These 4 Iconic Compilation Albums Matter Just as Much as Their Makers’ Studio Releases

These iconic compilations matter as much as any single studio album. Compilations often get a bad rap as money grabs, but occasionally they offer an entirely new listening experience: an artist’s greatest hits within arm’s reach. These compilations are as pivotal as any of the stellar songs on their tracklists.

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‘1962–1966’ and ‘1967–1970’ — The Beatles

Unless you lived through it, it can be hard to understand how The Beatles rose to fame and just how fervent their fanbase was. But we can get close to experiencing that meteoric rise by listening to both their “red and blue” compilation albums.

Titled after the years they cover, these two compilation albums should be the first stop in any burgeoning Beatles fan’s listening habits. These records hit the high points of their early days as teen pop sensations and their later years as legendary experimentalists. These albums not only put you in the shoes of Beatles fans who grew up alongside them, but also give you a whirlwind look into how they evolved as artists.

‘The Immaculate Collection’ — Madonna

If you want to get into Madonna, check out her greatest hits album, The Immaculate Collection. You’ll instantly get acquainted with her biggest songs before 1990 and become a fan just as quickly. Hearing all of her name-making songs in one place really puts into perspective just how pivotal she was to pop music back then and how iconic she remains.

Songs on this compilation include “Like A Virgin”, “Material Girl”, “Papa Don’t Preach”, and “Express Yourself”. But more than those top tracks, every single song on this compilation did remarkably well. Few pop divas have had as stellar a track record. This compilation proves that.

‘The Great Twenty-Eight’  — Chuck Berry

Compilation albums don’t often get the credit a studio album does, but this Chuck Berry effort is the exception. This record serves as the foundation for rock & roll, putting all the building blocks in one place. A burgeoning rocker can listen to this greatest hits record and quickly get oriented to how the genre developed.

From “Johnny B. Goode” to “Maybellene” to “Roll Over Beethoven”, every rocker you know and love has taken notes from the songs on this record, whether they are aware of it or not. This record is like a 101 textbook of rock history.

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