Album · Compilation
Who’s Greatest Hits
Who's Greatest Hits is a compilation from the English rock band the Who, put out by MCA Records in the US in May 1983. It arrived the year after It's Hard, the last studio album of that stretch of the band's career, and gathered favourites from across their records into a single, easy-to-reach collection.
The real draw for collectors is "Relay", a rarer track that appears here at its original full length. An earlier appearance on Hooligans trimmed it by almost 30 seconds. The vinyl LP also carries the original single version of "Won't Get Fooled Again", while the CD uses the full-length album version, so the format you own changes what you hear. American listeners clearly took to it: it has sold over 2 million copies and earned 2× platinum certification from the RIAA.
Who’s Greatest Hits: tracklist, credits and charts
13 tracks · 50:55Tracklist
- 1SubstitutePete Townshend3:50
- 2The SeekerPete Townshend3:14
- 3Magic BusPete Townshend3:26
- 4My GenerationPete Townshend3:19
- 5Pinball WizardPete Townshend3:04
- 6Happy JackPete Townshend2:12
- 7Won't Get Fooled AgainPete Townshend8:34
- 8My WifeJohn Entwistle3:37
- 9Squeeze BoxPete Townshend2:44
- 10The RelayPete Townshend3:48
- 115:15Pete Townshend4:54
- 12Love, Reign O'er MePete Townshend3:08
- 13Who Are YouPete Townshend5:05
- Produced by
- Shel Talmy, The Who, Kit Lambert, Glyn Johns, Jon Astley
- Executive producer
- Chris Stamp, Pete Kameron, Kit Lambert
- Recorded at
- Olympic Sound Studios, IBC Studios, Morgan Studios, Regent Sound Studios, Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, Shepperton Studios, The Kitchen, Goring Studios, Ramport Studios
- Recorded
- October 1965 – December 1977
- Mixed by
- Kit Lambert, Glyn Johns
- Mixed at
- Gold Star Studios, Basing Street Studios
- Engineered by
- Damon Lyon-Shaw, Glyn Johns, Pete Townshend
- Labels
- MCA Records, MCA
- Length
- 50:55
Line-up
- John Entwistle · bass, vocals, electric bass guitar, background vocals, bass guitar, piano, brass, lead vocals
- Keith Moon · drums (drum set), percussion, background vocals
- Pete Townshend · guitar, vocals, lead vocals, cello, electric guitar, background vocals, synthesizer, organ, acoustic guitar, accordion, banjo
- Roger Daltrey · lead vocals
- Nicky Hopkins · piano · guest
- The Who · guest
- Rod Argent · piano · guest
- Andy Fairweather‐Low · background vocals · guest
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1983 | 94 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| United States | 2× Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
31.0
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
2
ListenBrainz listeners
17k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
—
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 8 May
Every year →
More from The Who
Full discography →
My Generation
1965
Ready Steady Who
1966
A Quick One
1966
The Who
1967
The Who Sell Out
1967
Number Two
1968
Magic Bus: The Who on Tour
1968
Direct Hits
1968
Tommy
1969
Live at Leeds
1970
Who’s Next
1971
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
1971
Quadrophenia
1973
Odds & Sods
1974
Investigacion de mercado
1975
Tommy
1975
The Who by Numbers
1975
Substitute
1976
The Story of The Who
1976
Who Are You
1978
The Kids Are Alright
1979
Face Dances
1981
Hooligans
1981
It’s Hard
1982
The Singles
1984
Who’s Last
1984
Who’s Missing
1985
Two’s Missing
1987
This Is My Generation
1988
Who’s Better, Who’s Best
1988
Won’t Get Fooled Again
1988
Join Together
1990
Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
1994
My Generation – The Very Best of The Who
1996
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
1996
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Who
1999
BBC Sessions
2000
The Who Live: The Blues to the Bush 1999
2000
Live at the Royal Albert Hall
2001
The Ultimate Collection
2002
Then and Now
2004
Live From Toronto
2006
Endless Wire
2006
Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who
2008
Greatest Hits
2009
Greatest Hits Live
2010
Live at Hull 1970
2012
Quadrophenia: Live in London
2014
The Who Hits 50!
2014
Live at Shea Stadium 1982
2015
Ready Steady Who Two
2016
Ready Steady Who Three
2017
Live at the Fillmore East 1968
2018
WHO
2019
The best of 1983
All of 1983 →
Kill ’Em All
Metallica · 1983
The Rolling Stones Super 4 on 45 1983
Super 4 on 45
The Rolling Stones · 1983
Let’s Dance
David Bowie · 1983
War
U2 · 1983
Piece of Mind
Iron Maiden · 1983
The Final Cut
Pink Floyd · 1983
Bark at the Moon
Ozzy Osbourne · 1983
Supergroups
David Bowie · 1983
Holy Diver
Dio · 1983
Flick of the Switch
AC/DC · 1983
Iron Maiden No me puedes dejar así / Decídete 1983
No me puedes dejar así / Decídete
Iron Maiden · 1983
Iron Maiden Lo mejor de Iron Maiden 1983
Lo mejor de Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden · 1983
More on MCA Records
The label →Who’s Next
The Who · 1971
Enema of the State
blink‐182 · 1999
No Doubt
No Doubt · 1992
Hooligans
The Who · 1981
Constrictor
Alice Cooper · 1986
Odds & Sods
The Who · 1974
Alanis
Alanis Morissette · 1991
Raise Your Fist and Yell
Alice Cooper · 1987
Borrowed Time
Diamond Head · 1982
The Kids Are Alright
The Who · 1979
Who’s Missing
The Who · 1985
Who’s Last
The Who · 1984
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date musicbrainz 1983-05-08 vs wikidata 1983-11-23
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 8 May 1983 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | May 1983 | |
| Wikidata | 23 November 1983 | |
| US release | 8 May 1983 | earliest US date |
4 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | CA | MCA Records | 076732149621 | other |
| — | US | BMG Direct Marketing, Inc. | other | |
| 8 May 1983 | US | MCA Records | 076732149621 | original |
| 12 June 2020 | XE | Polydor | 602508753039 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1411x1400, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1411×1400 | upscaled: minor: best source 1411x1400, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07) |