Greatest Hits (The Cure album)


Greatest Hits is a 2001 compilation album by The Cure. The band's relationship with longtime label Fiction Records came to a close, and The Cure were obliged to release one final album for the label. Robert Smith agreed to release a greatest hits album under the condition that he could choose the tracks himself. The band also recorded a special studio album released as a bonus disc to some versions of the album. The disc, titled Acoustic Hits, is the eighteen songs from the North American release re-recorded using acoustic guitars.

History

Greatest Hits features select singles from their then-25 year history, along with the two new tracks "Cut Here" and "Just Say Yes". All songs were newly remastered specifically for the collection.
The UK and International editions of the record feature a similar tracklist, with the exception of three songs that only appear on one or the other: the International release features "The Walk", while the UK release excludes it in favor of "The Caterpillar" and "Pictures of You".
In an effort to provide something new for the hardcore fans who owned the previously released songs, Robert arranged for the band and former member Boris Williams to re-record acoustic versions of the Greatest Hits. Only the select first pressings of Greatest Hits were bundled with the bonus disc of Acoustic Hits.
Greatest Hits was also released on VHS and DVD. The video track listing mirrors that of the North American audio CD, with the exception of "The Caterpillar", "Pictures of You" and "Close to Me " which appear as hidden Easter eggs. Six of the acoustic performances also appear on the DVD.
The first vinyl version of this album was released on Record Store Day 2017 as two LP picture discs by the label Elektra Catalog Group. A quantity of 3250 were pressed. The release does not include the content of the Acoustic Hits disc, which was given its own standalone release on standard black vinyl.
On the 5th of July 2019,the album reached a new peak of 19 in the UK album chart following their headline set at Glastonbury Festival.

Track listing

UK (Fiction/Polydor) release

  1. "Boys Don't Cry" Single release only
  2. "A Forest" from Seventeen Seconds
  3. "Let's Go to Bed" Single release only
  4. "The Lovecats" Single release only
  5. "The Caterpillar" from The Top
  6. "In Between Days" from The Head on the Door
  7. "Close to Me" from The Head on the Door
  8. "Why Can't I Be You?" from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
  9. "Just Like Heaven" from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
  10. "Lullaby" from Disintegration
  11. "Lovesong" from Disintegration
  12. "Pictures of You" from Disintegration
  13. "Never Enough" from Mixed Up
  14. "High" from Wish
  15. "Friday I'm in Love" from Wish
  16. "Mint Car" from Wild Mood Swings
  17. "Wrong Number" from Galore
  18. "Cut Here" Previously unreleased
  19. "Just Say Yes" Previously unreleased

    International (Fiction/Polydor and Elektra) release

  20. "Boys Don't Cry"
  21. "A Forest"
  22. "Let's Go to Bed"
  23. "The Walk"
  24. "The Lovecats"
  25. "In Between Days"
  26. "Close to Me"
  27. "Why Can't I Be You?"
  28. "Just Like Heaven"
  29. "Lullaby"
  30. "Lovesong"
  31. "Never Enough"
  32. "High"
  33. "Friday I'm in Love"
  34. "Mint Car"
  35. "Wrong Number"
  36. "Cut Here"
  37. "Just Say Yes"

    Bonus disc (''Acoustic Hits'')

Acoustic Hits, the bonus disc features newly recorded acoustic versions of songs.
  1. "Boys Don't Cry"
  2. "A Forest"
  3. "Let's Go to Bed"
  4. "The Walk"
  5. "The Lovecats"
  6. "Inbetween Days"
  7. "Close to Me"
  8. "Why Can't I Be You?"
  9. "Just Like Heaven"
  10. "Lullaby"
  11. "Lovesong"
  12. "Never Enough"
  13. "High"
  14. "Friday I'm in Love"
  15. "Mint Car"
  16. "Wrong Number"
  17. "Cut Here"
  18. "Just Say Yes"

    Record Store Day 2017 release

Disc 1, Side A
  1. "Boys Don't Cry"
  2. "A Forest"
  3. "Let's Go to Bed"
  4. "The Walk"
  5. "The Lovecats"
Disc 1, Side B
  1. "Inbetween Days"
  2. "Close to Me"
  3. "Why Can't I Be You?"
  4. "Just Like Heaven"
  5. "Lullaby"
Disc 2, Side A
  1. "Lovesong"
  2. "Never Enough"
  3. "High"
  4. "Friday I'm in Love"
Disc 2, Side B
  1. "Mint Car"
  2. "Wrong Number"
  3. "Cut Here"
  4. "Just Say Yes"

    Personnel

The following are the personnel for the acoustic bonus disc only.

Certifications