Greatest Hits (The Police album)

Greatest Hits is the second greatest hits album by the Police, released in September 1992 by A&M Records. It is the band's second compilation album following Every Breath You Take: The Singles. In contrast with its predecessor, it features all 14 original UK top 20 chart singles and five UK number-ones released by the band from 1978 to 1984, including the two missing singles from the previous 1986 compilation, "Synchronicity II" and the original version of "Don't Stand So Close to Me" which had been replaced with the 1986 re-recording. The album also includes two bonus album tracks, "The Bed's Too Big Without You" and "Tea in the Sahara". The cover photograph was by Duane Michals and it was taken at the time of the Synchronicity album. The inner sleeve featured a collage of pictures of the band shot by different photographers during their career, including Miles Copeland, Peter Baylis, Adrian Boot, Akihiro Takayama, Anton Corbijn, Danny Quatrochi, Gabor Scott, Janette Beckman, Kim Turner, Michael Ross, Watal Asanuma and Andy Summers.

Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by
the Police
ReleasedSeptember 1992
Recorded1978–1983
GenreRock, new wave, reggae rock
Length67:49
LabelA&M
The Police chronology
Every Breath You Take: The Singles
(1986)		 Greatest Hits
(1992)		 Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings
(1993)

The album failed to chart in the US but spent 36 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, where it peaked at number 10. It also peaked at number one on Official New Zealand Music Chart and at number four in Norway.

In 2022, Greatest Hits was reissued for its 30th anniversary in a remastered double-LP vinyl version, resulting in its re-entry on several charts worldwide.[1]

Critical reception

The album came out shortly after Sting's solo album The Soul Cages, prompting David Sinclair to point out in his review in Q magazine that "Copeland and Summers were far more than a passive vehicle for Sting's songs. As powerful personalities and assertive musicians in their own right, they gingered up Sting's basic ideas while putting the brakes on his tendency to earnest excess."[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sting

No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Roxanne"Outlandos d'Amour, 19783:13
2."Can't Stand Losing You"Outlandos d'Amour2:48
3."So Lonely"Outlandos d'Amour4:48
4."Message in a Bottle"Reggatta de Blanc, 19794:49
5."Walking on the Moon"Reggatta de Blanc5:02
6."The Bed's Too Big Without You"Reggatta de Blanc4:24
7."Don't Stand So Close to Me"Zenyatta Mondatta, 19804:02
8."De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da"Zenyatta Mondatta4:08
9."Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"Ghost in the Machine, 19814:20
10."Invisible Sun"Ghost in the Machine3:43
11."Spirits in the Material World"Ghost in the Machine2:58
12."Synchronicity II"Synchronicity, 19835:00
13."Every Breath You Take"Synchronicity4:12
14."King of Pain"Synchronicity4:57
15."Wrapped Around Your Finger"Synchronicity5:14
16."Tea in the Sahara"Synchronicity4:11
Total length:67:49

Personnel

The Police

  • Sting – lead and backing vocals, bass, keyboards, harmonica on "So Lonely", saxophone on "Spirits in the Material World", oboe on "Tea in the Sahara"
  • Andy Summers – electric guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Stewart Copeland – drums, miscellaneous percussion, keyboards, backing vocals

Additional personnel

  • Jean Roussel – piano on "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"

Charts
1993–1994 chart performance for Greatest Hits
Chart (1993–1994) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[3] 16
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[4] 99
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[5] 148
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] 24
French Albums (SNEP)[7] 70
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] 18
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[9] 1
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[10] 4
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[11] 38
UK Albums (OCC)[12] 10
2022 chart performance for Greatest Hits
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13] 66
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] 5
Irish Albums (IRMA)[15] 52
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] 23
US Billboard 200[17] 141

Certifications
Certifications for Greatest Hits
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[18] 2× Platinum 120,000^
Australia (ARIA)[19] 5× Platinum 350,000^
Belgium (BEA)[20] Platinum 50,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[21] Platinum 100,000^
France (SNEP)[22] Platinum 300,000*
Mexico (AMPROFON)[23] Gold 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[24] Platinum 15,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[25] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] 2× Platinum 600,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Sexton, Paul (17 February 2022). "The Police's Greatest Hits For 30th Anniversary Half-Speed Vinyl Edition". UDiscover Music. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  2. "Greatest Hits". The Police.
  3. "Australiancharts.com – The Police – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien.
  4. "Ultratop.be – The Police – Greatest Hits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  5. "Ultratop.be – The Police – Greatest Hits" (in French). Hung Medien.
  6. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1870". RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  7. "Lescharts.com – The Police – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien.
  8. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Police – Greatest Hits" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  9. "Charts.nz – The Police – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien.
  10. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Police – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien.
  11. "Portuguesecharts.com – The Police – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien.
  12. "The Police | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  13. "Austriancharts.at – The Police – Greatest Hits" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  14. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Police – Greatest Hits" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  15. "Irish Albums Chart: 22 April 2022". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  16. "Swisscharts.com – The Police – Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  17. "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200..." Billboard on Twitter. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  18. "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  19. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  20. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2005". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  21. "Canadian album certifications – Greatest Hits – The Police". Music Canada. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  22. "French album certifications – The Police – Greatest Hits" (in French). InfoDisc. Select THE POLICE and click OK. 
  23. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Type The Police in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Greatest Hits in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  24. "New Zealand Certification". Recorded Music NZ.
  25. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Greatest Hits; 'The Police')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  26. "British album certifications – Greatest Hits – The Police". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
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