Do you buy greatest hits albums,,

,,even if you already own most of the tracks? I'll admit to sometimes doing that, but even then it felt like kind of a "cheat" so if i did i'd buy it used (and if i already owned all of the tracks, then there's no way i'd buy it). Nowadays though if i own all the songs on a hits album except the "new" songs, i just (legally) download the new songs (i did that recently with Whitesnakes greatest hits and van halen's best of both worlds).

I do the same thing you do, now that most of the "new" content is usually available for purchase as individual downloads.  I beat my completist streak into submission a while back.

If a band has only a few songs I like, I will buy a greatest hits album. If it's a band I really like, I will most likely have all their studio albums so I don't buy a greatest hits album. At least not until it's the only thing I don't have, at which time OCD(or hordism) kicks in and I'll buy one to complete the collection.

Journey, Guns and Roses, and Van Halen

thats all the greatest hits I own

Every once in a long while if I cant make up my mind which album to try first of a certain band. Did that recently here with Electric Light Orchestra, not sure why...

WildWorld wrote:,,even if you already own most of the tracks? I'll admit to sometimes doing that, but even then it felt like kind of a "cheat" so if i did i'd buy it used (and if i already owned all of the tracks, then there's no way i'd buy it). Nowadays though if i own all the songs on a hits album except the "new" songs, i just (legally) download the new songs (i did that recently with Whitesnakes greatest hits and van halen's best of both worlds).

Same here, unless there's no other way I can get the new songs and I really, really want them.

Generally the only time I buy a greatest hits album is with someone like Frank Sinatra who has a such a large catalog that I wouldn't think of trying to get them all.

I did buy the Who's Meaty, Beaty, Big, and Bouncy as an impulse purchase even though I have all the songs on various releases (except possibly I'm A Boy, which seems to be a bit different version from the others I own, but I'd have to go back and check to make sure).  I suppose I could have made the same thing by putting those songs into a playlist in the same order, but for some odd reason I wanted the album.

I find it very hard to justify owning a best-of if it contains nothing but songs I already own on their respectable albums. If its has perhaps some new or unreleased song, I may consider it...but meh thats just me.

Depends on band and content of GH albums, good example I love Megadeth got most of the albums but still bought the GH

Greatest Hits albums are a great way to get to know a band you are interested in
when you don't have any albums from them. I've discovered many bands this way,
and later purchased all their other stuff too.

If I already own every song on a Greatest Hits album, I would probably not pick it
up. Just me.