Greatest Hits (Tom Petty album) explained

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released on November 16, 1993. It is Petty's best-selling album to date and was certified 12× Platinum by the RIAA on April 28, 2015. The single "Mary Jane's Last Dance" became one of Petty's most popular songs, reaching No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The other new song on the album is a cover of the Thunderclap Newman hit "Something in the Air". The album contains no songs from 1987's Let Me Up (I've Had Enough). However, three songs from Petty's 1989 solo album Full Moon Fever were included.

On its original release in November 1993, the album debuted at No. 8 on Billboard 200,^[1] and first peaked at No. 5 on the chart in February 1994.^[2] It reached a new peak of No. 2 following Petty's death in 2017.^[3]

The new tracks "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and "Something in the Air" were the band's last recordings with drummer Stan Lynch.

Reissues

In 2008, Greatest Hits was reissued by Geffen Records. This edition replaced "Something In The Air" with "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", Petty's duet with Stevie Nicks from her 1981 album Bella Donna. The album's photos and artwork replaced the Wildflowers and Into the Great Wide Open session photos with outtakes from You're Gonna Get It!. In 2010 the album was once again reissued, this time reverting to the original 1993 track listing but keeping the artwork from the 2008 edition. In 2016 the album was made available on vinyl for the first time since 1993.

Personnel

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

• Tom Petty – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica, percussion (all tracks)
• Mike Campbell – guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, squeeze box (all tracks)
• Benmont Tench – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (tracks 1–11, 15–18)
• Ron Blair – bass guitar (tracks 1–8)
• Howie Epstein – bass guitar, backing vocals (tracks 10–12, 15–18)
• Stan Lynch – drums, percussion, backing vocals (tracks 1–11, 15–18)

Additional musicians

• George Harrison – acoustic guitar, backing vocals (track 12)
• Jeff Lynne – bass guitar, guitar, guitar synthesizer, piano, keyboards, backing vocals (tracks 12–16)
• David A. Stewart – sitar, keyboards, backing vocals (track 11)

Uncredited musicians

• Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass guitar (track 18, 2008 release)
• Dean Garcia – intro bass guitar (track 11)
• Phil Jones – percussion, drums (tracks 9–10, 12–14)
• Jeff Jourard, Mike Slee – guitar (track 2)
• Jim Keltner – percussion (track 5)
• Stevie Nicks – co-lead vocals (track 18, 2008 release)
• Lori Perry, Sharon Celani – backing vocals (track 18, 2008 release)
• Daniel Rothmuller – cello (track 11)
• Phil Seymour – backing vocals (tracks 1–2)
• Chris Trujillo – percussion (tracks 17–18)
• Alan "Bugs" Weidel – "wild dog" piano (track 11)
• Sharon Celani, Marilyn Martin, Stephanie Sprull – backing vocals (track 11)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1994)!scope="col"

Peak position
Canadian Top Albums[4]	4

Chart (2017)!scope="col"

Peak position
UK Albums (OCC)[5]	14

Chart (2023)!scope="col"

Peak position
Greek Albums (IFPI)[6]	1

Year-end charts

1994 annual chart performance for Greatest Hits

Chart (1994)	Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7]	91
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[8]	43
US Billboard 200[9]	14

2017 annual chart performance for Greatest Hits

Chart (2017)	Position
US Billboard 200[12]	116
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[13]	10

2018 annual chart performance for Greatest Hits

Chart (2018)	Position
US Billboard 200[14]	74
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[15]	5

2019 annual chart performance for Greatest Hits

Chart (2019)	Position
US Billboard 200[16]	148
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[17]	25

2020 annual chart performance for Greatest Hits

Chart (2020)	Position
US Billboard 200[18]	81
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[19]	8

2021 annual chart performance for Greatest Hits

Chart (2021)	Position
US Billboard 200[20]	76
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[21]	8

2022 annual chart performance for Greatest Hits

Chart (2022)	Position
US Billboard 200[22]	78
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[23]	8

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Position
US Billboard 200[24]	79
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[25]	10

Release history

Region!scope="col"

Date	Label	Format	Catalog
Europe	October 30, 1993	MCA Records	double LP	MCA 10964
			Cassette	MCC 10964
			CD	MCD 10964
North America	November 16, 1993		Cassette	MCAC 10813
			CD	MCAD 10813
	May 20, 2008	Geffen Records		B0010327-02
Europe				1774395

See also

• List of best-selling albums in the United States

Notes and References

1. Billboard 200 . December 4, 1993 . Billboard.
2. Billboard 200 . February 5, 1994 . Billboard.
3. Caulfield. Keith. Tom Petty's 'Greatest Hits' Returns to Billboard 200 Albums Chart at No. 2. Billboard. October 8, 2017. October 8, 2017.
4. February 7, 1994 . 100 Albums (CD's & Cassettes) . . 59 . 3 . PHP . 0315-5994 . July 1, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121023123610/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.2381&type=2&interval=50&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3 . 2012-10-23 . dead .
5. Web site: Official Album Chart: Top 100 Official UK Albums. Official Charts Company. October 6, 2017 . October 7, 2017.
6. Web site: Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 42/2023) . https://web.archive.org/web/20240516055909/https://www.ifpi.gr/charts_el.html . May 16, 2024 . May 17, 2024 . IFPI Greece.
7. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. de. GfK Entertainment. April 15, 2021.
8. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1994. Recorded Music NZ. February 1, 2022.
9. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994. Billboard. 2 January 2013. June 2, 2021. January 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150123054246/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/the-billboard-200. live.
10. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995. Billboard. 2 January 2013. June 2, 2021. January 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150123044853/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/the-billboard-200. live.
11. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996. Billboard. 2 January 2013. June 2, 2021. January 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150123035756/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1996/the-billboard-200. live.
12. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017. Billboard. 2 January 2013. December 12, 2017.
13. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2017. Billboard. 2 January 2013. April 7, 2021.
14. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 5, 2018.
15. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. April 7, 2021.
16. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. April 7, 2021.
17. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. April 7, 2021.
18. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020. Billboard. December 4, 2020.
19. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020. Billboard. April 7, 2021.
20. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021.
21. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021.
22. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 3, 2022.
23. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 3, 2022.
24. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 23, 2023.
25. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 23, 2023.