In this thread, we make an argument that for a given musical artist/band, a newcomer could basically be okay just getting familiar with one specific album, and past that only one collection - a greatest hits compilation, a live record, something of that sort.

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So... if you love an artist so much that you believe everyone should celebrate their entire catalog, then that's not a fit here.

For all our various one-hit wonders out there, recently dusted off by Breeze, who have no legitimate catalog... well not a fit either. (Or, make the case that we all really really need to listen to Scoundrel Days, go for it)

Incidentally, if the artist doesn't (yet) have any sort of officially compiled "greatest hits" album or the equivalent, feel free to theorize what would be on it if you were making it today, and make the case that it's still a fit.

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So... gimme two hours (or so) of music, and your assurance that from this I'll get everything essential about the artist. The more consequential/productive the artist, and the more difficult they are to fit into this two-part box, the more style points you'll receive.

Hmm. Someone immediately came to mind, but it's hard to pick an album due to early career and what they are now - bridge album would probably be the most obvious choice. Oddly, they don't have an official Greatest Hits yet, though I would have great fun putting one together that would represent the body of their total career (early/transition/current, plus covers they've done).

Electric Light Orchestra seems like a good choice for this.

One question, does a double LP count as one release?

I'll give it a shot. I'm a pretty big fan, but if you wanted to get into Steve Earle on my terms, I think you could do it pretty well through these two records:

El Corazon (https://open.spotify.com/album/7t0diHfsasHG5xyLnO4ySl) is his 1997 album, coming after the material I'd use in a "collection" but demonstrating his range. Some rockabilly, some deeper pickin' and pluckin' country, a really good him/her duet, and one song (N.Y.C.) that from someone else might have been a one hit wonder candidate.

Definitive Collection (https://open.spotify.com/album/2t1q5KSfSkSkFAzFA7syyP) - I actually listen more frequently to another compilation (https://open.spotify.com/album/2cU7BJE7nfH95q0hIqzHXb), but I think that one was done behind his back by a jilted label, so I'll go this route instead. Basically stuff from his earlier career, rougher around the edges, and before his politics became potentially insufferable to many.

You get through each of those a few times, and you'll be a proper fan.

One question, does a double LP count as one release?

I guess so

I think the only thing I'm not wild about would be the online "collections" that are basically an entire catalog mushed together. The challenge here is supposed to be to compress a body of work into two "records." So, a 68-song "collection" that's basically all six albums isn't really fair.

I'll play:

Uncle Tupelo

No Depression (https://open.spotify.com/album/7tZs3ba0xJUwYbZExiVUPJ) - the album that basically started the No Depression movement, a roots music journal that's published quarterly. The Alt Country band that split to become Wilco & Son Volt's first album.

89/93: An Anthology (https://open.spotify.com/album/3QTZMpN4IHejzml5kxVGEG) - A large greatest hits album with 21 songs, including classics from both Farrar and Tweedy.

I listen to these two albums often.

Nirvana


Nevermind (https://open.spotify.com/album/2guirTSEqLizK7j9i1MTTZ) - the one that boosted an entire musical genre into the public perception.



Unplugged in New York (https://open.spotify.com/album/1To7kv722A8SpZF789MZy7) - The yin to Nevermind's yang, showcasing the melodies, Kurt's haunting voice, and including a bunch of great covers.


Am I doing this right?

Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues & Stop Making Sense

Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz & Speak of the Devil

ELO

Out of the Blue (https://open.spotify.com/album/3usnShwygMXVZB4IV5dwnU)

Mr. Blue Sky(Greatest Hits) (https://open.spotify.com/album/1jNEIHx9O9tZDNeyWeH0M0)

This is almost better suited to vinyl, where you typically had limited hits collections that were restricted to labels, quantity of songs, etc. It seems like now you can get a greatest hits compilation that has everything from every label, relatively easy with about 18-30 hits on it. With that said, I'll throw a few out there that might not be perfect but that I think can work from the vinyl LP perspective ...

The Eagles
Greatest Hits 1971-1975
Hotel California

CCR
Cosmo's Factory
Chronicle

Paul Simon
Greatest Hits, etc.
Graceland

Blondie
Parallel Lines
The Best of Blondie

An easy one IMO:

Queen:

Sheer Heart Attack
Live At Wembly '86



My final answer though more to introduce someone to something I love more personally and dearly:

Death Cab For Cutie

Transatlanticism - no brainer, a perfect album imo.

They don't have a greatest hits album so we get to theorize:

I Will Follow You Into The Dark
Soul Meets Body
Cath
I Will Possess Your Heart
Grapevine Fires
Black Sun
Ghosts of Beverly Drive
Gold Rush
60 and Punk
What Sarah Said
Marching Bands of Manhattan
Title And Registration
Transatlanticism

Nirvana


Nevermind (https://open.spotify.com/album/2guirTSEqLizK7j9i1MTTZ) - the one that boosted an entire musical genre into the public perception.



Unplugged in New York (https://open.spotify.com/album/1To7kv722A8SpZF789MZy7) - The yin to Nevermind's yang, showcasing the melodies, Kurt's haunting voice, and including a bunch of great covers.


Am I doing this right?

Questionable if Unplugged in New York counts as a collection, but I'm down with these two. There's not another Nirvana album I actually like enough to have listened to in the last 20 years, but love these two (Unplugged most of all).

Working backwards from some of the anthologies that come immediately to mind...

Bob Marley
Album: Catch a Fire
Anthology: Legend

Eric Clapton
Album: MTV Unplugged
Anthology: Timepieces

Paul Simon
Greatest Hits, etc.
Graceland


It's called Negotiations and Love Songs and it is AMAZING! :)

After way too much thinking about this...

Taylor Swift
Album: 1989
The first true shift from country to pop, where she's been ever since. "Blank Space" and "Shake It Off" were both answers to people criticizing her for writing about previous relationships, so it does reference her earlier career. Also her best overall album.

The only greatest hits is some illegal Russian bootleg that doesn't count, so I'll put together a 10 track Greatest Hits:

1. "Teardrops on My Guitar" (Taylor Swift) - Most commercially successful single off debut album
2. "Our Song" (Taylor Swift) - Highest charting from debut album
3. "Love Story" (Fearless) - 6.5 million copies can't be wrong
4. "Back to December" (Speak Now) - First time she included an orchestra
5. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (Red) - One of her most famous songs and it entered the memestream - overall, I think this is her weakest album though.
6. "Shake It Off" (1989) - Smart, funny, successful, and a fantastic music video. Quintessential Taylor.
7. "Look What You Made Me Do" (Reputation) - Smashed Spotify rankings and in the category of Adele "Hello" and "Harlem Shake"
8. "Me!" (Lover) - Features a dude from Panic at the Disco. Jumped 98 spots in one week, a record
9. "Delicate" (Ryan Tedder remix) - Original song appeared on Reputation, but the remix takes it to another level imo
10. "Drops of Jupiter" (Cover in a concert) - Taylor does a lot of covers and this one is on there as a personal favorite - some of her vocals hearken back to her country roots, but it's still also very much contemporary

Beatles
Album: Rubber Soul
Anthology: 1967-1970

An easy one for my favorite band:

Guns N' Roses
Album: Appetite for Destruction
Comp: The live album

Pretty much covers it.

Beatles
Album: Rubber Soul
Anthology: 1967-1970

I love the approach here.

I had this in mind:

Album: Revolver
Anthology: 1


But I was just looking at the playlist for 1967-70, and that sure does cover a lot.

U2

Achtung Baby
The Best of 1980–1990

Half Man Half Biscuit

Album: Cammell Laird Social Club
Anthology: ACD (the good thing about this is ACD pre-dates the album, so no crossover!)

U2

Achtung Baby
The Best of 1980–1990

I'd almost be tempted to go...

The Joshua Tree
U218 Singles

Considered a few different bands, including The Mountain Goats (didn't want to create my own compilation) and The Drive-By Truckers, but ended up with probably my favorite band - Spoon.

Compilation: Everything Hits at Once: The Best of Spoon - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_Hits_at_Once:_The_Best_of_Spoon)

Album: Hot Thoughts - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Thoughts)

I think their albums are uniformly great, but will submit the latest since it is fantastic and only has one song on the compilation, so minimal overlap.

Metallica


The Black Album
Live Sh*t Binge and Purge from Mexico City




A close 2nd:


Pink Floyd
Dark Side of the Moon
Delicate Sound of Thunder