Greatest Hits (Cher album)
1974 greatest hits album by Cher
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Greatest Hits is the third greatest hits compilation by American singer-actress Cher, released in October 1974 by MCA Records. The album was released to close Cher's contract with MCA, her record company since 1971. This release follows the greatest hits albums Golden Greats (1968) and Superpack (1972). The album peaked at 152 on the Billboard 200 chart.[1]
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Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |    [4] |
Billboard highlighted that Cher is "a fine singer" and "has proven one of the most consistent hitmakers", with songs that "are not only good but which vary from rock to ballads to that vague in-between".[5] Cash Box wrote that the album is "a collection that really demonstrates how much Cher has meant to the industry and the millions of fans".[6]
According to Robert Christgau, Cher's "biggest hits [are] irresistible" and that she is "at least as authentic as Tammy Wynette". He highlighted the "great Swarthy Trilogy" ("Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady") as proof of a collection "as vulgar as any in the post-Beatles era".[3] The Rolling Stone Album Guide described that "those three glorious howlers [the "great Swarthy Trilogy"] can't rescue Cher's Greatest Hits from the gaping clutches of dispassionate shlock like 'The Way of Love'".[4]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album a filled circle, a key symbol which represents "the best this artist has to offer".[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dark Lady" | John Durrill | Dark Lady, 1974 | 3:26 |
| 2. | "The Way of Love" |
| Chér, 1971 | 2:30 |
| 3. | "Don't Hide Your Love" | Foxy Lady, 1972 | 2:50 | |
| 4. | "Half-Breed" |
| Half-Breed, 1973 | 2:42 |
| 5. | "Train of Thought" | Alan O'Day | Dark Lady | 2:34 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" | Bob Stone | Chér | 2:36 |
| 2. | "I Saw a Man and He Danced with His Wife" | Durrill | Dark Lady | 3:13 |
| 3. | "Carousel Man" | Durrill | Half-Breed | 3:02 |
| 4. | "Living in a House Divided" | Tom Bahler | Foxy Lady | 2:57 |
| 5. | "Melody" |
| Half-Breed | 2:34 |
| Total length: | 28:24 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Dixie Girl" | Durrill | Dark Lady | 3:22 |
| Total length: | 31:46 | |||
Personnel
- Cher - lead vocals
- Snuff Garrett - record producer
- Al Capps - arrangement assistance
- Michel Rubini - arrangement assistance
- John Engstead - photography
Charts
| Chart (1974–75) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[7] | 100 |
| US Billboard 200[8] | 152 |
| US Top Pop Albums (Cash Box)[9] | 121 |
| US Top Albums (Record World)[10] | 144 |