Greatest Hits II (Queen album)

Greatest Hits II is a compilation album by the British rock band Queen, released on 28 October 1991.[2] It reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, and is the tenth best-selling album in UK Chart history with sales of 3.9 million copies as of 2014, and has sold over 22 million copies worldwide. Accumulated sales (Greatest Hits II and Classic Queen for the US and Canada combined) are in excess of 25 million worldwide.[3][4] It is also the best-selling album by a foreign artist in Finland.[5][6]

Greatest Hits II
Greatest hits album by
Queen
Released28 October 1991 (UK)
19 April 2011 (U.S. and Japan)
Recorded1981–1990
1981–1995 (2011 Japan reissue edition)
GenreRock
Length
  • 76:32 (LP version)
  • 75:57 (CD version)
Label
Queen chronology
CD Single Box
(1991)		 Greatest Hits II
(1991)		 Classic Queen
(1992)
Alternative covers
2011 Universal Remaster
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic link
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[1]

Freddie Mercury designed the crest on the album cover, using the astrological signs of the four members: two Leos, one Cancer and one Virgo.[7]

Content

The compilation contains most of Queen's hits from 1981 to 1991. The singles "Body Language", "Back Chat", "Las Palabras de Amor", "Thank God It's Christmas", "Princes of the Universe" and "Scandal" were omitted for this release.[8] "Las Palabras de Amor", "Thank God It's Christmas" and "Princes of the Universe" were later included on Greatest Hits III.

Release

Greatest Hits II was released less than a month before the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury and was the last Queen release of any kind while he was still alive. The album was not initially available in the United States and was later replaced with its counterpart Classic Queen in early 1992. Greatest Hits II was later made available in the US in two box sets: Greatest Hits I & II and The Platinum Collection: Greatest Hits I, II & III. On 19 April 2011, Hollywood Records released the newly remastered version of Greatest Hits II in the United States and Japan.

It is the only album in which most of its songs were edited by one or a few seconds. We will find unique versions of "Under Pressure", "Who Wants To Live Forever" and "I'm Going Slightly Mad".

A companion video release entitled Greatest Flix II was released at the same time, but is currently out of print. Most of the videos are now available on the DVD Greatest Video Hits 2 with the exception of the videos from the 1991 Innuendo album.

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Kind of Magic" (from A Kind of Magic, 1986)Roger Taylor4:22
2."Under Pressure" (with David Bowie; from Hot Space, 1982)Queen, David Bowie3:57
3."Radio Ga Ga" (from The Works, 1984)Taylor5:43
4."I Want It All" (single mix, from The Miracle, 1989)Queen (Brian May)4:01
5."I Want to Break Free" (single mix, from The Works, 1984)John Deacon4:18
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Innuendo" (from Innuendo, 1991)Queen (Mercury/Taylor)6:27
7."It's a Hard Life" (from The Works, 1984)Freddie Mercury4:09
8."Breakthru" (from The Miracle, 1989)Queen (Mercury/Taylor)4:09
9."Who Wants to Live Forever" (from A Kind of Magic, 1986)Brian May5:16
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Headlong" (from Innuendo, 1991)Queen (May)4:37
11."The Miracle" (from The Miracle, 1989)Queen (Mercury/Deacon)5:01
12."I'm Going Slightly Mad" (from Innuendo, 1991)Queen (Mercury)4:22
13."The Invisible Man" (from The Miracle, 1989)Queen (Taylor)3:58
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Hammer to Fall" (single mix, from The Works, 1984)May3:40
15."Friends Will Be Friends" (from A Kind of Magic, 1986)Mercury, Deacon4:08
16."The Show Must Go On" (from Innuendo, 1991)Queen (May)4:37
17."One Vision" (single mix, from A Kind of Magic, 1986)Queen (Taylor)4:02
Total length:76:32
CD Version
Some tracks were edited for CD by David Richards.
No.TitleLength
1."A Kind of Magic" (early fade)4:22
2."Under Pressure" (edited version)3:58
3."Radio Ga Ga"5:43
4."I Want It All" (single version)4:01
5."I Want to Break Free" (single remix)4:18
6."Innuendo"6:27
7."It's a Hard Life"4:09
8."Breakthru"4:09
9."Who Wants to Live Forever" (edited version)4:57
10."Headlong" (original Innuendo LP edit)4:33
11."The Miracle" (early fade)4:54
12."I'm Going Slightly Mad" (original Innuendo LP edit)4:07
13."The Invisible Man"3:58
14."Hammer to Fall" (single version)3:40
15."Friends Will Be Friends"4:10
16."The Show Must Go On" (early fade-out)4:23
17."One Vision" (single version)4:01
Total length:75:57
2011 Japan Reissue Edition
From the bonus track for Japan, Available in iTunes.
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
18."I Was Born to Love You" (From Made in Heaven, 1995)Mercury4:48
Total length:79:53

Charts

Certifications

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Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[30] Diamond 500,000^
Australia (ARIA)[31] 8× Platinum 560,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[32] 4× Platinum 200,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[33] 2× Platinum 500,000*
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[34] 2× Platinum 149,622[34]
France (SNEP)[35] Diamond 1,238,700[36]
Germany (BVMI)[37] 9× Gold 2,250,000^
Italy
sales: October 1991 - February 1992 		— 500,000[38]
Italy (FIMI)[39]
sales since 2009 		Platinum 60,000*
Mexico (AMPROFON)[40] Platinum 250,000[41]
Poland (ZPAV)[42] Gold 10,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[43] 5× Platinum 500,000^
Sweden (GLF)[44] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[45] 5× Platinum 250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] 13× Platinum 3,900,000[47]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

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See also

References
  1. Rolling Stone Album Guide
  2. Queen; Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. AllMusic. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  3. BPI – UK Best Selling Albums of All Time (14 June 2009), Retrieved 13 June 2011
  4. Queen Greatest Hits I and II Review BBC. Retrieved 17 June 2011
  5. "Kaikkien aikojen myydyimmät kotimaiset albumit" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  6. "Kaikkien aikojen myydyimmät ulkomaiset albumit" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  7. Anderson, Sarah 50 Geeky Facts About Queen, NME. Accessed 28 May 2014.
  8. http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/discography/greatest-hits-ii/
  9. "Queen – Greatest Hits II (Album)" (ASP). Australian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  10. "Queen – Greatest Hits II (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  11. "Queen – Greatest Hits II (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  12. "Queen – Greatest Hits II (Album)" (ASP). Swiss Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  13. "All the Number One Albums: 1991". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  14. "Queen – Greatest Hits II (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  15. "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original (PHP) on 18 February 2010. Find "QUEEN" under the drop-down menu to see statistics.
  16. "Chartverfolgung / Queen / Longplay". Music Line (in German). Media Control Charts. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  17. "Archivum: Top 40 Album". Mahasz (in Hungarian). Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  18. "Queen – Greatest Hits II (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  19. "Queen – Greatest Hits II (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  20. "Top album Classifica settimanale WK 39". FIMI. 25 September 2006. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  21. "Los más vendidos 2018" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  22. "Queen – Greatest Hits II (Album)" (ASP). Spanish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  23. "Queen Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  24. "Portuguesecharts.com – Queen – Greatest Hits II". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  25. "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  26. "Ultratop.be – Queen – Greatest Hits II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  27. "Ultratop.be – Queen – Greatest Hits II" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  28. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  29. "Top 100 México - Los más vendidos 2019" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  30. "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  31. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  32. "Austrian album certifications – Queen – Greatest Hits II" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  33. "Brazilian album certifications – Queen – Greatest Hits II" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos.
  34. "Queen" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  35. "French album certifications – Queen – Greatest Hits Vol. 2" (in French). InfoDisc. Select QUEEN and click OK. 
  36. "Les Meilleures Ventes de CD / Albums Tout Temps" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  37. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Queen; 'Greatest Hits II')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  38. Stansield, David (22 February 1992). "PolyGram Leader in '91 Sales Survey" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 9. p. 7 – via American Radio History.
  39. "Italian album certifications – Queen – Greatest Hits II" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 27 December 2018. Select "2018" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Greatest Hits II" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  40. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Type Queen in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Greatest Hits II in the box under TÍTULO
  41. "QUEEN Greatest Hits II Mexico Promo award disc". Eil.com. 30 September 1992. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  42. "Polish album certifications – Queen – Greatest Hits II" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  43. "Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990" (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 8480486392.
  44. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
  45. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Queen; 'Greatest Hits II')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  46. "British album certifications – Queen – Greatest Hits (Vol II)". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Greatest Hits (Vol II) in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  47. "Queen's Greatest Hits becomes first album to sell 6 million copies in the UK" (webpage). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
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