Greatest Hits (James Taylor album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Greatest Hits

| type = greatest

| artist = James Taylor

| cover = James Taylor - Greatest Hits.jpg

| alt =

| released = November 1976

| recorded = {{Start date|1969|12}} – {{End date|1976|10}}

| studio =

| genre = * Soft rock

folk pop

| length = 43:42

| label = Warner Bros.

| producer = * {{nowrap|Peter Asher}}

{{nowrap|David Spinozza}}
{{nowrap|Lenny Waronker}}
{{nowrap|Russ Titelman}}

| prev_title = In the Pocket

| prev_year = 1976

| next_title = JT

| next_year = 1977

}}

Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, released in November 1976 by Warner Bros. records. It remains Taylor's best-selling album, with over 11 million units being sold in the United States, making it among the best-selling albums of the 1970's.{{Cite web |title=JAMES TAYLOR album sales |url=https://bestsellingalbums.org/artist/5927 |access-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204224918/https://bestsellingalbums.org/artist/5927 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Best-selling albums of 1970's |url=https://bestsellingalbums.org/decade/1970 |access-date=February 21, 2023 |archive-date=December 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206054341/https://bestsellingalbums.org/decade/1970 |url-status=live }}

The album took place in the context of Taylor's end of his recording contract with Warner Records. It features redone versions of "Carolina in My Mind" and "Something in the Way She Moves", both of which had been previously included on Taylor's self-titled debut album in 1968. It also includes a previously unavailable live version of "Steamroller".

The album did not rise higher than number 23 on the Billboard albums chart on its original release. However it became a steady seller for many years, and Greatest Hits has sold over 11 million copies, certifying it as an 11× Platinum album

In August 2012, the album re-entered the Billboard 200 albums chart, at number 15, which gave the album a new peak.

Reception

{{Album reviews

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r19702|pure_url=yes}}

| rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide

| rev2score = C{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: T|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=T&bk=70|access-date=March 15, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com|archive-date=April 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405234018/https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=T&bk=70|url-status=live}}

| rev3 = MusicHound Rock

| rev3score = 3.5/5{{cite book|editor-last1=Graff|editor-first1=Gary|editor-last2=Durchholz|editor-first2=Daniel|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Farmington Hills, MI|year=1999|isbn=1-57859-061-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/1124 1124]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/1124}}

| rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev4Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/james-taylor/albumguide |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105161220/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/james-taylor/albumguide |title=James Taylor: Album Guide |publisher=rollingstone.com |archive-date=January 5, 2013 |access-date=October 27, 2015 }}

}}

Music critic William Ruhlmann gave the album a positive review, writing for AllMusic that it constitutes a "reasonable collection for an artist who wasn't particularly well-defined by his singles". While cautioning that the release did not quite show the "evolution" of Taylor's songwriting, he stated that it remains "a good sampler" of the artist's early work.

Track listing

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| extra_column = From

| all_writing = James Taylor, except where noted.

| title1 = Something in the Way She Moves

| note1 = 1976 re-recording

| extra1 = original version from James Taylor, 1969

| length1 = 3:13

| title2 = Carolina in My Mind

| note2 = 1976 re-recording

| extra2 = original version from James Taylor

| length2 = 4:00

| title3 = Fire and Rain

| extra3 = Sweet Baby James, 1970

| length3 = 3:26

| title4 = Sweet Baby James

| extra4 = Sweet Baby James

| length4 = 2:55

| title5 = Country Road

| extra5 = Sweet Baby James

| length5 = 3:26

| title6 = You've Got a Friend

| note6 = Carole King

| extra6 = Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, 1971

| length6 = 4:33

| total_length = 21:33

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| extra_column = From

| title1 = Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

| extra1 = One Man Dog, 1972

| length1 = 2:39

| title2 = Walking Man

| extra2 = Walking Man, 1974

| length2 = 3:36

| title3 = How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)

| note3 = Holland-Dozier-Holland

| extra3 = Gorilla, 1975

| length3 = 3:39

| title4 = Mexico

| extra4 = Gorilla

| length4 = 3:01

| title5 = Shower the People

| extra5 = In the Pocket, 1976

| length5 = 4:01

| title6 = Steamroller

| note6 = live

| extra6 = original version from Sweet Baby James

| length6 = 5:19

| total_length = 22:15

}}

Personnel

James Taylor – acoustic guitar, vocals
Kenny Ascher – electric piano (track 8)
Byron Berline – fiddle (track 2)
Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (track 7)
David Crosby – harmony vocals (track 10)
Nick DeCaro – hornorgan, voiceorgan (track 11)
Craig Doerge – piano (track 7)
Dan Dugmore – pedal steel guitar (tracks 1, 2)
Victor Feldman – orchestra bells, vibes (track 11)
Andrew Gold – harmonium, backing vocals (track 2)
Milt Holland – percussion (track 10)
Jim Keltner – drums (track 9)
Carole King – piano (tracks 3–5)
Danny Kortchmar – electric guitar (tracks 7, 9–10, 12); credited as Danny Kootch – acoustic guitar, congas (track 6)
Russ Kunkel – drums (tracks 2–7, 10–12); congas (tracks 6–7); cabasa (track 6); tambourine (track 9); shaker (track 10)
Gayle Levant – harp (track 10)
John London – bass guitar (track 4)
Rick Marotta – drums (track 8)
Ralph MacDonald – percussion (track 8)
Clarence McDonald – piano (tracks 2, 9, 12); Fender Rhodes piano (tracks 9, 11); voiceorgan (track 11)
Randy Meisner – bass guitar (track 5)
Joni Mitchell – backing vocals (track 6)
Andy Muson – bass guitar (track 8)
Graham Nash – harmony vocals (track 10)
Gene Orloff – strings (concertmaster) (track 8)
Herb Pedersen – backing vocals (track 1)
Red Rhodes – pedal steel guitar (track 4)
David Sanborn – saxophone (track 9)
Carly Simon – harmony vocals (tracks 9, 11)
Leland Sklar (credited as "Lee" Sklar) – bass guitar (tracks 1–2, 6–7, 9–12)
David Spinozza – electric guitar; acoustic guitar (track 8)
Bobby West (credited as Bobby "Wild Wild" West) – double bass (track 3)

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row"\|Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book\|last=Kent\|first=David\|author-link=David Kent (historian)\|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992\|edition=illustrated\|publisher=Australian Chart Book\|location=St Ives, N.S.W.\|year=1993\|isbn=0-646-11917-6\|page=305}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|67
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" \|+ Weekly chart performance for Greatest Hits !Chart (1976–2020) !Peak position
{{album chart\|Canada\|27\|chartid=5153a\|rowheader=true\|access-date=February 19, 2025}}
{{album chart\|Billboard200\|15\|artist=James Taylor\|rowheader=true\|access-date=May 27, 2021}}
{{album chart\|BillboardRock\|31\|artist=James Taylor\|rowheader=true\|access-date=May 27, 2021}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" \|+ 2020 year-end chart performance for Greatest Hits !Chart (2020) !Position
scope="row"\|US Top Rock Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2020/top-rock-albums\|title=Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020\|magazine=Billboard\|access-date=May 27, 2021\|archive-date=December 4, 2020\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204110837/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2020/top-rock-albums\|url-status=live}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|79

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ 2020 year-end chart performance for Greatest Hits

!Chart (2020)

!Position

scope="row"|US Top Rock Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2020/top-rock-albums|title=Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 27, 2021|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204110837/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2020/top-rock-albums|url-status=live}}

| style="text-align:center;"|79

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Greatest Hits}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=album|title=Greatest Hits|artist=James Taylor|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=1976|certyear=1996|access-date=November 28, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=album|title=Greatest Hits|artist=James Taylor|award=Gold|relyear=1976|certyear=2000|certref={{cite book|author=Fernando Salaverri|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2|page=953}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|title=Greatest Hits|artist=James Taylor|award=Platinum|relyear=1992|certyear=2015|id=2649-2532-2|access-date=August 6, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=Greatest Hits|artist=James Taylor|award=Platinum|number=11|relyear=1976|certyear=1996|access-date=August 6, 2020}}