AMG Review of Greatest Hits

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Although it isn't as sublime as the definitive The Man and His Music, Greatest Hits still does a good job of rounding up the majority of Sam Cooke's biggest pop hits. Ironically, it doesn't have enough gospel or R&B cuts, skipping over such essentials as "Touch the Hem of His Garment," "Ain't That Good News," and "A Change Is Gonna Come" in favor of such pop hits as "Sugar Dumpling." However, it has just enough songs that aren't on The Man and His Music to make it worth exploring for fans who haven't been able to hear some of this material before, since some of these songs have been out of print for years. Nevertheless, it's targeted for the curious and the novice, and even with its omissions, Greatest Hits does provide a reasonably effective overview of his pop career.