Greatest Hits (Whitesnake album)

In 1990, lead singer David Coverdale put the group on a hiatus after the Slip of the Tongue tour and withdrew from the public eye to reflect on his career. Three years later, he resurfaced by forming a collaboration with Jimmy Page. The album Coverdale–Page was released in March 1993, opening at number five in the US and number four in the UK. They played six concerts in Japan. The duo ended up selling more than one million copies worldwide.^[2]

During rehearsals for the Coverdale—Page tour, Coverdale was informed by Geffen Records, the group's North American label at the time, were planning to release a greatest hits compilation, titled Whitesnake's Greatest Hits. The project initially featured recent songs that were successful in North America. Coverdale questioned the way the songs were going to be arranged. Meanwhile, the band's European label, EMI Records also planned to get hold of the upcoming title from Geffen and issue the compilation. Coverdale then envisioned a greatest hits album that would be conceived as two volumes, known as 'Volume I' and 'Volume II'—the first highlighting early blues rock, and the second containing hard rock and glam metal sound that brought them to a worldwide success, which Geffen had already assembled. The idea was done "so people would have the choice," Coverdale explained, given that Whitesnake had various successes in different regions. EMI had agreed to assemble his request but the original recordings that were meant for the 'Volume I' set could not be located at that time. He then wanted to do a set that contained Whitesnake's most successful albums ranging from 1984 to 1990, saying that he "wanted some good old Rock 'n' Roll bollocks at the bottom."^[3]

To promote Whitesnake's Greatest Hits, EMI planned a "heavily advertised" campaign and promotion starting off with other countries "one area at a time", involving local TV advertising, radio adverts, in-store window displays, and nationwide street poster campaign, followed by multiple publications, including Daily Mail and Daily Mirror. The goal was to keep the albums sales consistent throughout the summer, followed by "a one-week cool down period between each burst of activity."^[4] The compilation was released on 4 July 1994 and received a positive response from the public. Rod MacSween from EMI convinced Coverdale to tour as Whitesnake. Although reluctant, Coverdale agreed and decided to reform the group.^[2]

The compilation consists fourteen digitally remastered tracks — six from the Whitesnake/1987 album, three from Slide It In, and four from Slip of the Tongue — as well as a B-side, "Sweet Lady Luck", that originally appeared in "The Deeper the Love" single. Two tracks that were featured in European release on the 1987 album — "Looking for Love" and "You're Gonna Break My Heart Again" — were originally not released in North America because Geffen's A&R John Kalodner didn't want those tracks due to vinyl constraints.^[5] Upon release, track listings for European, American, and Japanese releases is universally similar but features different mixes from Slide It In across different regions — where the American remix was released in North America and Japan, while the original mix was released in Europe. Kerrang! magazine initially reported "Don't Break My Heart Again", a 1981 track from Come an' Get It, was originally slated to be featured in the compilation but was later omitted due to undisclosed reasons.^[6]

"Is This Love" was re-released as a promo in the United Kingdom on 20 June 1994, then comercally available on 25 July.^[6][1] It peaked at number 25 in the UK Singles Chart and spent four weeks inside that chart.^[7]

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Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	7/10[9]
MusicHound Rock	[10]
Music Week	[11]

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Whitesnake's Greatest Hits received positive reviews from music critics and contemporary accolades.

In the band's main country, Whitesnake's Greatest Hits debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart on 16 July 1994.^[12] This was the group's second highest charting position since their 1981 Come an' Get It album last peaked at number two. It went on to spend 12 weeks inside the chart^[13] and received a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).^[14] The album debuted at the top spot for two weeks on the Rock & Metal Albums chart.^[15][16][17] According to Coverdale, the album had already reached over 100,000 copies in the UK within two days after its release.^[2]

Whitesnake's Greatest Hits also was successful in multiple countries. In Japan, the album peaked at number 27 and charted for six weeks.^[18] Five years later, the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) certified it gold for shipment of 100,000 copies.^[19] Across Europe, the album charted within the top twenty in multiple countries such as Portugal,^[20] Sweden,^[21] and Switzerland,^[22] while peaking at number 13 on the pancontinental European Top 100 Albums chart.^[20] In Finland, the album peaked at number six^[23] and was certified gold for shipments of 21,755 copies.^[24]

In Germany, Whitesnake's Greatest Hits reached number 51 on that chart and charted for 8 weeks. Despite having a successful cult following in that country, where all of the group's studio albums since Come an' Get It peaked inside the Top 30, the compilation failed to match its previous efforts.^[25] In Australia, it peaked at number 34 and spent four weeks in that chart.^[26] Nearly twelve years later, the album only peaked at number 95 in Spain.^[27] In the United States, the compilation was a commercial failure on the US Billboard 200 chart, where it only peaked at number 161 and stayed for two weeks inside the chart. On 7 November 1995, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it gold for sales of 500,000 units, and was eventually certified platinum for one million on 28 September 1998.^[28]

Credits are adapted from the compilation album's liner notes.^[31] For original song album credits, see Slide It In, Whitesnake and Slip of the Tongue.