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Unreferenced|date=May 2010A compilation album is an album (music or spoken-word ) featuring tracks from one or more recording artists|performers , often culled from a variety of sources (such as studio album s, live album s, singles (music)|singles , Demo (music)|demos and outtake s.) The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter. When the tracks are all essentially by the same recording artist, a compilation album is often referred to as a retrospective album . Compilation albums may employ traditional product bundling strategies.
Common types
Common types of compilation include:
Single-artist " greatest hits ", "best of", or "singles collection" LPs, gathering together an artist's best-known songs. If the artist or group continues to record, compilers commonly include one or more previously unreleased tracks as an incentive for fans to buy the album, even if they already have the other material on the compilation.
Other single-artist compilations , such as Rare, Vol. 1|rarities or B-side collections, albums compiled from radio sessions, songs performed by an artist exclusively for a film soundtrack or collections that combine multiple releases, such as album|LP s and Extended play|EP s together on one or more compact disc s. Such compilations generally target existing fans of the artist and have little mainstream appeal, though postmortem compilations of unreleased materials from recently deceased artists have significant popularitycitation needed|date=December 2010.
Box set s , elaborate multi-disc collections often covering the entire breadth of an artist's career or the full sweep of an entire record label or genre. Many anthology|anthologies are released in this format.
Various artist themed compilations , e.g. love songs, Christmas songs, songs featuring a particular instrument (such as saxophone or piano ), and countless other variations.
Various artist genre compilations , e.g. jazz , synthpop , rock music|rock , etc. These may be from the same time period (Year, decade or era, for example), or may incorporate a common theme. An example is a soundtrack .
Various artist hit compilations . This has been a very successful part of the album market since the early 1970s. Recent hit single (music)|singles are gathered together in one place. In the 1970s, these were often single vinyl record|vinyl LPs with 10 to 12 tracks or more. In the 1980s, a double album with 6 or 8 tracks on each side became the norm. Now that CD s are the dominant format, these compilations are usually released on one, two, or three CDs.
Promotional compilations or Sampler (record)|Samplers . These are creative, successful forms of promotion for artists and/or record labels to promote their music. Generally, these types of releases are free or cost very little for the consumer or end listener. Elektra Records released the first sampler albums: in the 1950s.
Private label promotional compilations . Promotional compilation CDs can be private labeled for products, retail outlets, or commercial organizations or non-profit organizations. Artists and labels like to co-brand themselves with well-known brands for marketing purposes, and transversely well-known brands like to co-brand themselves with artists.
Business-to-business promotional compilations . Other types of promotional compilations are used within the music industry in a business-to-business capacity to promote artists to media concerns (radio stations, music supervisors for TV, film or video games for synchronization)
Composer/producer albums . Many hip hop and reggaeton producers will release a compilation album, which feature various artists. Every track on the album will be composed by the same producer.
Famous compilation series
United States and United Kingdom
1960s–1970s
Motown Chartbusters ( Motown , 1967–1982), series of 12 label samplers plus variants
The Rock Machine Turns You On (1968) and subsequent budget-price samplers produced by Columbia Records|CBS in the UK
You Can All Join In (1969), first of a series of Island Records samplers
Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968|Nuggets ( Elektra Records|Elektra , 1972) collection of 1960s garage rock
1980s
Now That's What I Call Music! ( Polygram / Virgin Records|Virgin / EMI , 1983–present) – recent hit singles
Hits (compilation series)|The Hits Album ( CBS / Warner Music Group|WEA , 1984–1991 and Telstar / Global TV , 1993-1994, 1995–2006) – recent hits
A Very Special Christmas ( A& M Records|A& M , 1987–2009) Christmas album benefiting the Special Olympics
1990s
Mushroom Jazz ( Om Records , (1992–present) – genre broken beat / nu jazz / hip-hop
The Best... Album in the World...Ever! ( Virgin Records , 1993–present) – genre & themed (e.g. The Best Christmas...)
Sessions (Compilation)|Sessions ( Ministry of Sound , 1993–present. Includes Summer Sessions , Chillout Session , Defected Sessions etc. – genre (Dance/electronic)
Café del Mar ( Manifesto (label)|Manifesto , 1994–present) – genre (dance/ambient)
Jock Jams ( Tommy Boy (label)|Tommy Boy , 1995–~2001) – genre and themed (dance/techno/sports)
The Annual ( Ministry of Sound ). 1995–present. The World's best selling dance series. – genre (Dance/electronic)
