Probable reasons why Greatest Hits III sucks as a compilation

Just look at GH3 logically, not musically. Amongst that... mess, you'll find two live collaberations, three remixes and FOUR solo singles! If people are wondering 'three remixes, four solo singles?', I'm counting the Living on My Own mix as both a remix and solo single. Speaking of which, it's not even the right remix! The sleeve notes say it's the No More Brothers Remix, but it's clearly the Julian Raymond Remix. Which incidentally was the B-side to NMB mix. I wouldn't have been surprised if the Cross version of HFE and the Brian version of TMLWKY had been pressed onto the compilation. Thinking about it, most of the remainder of singles that would have appeared on GH3 appeared on Queen Rocks. I think something was working in Brian's and Roger's minds to make sure they put the hard-rocking singles on the 'heavy' album so they could just put whatever filler they saw fit to put onto GH3. What are others' opinions?

Scandal should have definitely been on there.

Hell, I'm still pissed it was left off of Greatest Hits II (and Classic Queen, and Deep Cuts 3, and... and...)

it really is a shitty compilation, why did they add The Show Must Go On, Under Pressure, Somebody To Love, Another One Bites The Dust which were on the other 2 compilations and didn't add songs that weren't released on any compilation and deserved to be much more famous, I still can't answer myself this quiestion to this day.

Don't worry... the songs you really want will be released on:

[QUOTE]Absolute Greatest 2 - This Time We Mean It[/QUOTE]

Its rubbish so nver bought it. When you think of the great songs which were never on GH1 or 2 makes you mad. The only top 20 policy was dumped and non Queen songs, Solo stuff and remixes of old and live stuff was a terrible idea. TYMD, Scandal are two songs which should have been on it with Stone Cold Crazy and Keep Yourself Alive and the Fast Version of WWRY studio.

This compilation sucks for two main reasons:

1-It includes so many non-Queen songs.
2-It includes songs that weren't greatest hits, neither simple hits.

I was just listening to the Hollywood Records 'Classic Queen' CD this week (because it has the best, clearest single version of 'Tie Your Mother Down' I can find) and was reminded of how strange the track listing is at times on that compilation (One Year Of Love?  HUH?).

That said, it's STILL better - to me - than Greatest Hits III.

Well, I guess I'll be the odd one out because I enjoyed GH3.

That said it should probably have been more like this:

Tie Your Mother Down
Keep Yourself Alive
Under Pressure (Rah Mix)
Scandal
Let Me Live
Too Much Love Will Kill You
Spread Your Wings
Body Language
You Don't Fool Me
Somebody To Love - With George Michael (Live)
Las Palabras de Amor (The Words Of Love)
Heaven For Everyone
Princes Of The Universe
No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)
These Are The Days Of Our Lives
A Winter's Tale
Thank God It's Christmas

Then they could have release a seperate compilation of the Solo stuff, like this (in no particular order):

I Was Born To Love You
Living On My Own
The Great Pretender
Love Kills
Barcelona
Time
In My Defense
Driven By You
Too Much Love Will Kill You
Back To The Light
Ressurection
Business
Last Horizon
Why Don't We Try Again
Man On Fire
Future Management
Surrender
Happiness
Foreign Sand
Nazis

Geez its an easy answer, its in the title "Greatest Hits" and not " a few of these songs were in the top 40 somewhere in this universe"  Queen were blessed to have not just enough hits for 1 but 2 greatest hits album and most of the songs on those were real hits ( cept in the US ) . Number 3 was aimed at die hard Queen fans because we have got to have everything. I am a fan but i stopped buying things over the years. Btw, isnt it time to re release Bohemian Rhapsody ? Its only the 3rd most selling single in the UK or a Greatest Hits album with only Brian May songs on it. Queen used to be the most organized band during their existence now they have turned into a money grabbing machine and it all started with Queen Rocks. It is fine to be remembered as one of the greatest not the greatest. Sickening, dissolve Queen do some solo stuff or even better retire and follow Mr Deacons wise example. Oh cut your hair

It all makes me wonder, did Freddie have input on what tracks were included on Greatest Hits II?  I would like to think he did.

It sucks because they put a bunch of crap on it that wasn't really Queen.  Just how much vodka did they have to drink before thinking anything with Wyclif Jean was worth throwing on there??

GH 3 doesnt need an analysis to discover why it crap. Sometime things are just crap due to their general crapness. This is general crapness.

Full stop.

I admit, GH3 is weird, but that's why I like it. It's not a collection I think any of us would have made and being so out of left field has a certain charm.

That said, strictly speaking, it does drop the ball in the "hit" department for 3 tracks:

01) The Show Must Go On (+EJ) = This recording was not a hit.
02) Under Pressure (Rah Mix) (+DB) = #14
03) Barcelona (FM+MC) = #2
04) Too Much Love Will Kill You = #15
05) Somebody To Love (+GM) = #1
06) You Don't Fool Me = #17
07) Heaven For Everyone = #2
08) Las Palabras De Amor = #17
09) Driven By You (BM) = #6
10) Living On My Own (FM) = This recording was not the #1 hit (which ought to have appeared!)
11) Let Me Live = #17
12) The Great Pretender = #4
13) Princes Of The Universe = Not a hit
14) Another One Bites The Dust (+WJ, P & F) = #5
15) No One But You = #13
16) These Are The Days Of Our Lives = #1
17) Thank God It's Christmas = #21

Left off:
Flick Of The Wrist = #2 (with Killer Queen)
Body Language = #25
Scandal = #25
Living On My Own (Radio Mix) = #1
A Winter's Tale = #6

The other UK singles exceeded the apparent Top 30 rule for inclusion. That said, *technically' "We Will Rock You" was nothing more than a B-side in the UK, but achieved Hit status out of sheer popularity. It has no chart position. AA-side singles, like "Killer Queen" and "Flick Of The Wrist" are supposed to be judged together, yet FOTW is forever to be forgotten as such. "Bohemian Rhapsody" & "These Are The Days Of Our Lives" are correctly assigned both #1 status (BR being a re-issue). Would TATDOOL have been a hit without BR? A question for the ages, but I think it would have made the UK Top 30 regardless, if not #1. The other four Innuendo singles made it, so with Freddie's death, it's pretty much a safe assumption.

rhyeking - Your post sparked an interesting idea in my head. Who's for starting a mass campiagn to get TATDoOL to UK #1 (and US #1, for all American Queenzoners out there) in the chart week that alignes with November 24th? It would please Freddie, I'm sure, to have his last goodbye at the top spot on the twentieth anniversary of his death. And if we prompt record companies to re-release it on vinyl as a physical single, they should have a remix of Mother Love which fades out at the Goin' Back sample as the B-side.

Here I am once again year after year defending "Greatest Hits III".    I love it the way it is.     It is important to NOT include all of the hits in one place or series of releases in my opinion.     Or even all of the singles unless it is a massive box set.    

I still don't understand why I can't find "Greatest Flix III" on laser disc for a good price.    In particular one that has an obi.    I can't even find one being sold for any price mere less an expensive one either.    Maybe the rest got swept away in the latest Japanese flooding...whatyathink?