Greatest Hits (The Police album)
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Greatest Hits
| type = greatest
| artist = the Police
| cover = The Police Greatest Hits.jpg
| border = yes
| alt =
| released = 28 September 1992
| recorded = 1978–1983
| genre = Rock, new wave, reggae rock
| length = 67:49
| label = A&M
| producer =
| prev_title = Their Greatest Hits
| prev_year = 1990
| next_title = Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings
| next_year = 1993
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Select
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite magazine|author=Dave Morrison|url=https://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2013/04/albums6.jpg|title=Album Reviews: The Police — Greatest Hits|date=November 1992|magazine=Select|page=95|publisher=EMAP|issn=0959-8367|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241105122656/https://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2013/04/albums6.jpg|archive-date=November 5, 2024|access-date=April 20, 2025}}
}}
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.
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.{{cite web |last=Sexton |first=Paul |title=The Police's Greatest Hits For 30th Anniversary Half-Speed Vinyl Edition |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/police-greatest-hits-30th-anniversary-vinyl/ |website=UDiscover Music |date=17 February 2022 |access-date=25 April 2022}}
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."{{Cite web|url=https://www.thepolice.com/greatest-hits|title=Greatest Hits|website=The Police}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Original album
| total_length = 67:49
| all_writing = Sting
| title1 = Roxanne
| extra1 = Outlandos d'Amour, 1978
| length1 = 3:13
| title2 = Can't Stand Losing You
| extra2 = Outlandos d'Amour
| length2 = 2:48
| title3 = So Lonely
| extra3 = Outlandos d'Amour
| length3 = 4:48
| title4 = Message in a Bottle
| extra4 = Reggatta de Blanc, 1979
| length4 = 4:49
| title5 = Walking on the Moon
| extra5 = Reggatta de Blanc
| length5 = 5:02
| title6 = The Bed's Too Big Without You
| extra6 = Reggatta de Blanc
| length6 = 4:24
| title7 = Don't Stand So Close to Me
| extra7 = Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980
| length7 = 4:02
| title8 = De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
| extra8 = Zenyatta Mondatta
| length8 = 4:08
| title9 = Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
| extra9 = Ghost in the Machine, 1981
| length9 = 4:20
| title10 = Invisible Sun
| extra10 = Ghost in the Machine
| length10 = 3:43
| title11 = Spirits in the Material World
| extra11 = Ghost in the Machine
| length11 = 2:58
| title12 = Synchronicity II
| extra12 = Synchronicity, 1983
| length12 = 5:00
| title13 = Every Breath You Take
| extra13 = Synchronicity
| length13 = 4:12
| title14 = King of Pain
| extra14 = Synchronicity
| length14 = 4:57
| title15 = Wrapped Around Your Finger
| extra15 = Synchronicity
| length15 = 5:14
| title16 = Tea in the Sahara
| extra16 = Synchronicity
| length16 = 4:11
}}
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
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:centre"
|+ 1993–1994 chart performance for Greatest Hits !scope="col"| Chart (1993–1994) !scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Australia|16|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|Flanders|99|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|Wallonia|148|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|Canada|24|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|chartid=1870|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|France|70|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|Germany4|18|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|id=10985|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|New Zealand|1|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|Norway|4|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|Portugal|38|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|UK|10|artist=The Police|rowheader=true}} |
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2022 chart performance for Greatest Hits ! scope="col"| Chart (2022) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Austria|66|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|rowheader=true|access-date=27 April 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Germany4|5|id=10985|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|rowheader=true|access-date=22 April 2022|refname=ger-2022}} |
| {{album chart|Ireland|52|M|url=http://www.irma.ie/index.cfm?page=irish-charts&chart=Albums|title=Irish Albums Chart: 22 April 2022|publisher=Irish Recorded Music Association|rowheader=true|access-date=23 April 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|23|artist=The Police|album=Greatest Hits|rowheader=true|access-date=24 April 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|141|M|url=https://twitter.com/billboardcharts/status/1518602110711083008|title=Debuts on this week's #Billboard200...|publisher=Billboard on Twitter|artist=The Police|rowheader=true|access-date=26 April 2022}} |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Greatest Hits}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Argentina|type=album|title=The Police|artist=Greatest Hits|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1992|certyear=1992|certref={{cite web|url=http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=0&PerDesde_AA=0&PerHasta_MM=0&PerHasta_AA=0&interprete=&album=&LanDesde_MM=1&LanDesde_AA=1980&LanHasta_MM=12&LanHasta_AA=2010&Galardon=O&Tipo=1&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110706084844/http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=0&PerDesde_AA=0&PerHasta_MM=0&PerHasta_AA=0&interprete=&album=&LanDesde_MM=1&LanDesde_AA=1980&LanHasta_MM=12&LanHasta_AA=2010&Galardon=O&Tipo=1&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP |archive-date= 6 July 2011 |title=Discos de oro y platino |access-date=13 December 2019 |publisher=Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas |language=es |url-status=dead }}}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=album|title=The Police|artist=Greatest Hits|award=Platinum|number=5|relyear=1992|certyear=2016|accessdate=13 December 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Belgium|type=album|title=Greatest Hits|artist=The Police|award=Platinum|certyear=2005|relyear=1992}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|title=The Police|artist=Greatest Hits|award=Platinum|relyear=1992|certyear=1993|accessdate=13 December 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|artist=The Police|title=Greatest Hits|type=album |award=Platinum|relyear=1992|certyear=1994|source=infodisc}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Mexico|title=Greatest Hits|artist=The Police|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1991}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=album|title=The Police|artist=Greatest Hits|award=Platinum|relyear=1992|certref={{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/albums/1994-05-13 |title=New Zealand Certification |publisher=Recorded Music NZ}}|access-date=13 December 2019|refname=RIANZ}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=album|title=The Police|artist=Greatest Hits|award=Gold|relyear=1992|source=radioscope|certyear=2022|note=reissue|access-date=8 February 2025|refname=RIANZ}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|type=album|title=The Police|artist=Greatest Hits|award=Gold|relyear=1992|certyear=1993|accessdate=13 December 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|title=The Police|artist=Greatest Hits|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1992|certyear=2020|accessdate=21 January 2020|id=2649-2080-2}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true}}