Greatest Hits (Earth, Wind & Fire album)
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Greatest Hits
| type = compilation
| artist = Earth, Wind & Fire
| cover = EarthWind&Fire - Greatest Hits.jpg
| alt =
| released = November 17, 1998
| recorded = 1973–1981
| studio =
| genre = R&B
| length = 70:22
| producer =
| compiler = Leo Sacks
| prev_title = Let's Groove: The Best Of
| prev_year = 1996
| next_title = The Ultimate Collection
| next_year = 1999
}}
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on November 17, 1998, by Columbia/Legacy Records. The album reached No. 40 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.{{cite AV media notes|title=Greatest Hits|author=Earth, Wind & Fire|year=November 1998|type=album|publisher=Columbia Records}}{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/earth-wind-fire/chart-history/tlp/|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits (Billboard 200)|website=Billboard.com}} The album was re-issued in 2008 by Columbia/Legacy.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/greatest-hits-legacy-mw0000045386|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits|author=Thomas Erlewine, Stephen|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|publisher=AllMusic}}
| rev2 = Detroit Free Press
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|4}}{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/48855440/|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits|author=Lawson, Terry|date=November 22, 1998|page=62|publisher=Detroit Free Press|website=newspapers.com}}
}}
Terry Lawson of the Detroit Free Press called Greatest Hits a "stellar single disc distillation" and a "shimmering state of sonic funk perfection". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the LP as "a terrifically entertaining and valuable disc". Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun Times also described the album as "worth owning".{{cite web|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ACSTB%21Chicago%2BSun-Times%2B%2528IL%2529&sort=YMD_date%3AA&page=1&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22Maurice%20White%22&docref=news/0EB423F149A4D3C1|title=Mixed bag of `great' hits - Best-of CDs put new slant on careers|author=DeRogatis, Jim|author-link=Jim DeRogatis|page=7|date=February 7, 1999|work=Chicago Sun Times|via=newsbank.com}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| title1 = Shining Star
| note1 = from That's the Way of the World, 1975
| writer1 = Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Maurice White
| length1 = 2:50
| title2 = That's the Way of the World
| note2 = from That's the Way of the World
| writer2 = Charles Stepney, M. White, Verdine White
| length2 = 5:43
| title3 = September
| note3 = from The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1, 1978
| writer3 = Al McKay, M. White, Allee Willis
| length3 = 3:34
| title4 = Can't Hide Love
| note4 = from Gratitude, 1975
| writer4 = Skip Scarborough
| length4 = 4:07
| title5 = Got to Get You Into My Life
| note5 = from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1978
| writer5 = John Lennon, Paul McCartney
| length5 = 4:10
| title6 = Sing a Song
| note6 = from Gratitude
| writer6 = McKay, M. White
| length6 = 3:22
| title7 = Gratitude
| note7 = from Gratitude
| writer7 = Bailey, Dunn, M. White, V. White
| length7 = 3:27
| title8 = Serpentine Fire
| note8 = from All 'n All, 1977
| writer8 = Sonny Burke, M. White, V. White
| length8 = 3:50
| title9 = Fantasy
| note9 = from All 'n All
| writer9 = Eduardo DelBarrio, M. White, V. White
| length9 = 4:36
| title10 = Kalimba Story
| note10 = from Open Our Eyes, 1974
| writer10 = M. White, V. White
| length10 = 4:00
| title11 = Mighty Mighty
| note11 = from Open Our Eyes
| writer11 = M. White, V. White
| length11 = 3:03
| title12 = Reasons
| note12 = from That's the Way of the World
| writer12 = Bailey, Stepney, M. White
| length12 = 4:58
| title13 = Saturday Nite
| note13 = from Spirit, 1976
| writer13 = Bailey, McKay, M. White
| length13 = 4:01
| title14 = Let's Groove
| note14 = from Raise!, 1981
| writer14 = Wayne Vaughn, M. White
| length14 = 5:35
| title15 = Boogie Wonderland
| note15 = with The Emotions)
(from I Am, 1979
| writer15 = Jon Lind, Willis
| length15 = 4:47
| title16 = After the Love Has Gone
| note16 = from I Am
| writer16 = Bill Champlin, David Foster, Jay Graydon
| length16 = 4:24
| title17 = Getaway
| note17 = from Spirit
| writer17 = Peter Cor, Beloyd Taylor
| length17 = 3:55
}}
Personnel
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
- Robert Appere: Engineer
- Dorothy Ashby: Harp
- Philip Bailey: Congas, Percussion, Vocals
- Marilyn Baker: Viola
- Roland Bautista: Guitar
- Delores M. Bing: Cello
- George Bohannon: Trombone
- Oscar Brashear: Trumpet
- Elmer Brown: Trumpet
- Garnett Brown: Trombone
- Sherman Bryana: Violin
- Bobby Bryant: Trumpet
- Denyse Buffum: Viola
- David Campbell: Viola
- Ronald Clark: Violin
- Ronald Cooper: Cello
- Larry Corbett: Cello
- Steve Crimmel: Engineer
- Paulinho Da Costa: Percussion
- Rollice Dale: Viola
- Rahmlee Michael Davis: Flugelhorn, Trumpet
- Eduardo del Barrio: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
- George Del Barrio: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
- Marci Dicterow: Violin
- Assa Drori: Violin
- David Duke: French Horn
- James Dunham: Viola
- Larry Dunn: Associate Producer, Organ, Piano, Programming, Synthesizer
- The Emotions: Vocals (Background)
- Pavel Farkas: Violin
- Marie Fera: Cello
- Henry Ferber: Violin
- Chuck Findley: Trumpet
- David Foster: Keyboards, Piano, String Arrangements, Synthesizer
- Winterton Garvey: Violin
- Pamela Gates: Violin
- Harris Goldman: Concert Master, Violin
- Joseph Goodman: Violin
- Richard Goodman: Engineer
- Jack Gootkin: Violin
- Janice Gower: Concert Master
- Gary Grant: Trumpet
- Mick Guzauski: Engineer
- Michael Harris: Flugelhorn, Trumpet
{{col-3}}
- Jeanette Hawes: Vocals (Background)
- Jerry Hay: Horn Arrangements
- Marlo Henderson: Guitar
- William Henderson: Violin
- Jerry Hey: Trumpet
- Zakir Hussain: Tabla
- Wanda Hutchinson: Vocals (Background)
- Fred Jackson, Jr.: Saxophone
- Ralph Johnson: Drums, Percussion
- Thomas "Snake" Johnson: Tuba
- Dennis Karmazyn: Cello
- Jan Kelley: Cello
- Rick Kelly: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
- Barbara Korn: French Horn
- Gina Kronstadt: Violin
- Carl LaMagna: Violin
- Azar Lawrence: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
- Richard Lepore: Timpani
- Maxine Lewis: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
- Linda Lipsett: Viola
- Joseph Livoti: Violin
- Charles Loper: Trombone
- Steve Lukather: Guitar
- Jacqueline Lustgarten: Cello
- Joy Lyle: Violin
- Steve Madaio: Trumpet
- Arthur Maebe: French Horn
- Virginia Majewski: Viola
- Miguel Martinez: Cello
- Harvey Mason, Sr.: Percussion
- George Massenburg: Engineer
- Lew McCreary: Trombone
- Al McKay: Guitar, Percussion, Producer, Vocals
- Bill Meyers: Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
- Sidney Muldrow: French Horn
- Billy Myers: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
- Don Myrick: Saxophone
- Ross Pallone: Engineer
- Richard Perissi: French Horn
- Tom Perry: Engineer
- Jerry Peters: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
- The Phoenix Horns: Band
- Paul Polivnick: Viola
- Steve Porcaro: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
{{col-3}}
- Benjamin Powell: Trombone
- William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr.: Trombone
- Jerome Reisler: Violin
- Jerome Richardson: Saxophone
- Herman Riley: Saxophone
- Marilyn Robinson: French Horn
- Dean Rod: Engineer
- James Ross: Viola
- Henry Roth: Violin
- Sheldon Sanov: Violin
- Louis Satterfield: Trombone
- Skip Scarborough: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
- Sandy Seemore: Violin
- Anton Sen: Violin
- Leena Sherman: Violin
- Haim Shtrum: Violin
- Harry Shultz: Cello
- Daniel Smith: Cello
- Robert Spano: Engineer
- Maurice Spears: Trombone
- Charles Stepney: Arranger, Associate Producer, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Synthesizer
- Linn Subotnick: Viola
- Ilka Talvi: Violin
- Judith Talvi: Violin
- Beloyd Taylor: Guitar, Vocals (Background)
- Barbara Thomason: Viola
- Tom Tom 84: Arranger, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
- Kevan Torfeh: Cello
- Rosmen Torfeh: Violin
- Wayne Vaughn: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
- Charles Veal: Concert Master
- John Walz: Cello
- Jerome Webster: Violin
- Fred White: Drums, Percussion
- Maurice White: Compilation Producer, Drums, Kalimba, Producer, Timbales, Vocals
- Verdine White: Associate Producer, Bass, Percussion, Vocals
- Sheila Whitt: Vocals (Background)
- Craig Widby: Engineer
- Mark Wilder: Mastering
- Joseph Wissert: Producer
- Larry Woods: Viola
- Andrew Woolfolk: Flute, Percussion, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
- Benjamin F. Wright: Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
- Ken Yerke: Violin
{{col-end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Chart ! Peak |
|---|
| 1999
| Japanese Albums (Oricon){{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005|publisher=Oricon Entertainment|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9}} | align="center"|43 |
| rowspan="4"|2013
| US Billboard 200 |align="center"| 40 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)
|align="center"| 89 |
| Dutch Midprice Top 50{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Earth%2C+Wind+%26+Fire&titel=Greatest+Hits&cat=a|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits|publisher=Dutch Charts|website=dutchcharts.nl}}
|align="center"|6 |
| Dutch Combi Album Top 100
|align="center"|55 |
| rowspan="2"|2016
| French Albums{{cite web|url=https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Earth%2C+Wind+%26+Fire&titel=Greatest+Hits&cat=a|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits|website=lescharts.com}} |align="center"| 56 |
| Swiss Albums (Hitparade)
|align="center"| 89 |
Certifications
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Japan|artist=Earth, Wind and Fire|title=Greatest hits|award=Gold|certyear=2005|relyear=1998|certmonth=7|access-date=12 September 2019}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Earth, Wind & Fire}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greatest Hits Earth, Wind and Fire}}
Category:1998 greatest hits albums
Category:Earth, Wind & Fire compilation albums
Category:Albums produced by Maurice White
Category:Albums produced by Joe Wissert