Last week, I heard Guns ‘n Roses’ “Rocket Queen” on regular rock radio.
Of course, “Rocket Queen” was never released as a single. Neither was “My Michelle,” but that’s heard every so often as well. Sure, you have “Sweet Child o’ Mine” as well as “Mr. Brownstone,” “Welcome To the Jungle” and “It’s So Easy.” With Appetite for Destruction coming up on its twenty year anniversary, it’s clear that the community which considers it a classic are content to hear any track from the album. They don’t necessarily need “Paradise City” so long as they have, well, anything else.
It’s that album which defines Guns ‘n’ Roses, even after Lies caused controversy and the Use Your Illusion opus carved its own distinct path. There’s no argument that it was the strongest of their works. And thus, GnR has not only a classic album but also a lasting identity.
This phenomenon isn’t unique to Guns ‘n’ Roses; in fact, most big-name bands and artists have their “defining moment,” so-to-speak, with one sharp album release that is unarguably what placed them in the annals of music history. Depeche Mode had Violator. Alice In Chains had Dirt. The Cure had Disintegration and Van Halen had 1984. Janet Jackson had Control and Michael had Thriller. Hendrix had Are You Experienced, Pink Floyd had Dark Side of the Moon, and Led Zeppelin fans will argue all day and night whether it’s II or IV which should claim their crown.
But a few bands existed with numerous huge singles without ever making one album which defines them. These bands almost demand a purchase of a “Greatest Hits” type of album just to have one disc that is above average. And while one may argue that pop is a world of singles, plenty of artists prove exceptions to a degree that it’s not the most valid of excuses. It’s expected that if an artist has longevity, they can do more than pop out a hit single or two on each album. Yet somehow, a few bands have managed to buck this theory.
Stone Temple Pilots
Scott Weiland and co. had some huge hits, including “Interstate Love Song” and “Plush”. Also noteworthy were “Vasoline”, “Sex Type Thing”, “Creep”, “Sour Girl”, and “Big Bang Baby”. With five albums — the first two arguably their best — STP never managed to record one album that wasn’t a bunch of duds sprinkled with a hit or two. Yet if asked to create a list of greats of the grunge and alt-rock era, most would be inclined to include them. The greatest encouragement is to point someone to Thank You, the band’s compilation of the aforementioned hits and more. One can only hope a neophyte to the world of STP would start there, if only to avoid some of the brutal awfulness on Purple and Tiny Music.
Madonna
One could argue for Like a Virgin, Like a Prayer, or Ray of Light, but not any one in itself stands above the others as the One Great Madonna Album. The big problem with Madonna is that she’s constantly morphing; around the periods of those releases, each of them could easily be considered definitive. However, it’s a little tedious to say, “if you like controversial Madonna, this one is the best; if you like sexy Madonna, this one is the best,” et cetera. If you’re not a devoted fan, she’s been kind enough to release two hits compilations over the years which will fill any Madonna hole in your collection.
Journey
Why does Journey seem to come up in any music discussion I might have? Probably due to just how unique they were. And Journey falls into this category as well, releasing many albums over the years and creating countless hits. Thank goodness for their 1988 Greatest Hits disc.
Joy Division and New Order
Stalwarts of the gothy/arty/electronic new wave scene, both Joy Division and its bastard child New Order have been hailed as greats. But to look at what’s available for Joy Division — two actual albums and many songs piecemealed together to make albums, most overlapping — is just plain silly. Never mind New Order, whose artiness at times overtakes the music itself and spins itself into oblivion. Thankfully, New Order has a most wonderful best-of collection (as well as a secondary collection for those who want a little more), and Joy Division has Substance.
Queen
Let’s talk about a band whose albums in and of themselves each have their own identity, and we’re definitely talking about Queen. It’s certainly difficult to say that any one of them “was” Queen, as facets of II, News of the World, A Night at the Opera, and The Game are signatures of the band. It’s all a huge venture for someone who has heard a few songs and likes them, but doesn’t even want to start investigating where to begin with the catalog. With two greatest hits discs that were later combined into one, there are certainly some delightful options for someone who wants to know what Queen was all about.
Duran Duran
Don’t come crying Rio to me; just because one album was purchased by a lot of people doesn’t mean it was definitive. The hits were truly (and almost evenly) scattered throughout their ’80s releases, and their eponymous album in 1993 contained a surprising resurgence of hit material. No band has been better served by a greatest hits album, and that’s most certainly the recommended way to go if one wants any sort of Duran Duran definition.
Aerosmith
This is a questionable one. But get into any sort of discussion with an Aerosmith fan about what their best album was and you’ll get numerous nominations depending on which era the fan likes most; much like Madonna, Aerosmith has a pile of good albums without any one in particular rising above. Permanent Vacation is definitely high on the list, but Toys in the Attic and Pump both had their critical and commercial successes. This doesn’t even take into account the “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” Aerosmith, one which is cherished by some and despised by others, as well as very early “Dream On” Aerosmith, a time when the band created many songs still standard on classic rock radio. Their 2002 two-disc hits compilation is surely the way to go for anyone who enjoys the songs that made them famous throughout their career.
Bauhaus
Really, Bauhaus is known outside of gothic circles for just one song — “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”. With four actual studio albums and other favorites scattered throughout, from their cover of “Ziggy Stardust” to “Dark Entries” and “She’s In Parties.” Should Hot Topic kiddies ever want to get to know where their spooky roots came from, they’re safe in picking up Crackle, the 2000 best-of compilation. And I’m sure if their image wouldn’t preclude them, many longtime connoisseurs of the genre would gladly recommend it rather than wading through the four albums for their high points.
Styx
There’s no better case for a greatest hits album than Styx. With their good songs extremely scattered between releases, many in different styles, telling someone to pick up Pieces of Eight or Paradise Theatre for each of their respective two hits is rather ludicrous. Styx has a superb Greatest Hits compilation on the market, as well as a second volume of quality works from their catalog that didn’t really fall into the “hits” category.
Clearly, there are many more bands who fit into this category, some of them more well known than the ones listed here. Still, the “definitive” album is a far more prevalent phenomenon as most artists tend to hit a distinct peak at some point. Prince had Purple Rain, Genesis has The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Nirvana had Nevermind. Could The Doors fall into the ambiguous category? Pearl Jam? They’re both debatable, each with debuts that are quite beloved despite progression and in some cases better quality songs on later releases.
Or, one can ignore the intellectual side of the debate and simply make a party game of it. Someone says Beastie Boys, and the first to reply Paul’s Boutique gets a prize. Or someone who gets the answer wrong has to take a drink. The options are endless, the bands are numerous, and the debates could rage long into the morning.
Thankful for the greatest hits collections of Foreigner and Thompson Twins,
–gloomchen
