Following criticism from both reviewers and Carey herself regarding her first greatest hits album, #1's (1998), which was focused on her US number-one singles, Greatest Hits was developed as a more comprehensive, double-disc collection of songs covering a broader selection of Carey’s work. It also included two additional songs that reached number-one after the release of #1's. The album peaked at number fifty-two on the US Billboard 200 and number seven on the UK Albums Chart, and achieved platinum certifications in various countries, including double-platinum in the US and triple-platinum in the UK and Australia.
The album was re-released internationally as The Essential Mariah Carey on January 10, 2011, as part of Legacy Recordings's Essential series, featuring the same track listing. The US edition, released on April 24, 2012, featured extended mix versions and additional non-single tracks, personally selected by Carey.
Background and development
Greatest Hits was part of a four-album deal to complete Carey's contract with Columbia Records, which led to her transition to Virgin Records in 2001. This four-album deal consisted of two greatest hits albums—#1's (1998) and Greatest Hits, a studio album—Rainbow (1999), and a remix album—The Remixes (2003).[1] Carey’s departure from Columbia was prompted by strained working relationships with the label and her ex-husband, Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola.[1][2][3] Unlike #1's, Carey had little involvement in the development of Greatest Hits,[4] there are no personal messages within its liner notes, and no significant promotional efforts were conducted for the album;[5][6] when asked about the album on its release day by Entertainment Tonight, Carey remarked: "Does it come out today? Oh, ha ha."[7]
Critics criticized the selection of previously released material in #1's, which was limited to her then thirteen US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles.[8][9] Carey was disappointed in the exclusion of various songs that she felt was her "best work",[10] which was even expressed in the liner notes for #1's, in an "open letter to [her] fans":
"First of all – this is not a greatest hits album! It's too soon, I haven't been recording long enough for that! This album is a 'thank you' and an acknowledgment of my gratitude to all of you out there for making these records #1 on the charts.
By contrast, Carey was more positive about the track selection of Greatest Hits, describing the new inclusions as "songs that needed to be really heard".[10] The album includes every track from #1's, except "Whenever You Call" and the international bonus track "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)", along with seven songs released before #1's, and five songs released after #1's, including the US number-one hits "Heartbreaker" and "Thank God I Found You".[12] "Without You" also appears in the album's standard track list, while it was only included as a bonus track in international releases of #1's.
Greatest Hits is the only Carey compilation to feature the original version of "Fantasy". Her other compilations, including #1's, feature the Ol' Dirty Bastard remix as it is Carey's preferred version of the song, who described it as a "turning point" in her career.[13] "Endless Love", a duet with Luther Vandross, was not previously included in a Carey album; the song reached top-ten in several countries, including number two in the US, and number three in the UK.[12][14]
Released the following week on December 12, the Japanese edition of the album adds four additional bonus tracks, including "Never Too Far/Hero Medley" and the original version of "All I Want for Christmas Is You". "Never Too Far/Hero Medley" was released on December 11 in the US as a charity single for the victims of the September 11 attacks,[10] and is included in the album as Sony Music Japan distributed Carey's Virgin releases in the country.[17][18] "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is her best selling physical single in the country, with 1.1 million copies sold.[19]
Greatest Hits was re-released as The Essential Mariah Carey by Legacy Recordings internationally in January 2011, and in the US in April 2012.[20][21] Carey contributed creative input to the track selection of US edition, resulting in an altered tracklist. In a press release, she 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".[21] Four additional non-single tracks, "Vanishing" from Mariah Carey (1990), "Close My Eyes" and "The Roof" from Butterfly (1997), and "Bliss" from Rainbow, as well as extended club remixes of "Emotions" and "Anytime You Need a Friend", were selected for the album.[21]
Greatest Hits generally 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 project, which released in September 2001. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic commended the "archival" nature of the album, but criticized its long runtime, recommending the "more concentrated" #1's instead.[6] In an updated review in 2011,[c] Erlewine described the album as a "good and thorough retrospective of Mariah in her prime".[20]
Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine 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" such as "Hero" and "One Sweet Day", and declared the album as Carey’s “first proper hits compilation”.[22] However, Cinquemani also negatively described the album as an attempt by Columbia and Carey's ex-husband to "cash in Carey's pre-borderline 'Columbia Years'".[22] Devon Powers of PopMatters praised the album, highlighting that the album's chronological track order showcases the artistic growth throughout her "remarkable" career, and described Carey as a "living legend".[23] Powers also noted the inclusion of "Can’t Take That Away (Mariah’s Theme)", comparing the song's emphasis on resilience to Carey's personal and professional setbacks at the time. In a negative review, Sarah Liss of Now criticized the songs as "bland" and "hard to distinguish from each other".[24]
Commercial performance
Greatest Hits debuted at number 52 on the US Billboard 200, charting for a total of 13 weeks, and remained her lowest peaking album on the chart until 2020, when Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special charted at number 100.[25] It initially debuted and peaked at number 46 on the UK Albums Chart on the week ending December 15, 2001,[26] but later reached a new peak of number seven on the week ending October 29, 2005, following the success of her tenth studio album The Emancipation of Mimi.[27] It spent a total of 38 weeks on the UK Albums Chart.[28] The album also topped the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart for four non-consecutive weeks, making it her seventh number one album on the chart.[28]
As of November 2018, Greatest Hits has sold 1.23 million copies in the US, and received a double-platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying 1 million double-disc units sold.[d][30][31] It also achieved multiple certifications in other countries, including triple-platinum certifications by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), signifying over 900,000 copies sold in the UK and 210,000 copies sold in Australia, respectively.[32][33]Greatest Hits also sold 177,945 copies in South Korea, as of 2002.[34]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Though not included in Greatest Hits, "Breakdown" was later included in The Remixes (2003).
^ abAllMusic also reviewed the international edition of The Essential Mariah Carey in 2011, which shares the same track listing. The rating was lowered to 4/5.[20]
^Each disc is certified as an album by the RIAA, for multi-disc albums over 100 minutes.[29]
