released as the opening song for REO Speedwagon's #1 album Hi Infidelity. It was also released as a single, reaching #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Don't Let Him Go" has appeared on several REO Speedwagon greatest hits albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Your Letter</span> 1981 single by REO Speedwagon

"In Your Letter" is a song written by Gary Richrath that was first released on REO Speedwagon's 1980 album Hi Infidelity. It was released as the fourth single from the album and just made the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #20. It also reached #26 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. It also had some chart success in Canada, reaching #34.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Do' Wanna Know</span> 1984 single by REO Speedwagon

"I Do' Wanna Know" is a song written by Kevin Cronin that was the lead single from REO Speedwagon's 1984 album Wheels Are Turnin'. It was more of a rocker reminiscent of the songs REO Speedwagon had released in the 1970s than the ballads the band had been successful with in the early 1980s. It had limited success on popular music charts, which was blamed for delaying sales of the album until the release of the follow-up single, the ballad "Can't Fight This Feeling." The video to the song was nominated for several awards.