Hits, classics not always same thing

As you may surmise from this section's cover story today, I have box sets and greatest hits on the brain.

I have also learned, however, that there is a difference between a hit and a classic.

Britney Spears' "Oops, I Did It Again" is considered a hit. But it is far from being a classic.

When I think of classic, I think of groundbreaking music. Elvis Presley's version of "Hound Dog" or Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" are classics. Even Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" is considered a classic, and it wasn't a hit single. It was never released as a single.

This all came to mind as I listened to "Bring It On Home ... The Soul Classics," by Aaron Neville.

Every song on this album was released as a single in the 1960s. Some, such as "When a Man Loves a Woman" and "Stand By Me," have been re-recorded by other artists throughout the years. They are memorable and have stood the test of time. There's no denying that they are classics.

Among the songs given the Aaron Neville treatment are Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" and "Change Is Gonna Come," The Temptations' "My Girl," Brook Benton's "Rainy Night in Georgia" and The Impressions' "People Get Ready." Neville brings a new dimension to these bona fide classics.

One of my favorites on this album is the remake of The Staple Singers' "Respect Yourself." Neville respected the original version so much he had Mavis Staples do some vocal tracks. When I hear it, I recall former Doobie Brother Michael McDonald's two "Motown" albums, which I love.

The same can be said for "Bring It On Home ... The Soul Classics." I love this album. It's a compilation of classic greatest hits.

AS FOR BOX SETS, Universal Music has released "Deluxe Editions" of certain artists' more popular albums.

Bob Marley and The Who have had albums remastered and repackaged with additional CDs and bonus tracks. One of the latest groups for this treatment is Def Leppard, with the band's 1987 album "Hysteria."

While some early Def Lep fans didn't like the "new" electronic sound that the hard-rock quintet used on this album, it was the only way the band could play at the time. Prior to making the album, drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in an auto accident, forcing him to relearn the drums and incorporating a Simmons electronic drum set.

However, fueled by the Top 20 singles "Animal," "Hysteria," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Armageddon It" and "Rocket" — along with the No. 1 single "Love Bites" — the album became the band's best-selling ever, selling more than 12 million copies in the United States alone.

The deluxe edition of "Hysteria" features live tracks, outtakes, B-Sides (Including the fan favorite "Tear It Down") and a strange cover of Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me."

Although the album smacks of '80s pop metal, there's no denying how important it is in the Def Leppard history.

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com