Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996

Blues Saraceno replaced Richie Kotzen as lead guitarist after the last album Native Tongue and The Greatest Hits features two bonus new tracks with Blues Saraceno on lead guitar: "Lay Your Body Down" and "Sexual Thing".

The compilation charted at number 2 on the Top Catalog Albums chart in Billboard magazine{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/poison/chart-history/tlc/|title = Poison - US Catalog Albums |magazine = Billboard }} Retrieved August 19, 2021. and includes most of Poison's hit singles which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 or mainstream rock charts.{{cite web|url = {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5162/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}}|title = Allmusic (Poison charts and awards)|publisher=}} The compilation was certified Gold in 1999 and by 2005 the album had gone double platinum.{{cite web|url = https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Poison&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50|title = RIAA Gold & Platinum (Poison) |website = Recording Industry Association of America }}Retrieved 2010. It was certified gold in Canada.

{{track listing

| all_writing = Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett, except where noted.

| total_length = 72:12

| extra_column = Original album

| title1 = Nothin' But a Good Time

| extra1 = Open Up and Say... Ahh! (1988)

| length1 = 3:44

| title2 = Talk Dirty to Me

| extra2 = Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986)

| length2 = 3:44

| title3 = Unskinny Bop

| extra3 = Flesh & Blood (1990)

| length3 = 3:49

| title4 = Every Rose Has Its Thorn

| extra4 = Open Up and Say... Ahh!

| length4 = 4:21

| title5 = Fallen Angel

| extra5 = Open Up and Say... Ahh!

| length5 = 3:59

| title6 = I Won't Forget You

| extra6 = Look What the Cat Dragged In

| length6 = 3:35

| title7 = Stand

| writer7 = {{hlist|Michaels|Dall|Rockett|Richie Kotzen}}

| extra7 = Native Tongue (1993)

| length7 = 5:16

| title8 = Ride the Wind

| extra8 = Flesh & Blood

| length8 = 3:52

| title9 = Look What the Cat Dragged In

| extra9 = Look What the Cat Dragged In

| length9 = 3:11

| title10 = I Want Action

| extra10 = Look What the Cat Dragged In

| length10 = 3:06

| title11 = Life Goes On

| extra11 = Flesh & Blood

| length11 = 4:48

| title12 = (Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice

| extra12 = Flesh & Blood

| length12 = 4:41

| title13 = Cry Tough

| extra13 = Look What the Cat Dragged In

| length13 = 3:39

| title14 = Your Mama Don't Dance

| note14 = Loggins and Messina cover

| writer14 = {{hlist|Kenny Loggins|Jim Messina}}

| extra14 = Open Up and Say... Ahh!

| length14 = 3:02

| title15 = So Tell Me Why

| extra15 = Swallow This Live (1991)

| length15 = 3:23

| title16 = Something to Believe In

| extra16 = Flesh & Blood

| length16 = 5:29

| title17 = Sexual Thing

| writer17 = {{hlist|Michaels|Dall|Rockett|Blues Saraceno}}

| extra17 = New recording (1996)

| length17 = 3:35

| title18 = Lay Your Body Down

| writer18 = {{hlist|Michaels|Dall|Rockett|Saraceno}}

| extra18 = New recording (1996)

| length18 = 5:28

}}

Track information verified from the album's liner notes.{{Cite AV media notes |title=Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996 |others=Poison |type=liner notes |access-date= |year=1996 |publisher=Capitol Records |id=CDP 7243 8 53375 2 9}}

The album Crack a Smile featuring Blues Saraceno on lead guitar contained tracks recorded 1994–1995 but remained unreleased at the time of this compilation's release. Therefore, the last 2 tracks included here were first released on this album as bonus new tracks (1996) and then released again on the Crack a Smile... and More! album in 2000, which was the next Poison album to be released.

Some copies of the album had a hidden picture of the band featuring CC Deville underneath the CD tray. The CD tray was not made of see through material, and therefore the image was covered up by the neon green plastic.

• Bret Michaels - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
• Bobby Dall - bass, piano
• Rikki Rockett - drums
• Blues Saraceno - lead guitar on new tracks 17–18
• C.C. DeVille - lead guitar on tracks 1–6, 8–16
• Richie Kotzen - lead guitar on track 7

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=Poison|title=Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996|award=Gold|certyear=1991| relyear=1996|access-date=August 26, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Poison|title=Greatest Hits - 1986-1996|award=Silver|certyear=2017| relyear=1997|access-date=August 26, 2020|id=14641-697-2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Poison|title=Greatest Hits 1986-1996|access-date=August 26, 2020|certyear=2005|relyear=1996|award=Platinum|number=2}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true|streaming=true}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{MusicBrainz release group|id=262c0b45-03c4-3ac1-a953-944ca99c1e70|name=Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996}}
• {{Discogs master|master=243188|name=Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996|type=album}}

{{Poison}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996}}

Category:1996 greatest hits albums

Category:Albums produced by John Purdell

Category:Albums produced by Bruce Fairbairn

Category:Albums produced by Tom Werman

Category:Albums produced by Duane Baron

Category:Poison (American band) compilation albums

Category:Capitol Records compilation albums