Greatest Hits is the second greatest hits album by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, released in the United States on December 4, 2001, by Columbia Records. It contains most of Carey's singles released during her tenure at Columbia from 1990 to 2000, including her then-fifteen US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles. As of November 2018, Greatest Hits has sold 1,230,000 copies in the US.[1] Globally, the album has sold an estimated five million copies.[2]
Greatest Hits was re-released as The Essential Mariah Carey on January 10, 2011 internationally, as part of Legacy Recordings's The Essential series, and features the same track listing. A US edition, released on April 24, 2012, features an altered tracklist, replacing some tracks with extended mix versions and additional non-single tracks, selected by Carey.[3]
The release of Greatest Hits was to fulfill Carey's contract with Columbia Records, as part of the agreement for her early departure from Columbia to join Virgin Records in 2001.[4] Carey had little involvement in the development of the album, and there are no personal messages within its liner notes; when asked about Greatest Hits on its release day by Entertainment Tonight, Carey remarked: "Does it come out today? Oh, ha ha."[5]
Carey's previous compilation album, #1's (1998), was described by Carey as "not a greatest hits album", due to the exclusion of various songs that she felt was her "best work".[6] Notable tracks not previously included in #1's are "Underneath the Stars", "Butterfly", "Make It Happen", "Anytime You Need a Friend", "Endless Love", and "Can't Let Go", which Carey named in the liner notes of #1's as desired inclusions in a future greatest hits album.[7] All tracks from #1's, with the exception of "Whenever You Call" and the international bonus track "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)", are included on Greatest Hits.
Greatest Hits was re-released as The Essential Mariah Carey by Legacy Recordings internationally in 2011, and in the United States in 2012. For the US edition, Carey contributed creative input to its track selection. In a press release, Carey stated: "I wanted to create a collection of some of my favorite songs, several of them are very big hits and some are more obscure favorites of mine as well as fan faves."[3] Carey selected four additional non-single tracks, "Vanishing" from Mariah Carey (1990), "Close My Eyes" and "The Roof" from Butterfly (1997), and "Bliss" from Rainbow (1999), as well as the extended club remix versions of "Emotions" and "Anytime You Need a Friend", for the album.[3]
Greatest Hits received positive reviews from critics. Critics noted the timing of the album's release in light of the personal and commercial troubles surrounding Carey's Glitter, which had released a few months earlier in the same year.[10][11] Sal Cinquemani, writer for Slant, gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the inclusion of "Make It Happen", "Without You", and "Underneath the Stars", stating that they "have certainly earned their spots next to hits" like "Hero" and "One Sweet Day".[10] Cinquemani also noted this album as an attempt by Carey's ex-husband and Columbia attempted to "cash in Carey's pre-borderline "Columbia Years"".[10] Devon Powers of PopMatters also praised the album, describing Carey as a "pop princess, hammering out fast numbers with a zeal and determination" highlight that the album moves "chronologically through [her] remarkable career".[11]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^"Top National Sellers"(PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 7. February 9, 2002. p. 15. ISSN0006-2510. Archived(PDF) from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2020 – via American Radio History.