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Greatest Hitz
Greatest Hitz
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Greatest Hitz
Compilation album by
ReleasedNovember 8, 2005 (2005-11-08)
Recorded1997–2005
Genre
Length71:41
Label
Limp Bizkit chronology
The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)
(2005)
Greatest Hitz
(2005)
Collected
(2008)
Singles from Greatest Hitz
  1. "Home Sweet Home/Bittersweet Symphony"
    Released: December 27, 2005

Greatest Hitz is a compilation album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. Released in 2005, it is a retrospective compiling material from the band's albums Three Dollar Bill, Y'all (1997), Significant Other (1999), Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000) and Results May Vary (2003).

Production and content

[edit]

Greatest Hitz was announced for release as early as 2001.[1] While recording the album Results May Vary and the EP The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1), the band continued to work on the compilation.[2][3] A companion DVD, Greatest Videoz, was also released.

Greatest Hitz contains material from the band's albums Three Dollar Bill, Y'all (1997), Significant Other (1999), Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000) and Results May Vary (2003), as well as previously unreleased tracks and a new song entitled "Home Sweet Home/Bittersweet Symphony", a medley of "Home Sweet Home" by Mötley Crüe and "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve.[4][5]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[5]
Decibel2/10[6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStarStar[7]
The Essential Rock Discography7/10[4]
IGN6.9/10[8]

Greatest Hitz peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard 200.[9] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine said, "None of [Greatest Hitz] has aged well – as a matter of fact, it's aged incredibly quickly, sounding older than alt-rock hits from the mid-'90s – but that's almost beside the point, because this does its job well, and listeners who want to have some Limp Bizkit in their collection will find this to provide them with more of what they want than any other Bizkit dizc."[5] In The Essential Rock Discography, Martin Charles Strong gave the compilation a 7 out of 10 rating.[4]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Counterfeit"Three Dollar Bill, Y'all (1997)4:48
2."Faith" (George Michael cover)Three Dollar Bill, Y'all2:26
3."Nookie"Significant Other (1999)4:26
4."Break Stuff"Significant Other2:46
5."Re-Arranged"Significant Other5:54
6."N 2 Gether Now" (featuring Method Man)Significant Other3:55
7."Take a Look Around"Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water/Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)5:19
8."My Generation"Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water3:41
9."Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)"Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water3:33
10."My Way"Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water4:33
11."Boiler"Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water5:44
12."Eat You Alive"Results May Vary (2003)3:57
13."Behind Blue Eyes" (The Who cover)Results May Vary4:29
14."Build a Bridge"Results May Vary3:56
15."Why"Recorded during the Results May Vary sessions / previously unreleased4:05
16."Lean on Me"Recorded during the Results May Vary sessions / previously unreleased4:27
17."Home Sweet Home/Bittersweet Symphony" (Mötley Crüe and The Verve cover)Medley of "Home Sweet Home" by Mötley Crüe and "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve / previously unreleased (2005)3:42
Total length:71:41
Bonus track on certain editions[10]
No.TitleMusicLength
18."The Truth"The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) (2005) 

Personnel

[edit]

Tracks 1–11

Tracks 12–17

  • Fred Durst – vocals, guitar
  • Mike Smith – guitars on "Eat You Alive"
  • Randy Pereira – guitar on "Behind Blue Eyes"
  • Brian Welch – guitar on "Build a Bridge"
  • DJ Lethal – turntables, keyboards, samples, programming, sound development
  • John Otto – drums, percussion
  • Sam Rivers – bass

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2005) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] 29
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[12] 27
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[13] 68
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[14] 84
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] 25
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] 41
UK Albums (OCC)[17] 78
US Billboard 200[9] 47
Chart (2025) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[18] 92
Irish Albums (IRMA)[19] 67

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[20] Gold 35,000^
Germany (BVMI)[21] Gold 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Platinum 300,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Greatest Hitz is a greatest hits by the American band , released on November 8, 2005, by and Flip Records. The album compiles 17 tracks from the band's previous studio albums, spanning their career from 1997's to 2003's , along with three new tracks: "Why", "Lean on Me", and a mashup cover of Mötley Crüe's "" and The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony". Key hits included are "", "" (a cover of George Michael's song), "Nookie", "", "", "", "Take a Look Around", "", "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)", "", "", and "", as well as the cover of The Who's "". The compilation serves as a of Limp Bizkit's commercial peak in the late and early , capturing their signature blend of , , and aggressive energy that propelled them to mainstream success. Upon release, Greatest Hitz debuted at number 47 on the US Billboard 200 chart, reflecting the band's enduring fanbase despite a shift in music trends away from . Internationally, it achieved gold certifications in (35,000 units), (150,000 units), and (7,500 units), underscoring its solid sales performance. The also includes contributions from frequent collaborators like , , and guest vocalists such as on select tracks.

Background

Conception

The conception of Greatest Hitz arose from Limp Bizkit's intent to produce a career retrospective amid their commercial zenith in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a time marked by lineup instability and evolving creative priorities. The band, known for nu metal anthems such as "Nookie" and "Rollin'," had achieved massive popularity with albums like Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000), the latter debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with over one million first-week U.S. sales. This success positioned the compilation as an opportunity to highlight their hit-driven legacy while the group navigated transitions, including the departure of guitarist Wes Borland in October 2001 due to creative differences and the pressures of fame. After 's exit, recruited guitarist Mike Smith in 2003 to complete , released that September, which shifted toward a more experimental sound but still produced hits like "." rejoined in August 2004, enabling the experimental EP in May 2005, though its limited promotion led to underwhelming reception.

Discography context

Limp Bizkit's recorded output up to the mid-2000s encompassed a progression from raw, underground experimentation to polished mainstream anthems, beginning with their debut studio album Three Dollar Bill, Y'all, released in 1997 through Flip/Interscope Records. This initial effort captured the band's early fusion of hip-hop rhythms, heavy guitar riffs, and aggressive vocals, drawing from the Jacksonville, Florida, underground scene and establishing their place in the emerging nu metal genre. Subsequent releases built on this foundation, with the 1999 sophomore album Significant Other marking a pivotal shift toward broader accessibility while retaining nu metal's intensity, produced by Ross Robinson, who helped define the genre's sound. The band's ascent to commercial prominence accelerated with Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water in 2000, an album that amplified their rap-rock hybrid with high-energy production and collaborations, solidifying as a dominant force in late-1990s/early-2000s rock. This era of mainstream success was tempered by internal challenges, notably guitarist Wes Borland's departure in October 2001, which he attributed to creative differences and the pressures of fame following the band's rapid rise. Borland's exit influenced the direction of (2003), where the band incorporated new members and explored more experimental elements amid lineup instability. The EP The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) followed in 2005, further showcasing a darker, more introspective evolution from their earlier bombast. Greatest Hitz, released in November 2005, serves as a compilation that encapsulates this trajectory, drawing primarily from the 1997–2003 studio albums to highlight the band's transformation from gritty origins to arena-filling stardom and subsequent artistic reinvention. By sequencing tracks across these phases, the collection underscores Limp Bizkit's role in popularizing rap-metal's blend of aggression and melody, while nodding to the tensions that arose as they navigated post-mainstream experimentation.

Production

Compilation process

The compilation of Greatest Hitz was initiated as a rapid response to the underwhelming reception of Limp Bizkit's 2005 EP The Unquestionable Truth, Pt. 1, which featured the reunited lineup including but received minimal promotion. This effort aimed to reaffirm the band's commercial legacy by assembling a retrospective that emphasized their most impactful work from the classic era. Track selection focused on 14 songs from the band's albums spanning 1997 to 2003, prioritizing commercially successful singles and enduring fan favorites that defined their nu metal sound, such as "Counterfeit" from Three Dollar Bill, Y'all (1997), "Nookie" and "Break Stuff" from Significant Other (1999), and "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" from Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000). The choices were influenced by recent lineup changes, particularly Borland's earlier departure in 2001, which shifted emphasis toward the original configuration's output to recapture audience nostalgia. To modernize the collection for its 2005 release, several tracks underwent remixing, labeled as "GH Versions" (for Greatest Hitz), including "," "Nookie," "," and "." These updates adjusted production elements like beats and mixes to align with contemporary listening standards while preserving the originals' aggressive energy. The album incorporates three newly produced tracks to augment the retrospective: original compositions "Why" and "Lean on Me," recorded as introspective, acoustic-leaning pieces that contrasted the band's typical rap-metal style, and a medley blending Mötley Crüe's "" with orchestral samples from The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony." The medley's creation involved navigating sampling clearance for the "Bittersweet Symphony" elements, which stemmed from The Verve's prior legal dispute over unauthorized use of ' "The Last Time" orchestral arrangement, resulting in shared royalties and heightened scrutiny over rights in the medley.

Personnel

The personnel for Greatest Hitz reflect the compilation nature of the album, with credits drawn from the original recordings of each track across Limp Bizkit's discography. Tracks 1–11 feature the band's classic lineup: Fred Durst on vocals, Wes Borland on guitar, Sam Rivers on bass, John Otto on drums, and DJ Lethal on turntables and electronics. For tracks 12–14, sourced from the 2003 album Results May Vary following Borland's departure in 2001, the contributors included Durst on vocals and additional guitar, with Sam Rivers on bass, John Otto on drums, and DJ Lethal on turntables and electronics; Mike Smith provided guitar on "Eat You Alive," while Randy Pereira played guitar on "Behind Blue Eyes." Tracks 15 and 16 ("Why" and "Lean on Me") feature on vocals, Sam Rivers on bass, John Otto on drums, and on electronics, recorded during the sessions. Track 17 ("Home Sweet Home/Bittersweet Symphony") includes similar core personnel with additional orchestral arrangement. Production credits vary by track, with serving as producer on multiple selections, alongside for tracks 15 and 16; earlier tracks include Ross Robinson as producer for "" and "." Brian Welch contributed guitar on "Build a Bridge." Additional production support came from engineers and mixers such as on Results May Vary tracks, with the compilation mastered by at Sterling Sound.

Release and promotion

Release details

Greatest Hitz was released on November 8, 2005, by Flip Records and , with distribution handled by . The album was issued in multiple formats, including a standard compact disc edition featuring 17 tracks with a total runtime of 71:41, as well as digital download availability. Limited editions included a bonus track titled "The Truth," sourced from the band's 2005 EP The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1). The album was accompanied by a companion DVD, Greatest Videoz, released concurrently, which collected the band's music videos. Distribution occurred globally, with the initial pressing targeted at the U.S. market followed by international rollouts; variations included explicit content labeling on certain editions to denote parental advisory warnings. The packaging featured a standard jewel case with a 16-page booklet containing credits, lyrics, and artwork emphasizing band imagery alongside motifs from their hit singles; explicit content warnings were prominently displayed on the cover and outer packaging.

Marketing efforts

The marketing for Greatest Hitz centered on leveraging the band's established catalog to appeal to longtime fans, with a key component being the simultaneous release of the companion DVD Greatest Videoz on November 8, 2005, through Geffen Records. This DVD compiled edited versions of 12 music videos, including prominent hits like "Nookie" from Significant Other (1999) and "Break Stuff" from Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000), providing a visual retrospective that complemented the album's audio tracks. Promotional campaigns included television , such as a dedicated commercial aired in that highlighted both the CD and DVD formats to drive international sales. Print promotions featured magazine ads, including a full-page promotional insert in Japanese rock publications from December 2005, emphasizing the compilation's tracklist and new inclusions. These efforts focused on the album's retrospective value rather than pushing the new tracks as standalone singles, though the previously unreleased material served as a hook to encourage purchases. To build buzz, participated in media appearances around the release, including a radio with frontman on November 9, 2005—the day after the album's launch—where he discussed the compilation as a career milestone and reflected on Limp Bizkit's evolution. These aired on platforms like , tying into broader radio and TV spots that underscored the album's role in summarizing the band's legacy without major concert tie-ins specific to the rollout.

Content

Musical overview

Greatest Hitz serves as a retrospective compilation that encapsulates Limp Bizkit's signature sound, blending rap-rock aggression with and occasional covers to highlight the band's evolution from their raw, early material to more melodic expressions in later years. The album draws from the group's core style, featuring heavy guitar riffs and Fred Durst's rapid-fire rap delivery alongside DJ Lethal's scratching and sampling, as evident in tracks like "." This genre fusion evolves across the collection, starting with the high-octane, confrontational energy of debut-era songs such as "" and progressing to smoother, radio-friendly melodies in selections from , like "." Thematically, the compilation explores recurring motifs of anger and rebellion, exemplified by "Break Stuff," where Durst channels frustration into anthemic outbursts like "I'll break your fucking face tonight," reflecting the band's provocative edge. Interpersonal dynamics and relationships feature prominently, as in "Nookie," with its confessional lyrics about desire and regret: "I did it all for the nookie." Later inclusions introduce introspection, such as the unreleased "Why," which delves into personal reflection, marking a shift toward vulnerability in Limp Bizkit's lyrical approach. Organized chronologically to trace the band's trajectory from 1997 to 2005, Greatest Hitz balances high-energy singles with reinterpretations like the cover "" and The Who's "," alongside a medley of "" and "Bittersweet " for added variety. Spanning 17 tracks with a total runtime of 71:41, the emphasizes career-defining hits while omitting deeper cuts to maintain focus on commercial peaks. Its unique inclusion of three previously unreleased tracks—"Why," "Lean on Me," and the aforementioned medley—refreshes the retrospective, effectively bridging Limp Bizkit's aggressive origins with their maturing sound.

Track listing

Greatest Hitz comprises 17 tracks compiled from Limp Bizkit's previous albums, along with newly recorded material, totaling 71:41 in length. Select tracks appear in "GH" (Greatest Hitz) versions, which are edited or remastered specifically for this compilation.
No.TitleDurationOriginal albumNotes
1"Counterfeit"4:48Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$ (1997)
2"Faith"2:26Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$ (1997)George Michael cover; GH version
3"Nookie"4:26Significant Other (1999)GH version
4"Break Stuff"2:46Significant Other (1999)
5"Re-Arranged"5:54Significant Other (1999)
6"N 2 Gether Now"3:55Significant Other (1999)Featuring Method Man
7"Take a Look Around"5:19Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000)
8"My Generation"3:41Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000)
9"Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)"3:33Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000)
10"My Way"4:33Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000)
11"Boiler"5:44Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000)
12"Eat You Alive"3:57Results May Vary (2003)
13"Behind Blue Eyes"4:29Results May Vary (2003)The Who cover
14"Build a Bridge"3:56Results May Vary (2003)Featuring Lene from Atomic Kitten
15"Why"4:05Previously unreleasedNew track
16"Lean on Me"4:27Previously unreleasedNew track
17"Home Sweet Home/Bittersweet Symphony"3:42Previously unreleasedNew medley of Mötley Crüe and The Verve songs
Certain international editions, such as the and Japanese releases, include an additional bonus track: 18. "The Truth" (3:40), originally from the EP The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) (2005).

Critical reception

Reviews

Critics offered mixed opinions on Greatest Hitz, with praise centered on its role as a solid retrospective of Limp Bizkit's commercial peak in , while detractors highlighted its lack of fresh material and the band's enduringly divisive persona. of commended the compilation for "doing its job well as a greatest-hits collection," particularly for its curation of key tracks that balance the band's early aggressive rap-rock era with later efforts, providing a coherent overview without unnecessary filler. Similarly, awarded it 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as an effective retrospective that captures the essence of Limp Bizkit's influence on the genre during its late-1990s and early-2000s dominance. On the mixed side, reviewer Spence D. acknowledged the album's fun, high-energy vibe but criticized its dated production, which reflected the sound's waning relevance by 2005, though he appreciated the chronological flow that maintained momentum through the hits. Common themes across reviews included acclaim for encapsulating Limp Bizkit's zenith—through staples like "Nookie" and —but frequent complaints about the absence of new creative risks. Overall, the reception remained polarized, mirroring the band's image as both trailblazers and symbols of the genre's excesses, with Erlewine noting the collection's success in "balancing eras" to appeal to nostalgic fans.

Ratings

The ratings for Greatest Hitz reflect a mixed critical consensus, with scores varying based on appreciation for the album's curation of the band's signature hits versus criticism of its timing amid the waning popularity of in the mid-2000s. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music rated it 4 out of 5, noting its value as a for fans. The Essential Rock Discography assigned 7 out of 10. scored it 6.9 out of 10, describing it as a straightforward hits collection that delivers expected energy but lacks innovation.
SourceRating
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music4/5
The Essential Rock Discography7/10
IGN6.9/10
Higher marks emphasize strong hit selection from albums like Significant Other and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, while lower scores point to a lack of freshness in the 2005 nu metal landscape.

Commercial performance

Chart performance

Greatest Hitz debuted and peaked at No. 47 on the US chart in 2005, marking the band's seventh top-50 album on that ranking. In , the album re-entered the Billboard Canadian Albums chart at No. 85 in 2025, reflecting renewed interest amid the band's recent chart resurgence. Internationally, the compilation achieved moderate success across several European and Oceanic markets upon its initial release. It reached No. 29 on the ARIA Albums Chart in , No. 27 on the , No. 68 in and No. 84 in on Belgium's charts, No. 25 on Germany's Offizielle Deutsche Charts (where it spent 7 weeks in total), No. 41 on the , No. 78 on the UK Official Albums Chart, and No. 67 on Ireland's IRMA chart during a 2025 re-entry. These positions were bolstered by initial sales driven by a bundled DVD featuring and live footage, which enhanced its appeal to fans. Chart durations varied by territory, with longer runs in rock-oriented markets like due to sustained physical and digital sales. The 2025 re-entries, particularly in , , and the , were attributed to streaming revivals sparked by Limp Bizkit's nostalgia-fueled activities, including viral moments and new releases that spotlighted their catalog.
CountryChartPeak PositionYearWeeks on ChartSource
Billboard 20047200512Music Charts Archive
Billboard Canadian Albums852025 (re-entry)4Billboard Canada
AustraliaARIA Albums292005N/AWikipedia (chart data)
Ö3 Austria Top 402720053AustrianCharts.at
(Flanders)Ultratop6820053Ultratop
(Wallonia)Ultratop8420051Ultratop
Offizielle Deutsche Charts2520057Offizielle Charts; TSort.info
Swiss Hitparade4120053Hitparade.ch
Official Albums Chart7820051 (plus 2025 re-entries)Official Charts
IRMA672025 (re-entry)1UKMIX Forums (IRMA data)

Certifications

The album Greatest Hitz by received several international sales certifications, highlighting its commercial success primarily in and select other markets following its release. In , the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awarded it Gold certification for 35,000 units shipped in 2006. Similarly, Germany's (BVMI) certified the album Gold in for shipments exceeding 100,000 units. In the , the (BPI) granted Gold status in 2006 for 100,000 units. In , (RMNZ) certified it Gold for 7,500 units. No certification was issued by the (RIAA) in the United States, reflecting the band's waning popularity in the genre there during the mid-2000s. Overall, these awards underscore strong European and Oceanic performance, with certified sales exceeding 242,500 units across listed markets.

References

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