20 Greatest Hits (Kenny Rogers album)
20 Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Kenny Rogers released by Liberty Records in 1983.
20 Greatest Hits | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 1983 | |||
Recorded | 1983 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 72:51 | |||
Label | Liberty Records | |||
Kenny Rogers chronology | ||||
|
Overview
20 Greatest Hits marks Rogers' third compilation album as a solo artist. This compilation covers the entire span of Rogers' glorious chart run through the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Among the 20 tracks on the album is Rogers' early smash hit "Lucille", which made Rogers a world-famous solo superstar. "The Gambler" – Rogers' chart-topping story song – also makes an appearance. The single that first appeared on Rogers' first solo Greatest Hits collection in 1980, "Lady" also makes it onto the album, as does "Love Lifted Me" from 1976 (his first solo single in ten years following his split with The First Edition).
Also included are popular duets with Sheena Easton ("We've Got Tonight"), Kim Carnes ("Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer"), and Dottie West ("Till I Can Make It on My Own").
Based on hit singles from the Billboard charts, this is the strongest Kenny Rogers single disc compilation album released. Another version came in 1987 (see below). It was also re-released on CD in 1994.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Lucille" | Roger Bowling/Hal Bynum | 1977 – Kenny Rogers | 3:38 |
2. | "Lady" | Lionel Richie | 1980 – Greatest Hits | 3:54 |
3. | "Love Lifted Me" | Preston Ross/Howard Smith | 1976 – Love Lifted Me | 3:43 |
4. | "We've Got Tonight" (with Sheena Easton) | Bob Seger | 1983 – We've Got Tonight | 3:51 |
5. | "Scarlet Fever" | Mike Dekle | 1983 – We've Got Tonight | 3:57 |
6. | "Love or Something Like It" | Steve Glassmeyer/Rogers | 1978 – Love or Something Like It | 2:51 |
7. | "She Believes In Me" | Steve Gibb | 1978 – The Gambler | 4:09 |
8. | "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town" | Mel Tillis | original version on the 1969 album Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town with The First Edition. This is a 1978 re-recording from Ten Years of Gold | 2:59 |
9. | "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" (with Kim Carnes) | Kim Carnes/Dave Ellingson | 1980 – Gideon | 4:00 |
10. | "You Were a Good Friend" | Carnes/Ellingson | 1980 – Gideon | 3:54 |
11. | "The Gambler" | Don Schlitz | 1978 – The Gambler | 3:32 |
12. | "Through the Years" | Steve Dorff/Marty Panzer | 1981 – Share Your Love | 4:21 |
13. | "Daytime Friends" | Ben Peters | 1977 – Daytime Friends | 3:08 |
14. | "You Decorated My Life" | Debbie Hupp/Bob Morrison | 1979 – Kenny | 3:37 |
15. | "'Til I Can Make It on My Own" (with Dottie West) | George Richey/Billy Sherrill/Tammy Wynette | 1979 – Classics | 3:19 |
16. | "Reuben James" | Barry Etris/Alex Harvey | original version is on the 1969 album Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town with The First Edition. This is a 1978 re-recording from Ten Years of Gold | 2:45 |
17. | "Coward of the County" | Bowling/Billy Edd Wheeler | 1979 – Kenny | 4:17 |
18. | "I Don't Need You" | Rick Christian | 1981 – Share Your Love | 3:27 |
19. | "Something's Burning" | Mac Davis | original version is on the 1970 album Something's Burning with The First Edition. This is a 1978 re-recording from Ten Years of Gold | 3:49 |
20. | "Love Will Turn You Around" | David Malloy/Rogers/Thom Schuyler/Even Stevens | 1982 – Love Will Turn You Around | 3:40 |
Chart performance
Chart (1983) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 16 |
U.S. Billboard 200 | 22 |
Australian Albums Chart[1] | 2 |
Canadian RPM Top Albums | 29 |
Reissue
25 Greatest Hits | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | 1987 | |||
Recorded | 1987 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 93:17 | |||
Label | Liberty Records | |||
Kenny Rogers chronology | ||||
|
In 1987, Liberty issued a new disc featuring five additional tracks, covering Rogers' newest hits up to that point. The new tracks are the last five, including the title single "Love Is What We Make It" and "Sweet Music Man", the latter penned by Rogers himself.
Track listing
- Track times differ from the 1983 release and all tracks are re-presented here.
- Lucille
- Lady
- Love Lifted Me
- We've Got Tonight
- Scarlet Fever
- Love or Something Like It
- She Believes in Me
- Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town
- Don't Fall in Love With a Dreamer
- You Were a Good Friend
- Gambler
- Through the Years
- Daytime Friends
- You Decorated My Life
- 'Til I Can Make It on My Own
- Reuben James
- Coward of the County
- I Don't Need You
- Something's Burning
- Love Will Turn You Around
- Abraham, Martin and John/Precious Memories
- Love Is What We Make It
- Green, Green Grass of Home
- Desperado
- Sweet Music Man
References
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.