Hits Greatest Stiffs is a various artists compilation album, drawn from ten of the first eleven Stiff Records singles, BUY 1 to BUY 11.
The tracks follow the numerical order of the singles, but feature mostly the B-sides, although several singles were originally issued as double A-sides. The other sides of the Motörhead and Elvis Costello tracks had appeared on the previous compilation album, A Bunch of Stiff Records. The missing single from the sequence (BUY 10) was "Neat Neat Neat"/"Stab Your Back"/"Singalongascabies" by the Damned[1] whereas both sides of the Tyla Gang's single were included on this album.
The inner sleeve included pictures of numerous artists, such as Abba and Tom Petty, who appeared on other labels. Although some thought this was some form of slight, they were shown because Stiff admired them, despite their being on other labels.[2] The album did not enter the UK charts. However, it featured some of the most influential recording artists of the new wave era.
Release history
Issued as an LP (FIST 1) on 16 September 1977, it was also issued on Cassette (ZFIST 1) on 22 October 1977. It has not been re-released on CD.[1]
Initial copies of the LP included a free copy of the next single, BUY 12, Max Wall's "England's Glory"/"Dream Tobacco".[1]
