Greatest Hits (Gretchen Wilson album) explained

Greatest Hits
Type:greatest
Artist:Gretchen Wilson
Cover:Greatesthitsgretchen.jpg
Released:January 19, 2010
Recorded:2004–2007
Genre:Country
Length:39:10
Label:Columbia Nashville
Producer:John Rich
Joe Scaife
Gretchen Wilson
Mark Wright
Prev Title:One of the Boys
Prev Year:2007
Next Title:I Got Your Country Right Here
Next Year:2010

Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by American country music singer Gretchen Wilson. It was released on January 19, 2010, via Columbia Nashville. The album features all of Wilson's top 40 hits and a live cover of Heart's 1977 hit "Barracuda".[1] The album's release was announced after Wilson had parted ways with Columbia Nashville in mid-2009 to begin her own record label, Redneck Records.

Content

The compilation opens up with Wilson's signature hit and number one country hit "Redneck Woman", from her debut album Here for the Party (2004). The next song to follow up is the title track, which was a top three hit on the Hot Country Songs chart (then known as "Hot Country Singles & Tracks"). "Homewrecker" follows after, which peaked at number two. "When I Think About Cheatin'", one of the four top five hits from Here for the Party, is the final single included from the album.

"California Girls" is the song that follows after, which was the final single from her sophomore album All Jacked Up (2005). The Merle Haggard duet "Politically Uncorrect" is next, which is also the first song in Greatest Hits that Wilson did not co-wrote. After is "I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today", which was Wilson's first single to miss the top ten on the country charts.

"One of the Boys" is one of two tracks from her 2007 album of the same name included on Greatest Hits. "Come to Bed", a duet with frequent collaborator John Rich, was the other included. Both singles barely scraped into the top 40 at country radio. The final previously released song from the compilation is "All Jacked Up", the title track to All Jacked Up, which is noted for its record-breaking debut at number 21 on Hot Country Songs when it debuted. The final song and only new song included on Greatest Hits is a live version of "Barracuda" by rock band Heart, which Wilson has performed a few times. The only single excluded from the compilation is "You Don't Have to Go Home" from One of the Boys, which was Wilson's only single at the time of its release to miss the top forty.

Critical reception

The release of Greatest Hits was sudden and not promoted, so it received very little reception from critics. The one review from Thom Jurek of AllMusic gave the record a positive review. Although noting how premature of a greatest hits album in Wilson's career was, he did praise the record for having all her hits, and noted the "killer live rendition" of "Barracuda". He gave the record 4 out of 5 stars.

Chart performance

Chart (2010)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums24
U.S. Billboard 200168

Notes and References

  1. News: Stephen M. Deusner . Rise and Fall of the Redneck Woman: Gretchen Wilson, 'Greatest Hits' . Washington Post . 20 January 2010.