| The Very Best of The Jam | |
| Type: | Greatest hits |
| Artist: | The Jam |
| Cover: | The_Very_Best_of_the_Jam.jpg |
| Border: | yes |
| Released: | 25 October 1997 |
| Recorded: | 1977–1982 |
| Genre: | Mod revival, punk rock, new wave |
| Length: | 64:15 |
| Label: | Polydor |
| Prev Title: | Direction Reaction Creation |
| Prev Year: | 1997 |
| Next Year: | 1999 |
The Very Best of The Jam is the third greatest hits package (fourth including Compact Snap!) from The Jam. The compilation was released on 25 October 1997, and features all of The Jam's singles (A-side tracks) in chronological order.[1]
This compilation album contains the same nineteen tracks previously released upon the 1991 album Greatest Hits, although The Very Best of The Jam contains two further tracks: "'A' Bomb in Wardour Street" and "Dreams of Children". This compilation also has a similar track listing to Compact Snap! with "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?" replacing "Smithers-Jones".
"The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)" was re-released as a single in 1997 to promote the album; it had previously been released as a single in 1982.[1]
A VHS cassette of the same name featuring 15 music videos was also released. This was effectively a re-titled re-release of both the 1983 Snap! and 1991 Greatest Hits VHS cassettes, both of which featured the same 15 music videos.