Elton John Releasing A #1 Greatest Hits Album A La Beatles

Apparently, every superstar whose been around long enough is going to feel compelled to mimick the Beatles and release a greatest hits album devoted to #1 singles. Elton John is the latest. Two days after he performs in Madison Square Garden on March 25 (with a full choir and cameras capturing every moment for a later TV special) they'll put out "Rocket Man -- Number Ones," with 17 tracks. The Beatles #1 was a massive hit for many reasons -- most notably, the fact that their music hadn't been repackaged a million times over and their greatest hits compilations were limited to two double albums (the red and blue albums). So a single CD for the biggest band in history -- and one with the easy to grasp gimmick of including only #1 hits -- was a phenomenon, selling 10 million copies in the US alone and another 15 million around the world. Elvis followed suit with his "30 #1s" album -- that sold only four million copies in the US, for the obvious reason that there are dozens if not hundreds of Elvis compilations. Elton John knows something about massive selling greatest hits packages: his first Greatest Hits set is a remarkable bestseller that has sold 16 million copies in the US alone and is one of the best-selling albums of all time. More than half the songs on his new hits package (nine, to be exact), can be found on that greatest hits set. One more reason why this clever bit of marketing will certainly sell CDs but not be a phenom.