39 years after it was released, Queen's Greatest Hits finally hits the US Top 10

Queen's Greatest Hits artwork
(Image credit: EMI)

Queen's Greatest Hits collection has finally hit the Top 10 on the US Billboard 200. The album climbed from number 38 last week to a new peak at number 8 in the latest chart, announced today. 

Since its release in October 1981, Greatest Hits has spent a total of 413 weeks on the US album chart, and had previously peaked at number 11 in 1991. 

It's not the first time a compilation album from the band has experienced the thin air near the top of the US charts, however. Greatest Hits I II & III: The Platinum Collection – a collection that included each of the band's three Greatest Hits album – reached number 6 in 2019 (17 years after its original American release), while Classic Queen hit the number 4 spot in 1992. 

Greatest Hits is the UK's biggest-selling album ever, with certified sales of over six million copies. It's spent 920 weeks on the UK chart, including four weeks at number 1. The band's only US number 1 album on the Billboard 200 came with The Game in 1980.

Greatest Hits is also number 1 on the US vinyl album chart, a position assisted by recent deals with retailers Target and Walmart for two separate Greatest Hits vinyl exclusives. Shoppers at Target can pick up a ruby blend marble double vinyl edition of the album, while Walmart regulars can buy a snazzy red and white double vinyl version.  

And that's not all. The latest episode of Classic Rock's 20 Million Club podcast finds our fearless panel of experts talking about Queen's Greatest Hits, like we had this all planned or something. You can listen below.

Fraser Lewry

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.