Track Listing

1. I Walk the Line
2. I Still Miss Someone
3. Legend of John Henry's Hammer
4. Don't Take Your Guns to Town
5. In the Jailhouse Now
6. Ring of Fire
7. Understand Your Man
8. Ballad of Ira Hayes
9. Folsom Prison Blues [Live]
10. Daddy Sang Bass
11. Boy Named Sue [Live]
12. Sunday Morning Coming Down
13. Flesh and Blood
14. Man in Black
15. One Piece at a Time
16. (Ghost) Riders in the Sky

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13571 in Music
• Released on: 1999-02-02
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Too much of Cash's best work is left out to make this collection anything more than a cursory introduction to country's Man in Black. The double-CD compilation, fittingly dubbed The Man in Black, at least allows for some deeper exploration (although it lacks any liner notes whatsoever), while the outstanding three-disc Essential box truly allows you to sink your teeth into this legendary figure. Still, the songs that comprise 16 Biggest Hits do provide a telling snapshot of Cash's substance and style--honest, straightforward, direct music devoid of ulterior motives and delivered with conviction. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews

The Best Johnny
This is as good as any single disc out there for people wanting only one Johnny Cash hits collection. ( Sorry, you can't put almost fifty years of recordings on one album or box set. ) This cd covers his early period, the live prison songs and the rest of the best. Much has been said about "The Man In Black", for me my favorite part of his music is how well he does train songs, which are found on "Get Rhythm/Story Of Trains And Rivers". He's also one of the best concert performers I've ever seen. Every fan of music needs one Cash album. So, start here and follow up after hearing the various tracks.

16 tunes you need to have
While the Amazon review was correct in asserting that 16 songs hardly does justice to the legacy of Johnny Cash, this is still a fine starting point showcasing the lyrical pinache that has made Cash endure for decades. Everybody knows "Ring of Fire" and "A Boy Named Sue," but don't forget "The Legend of John Henry's Hammer," "Daddy Sang Bass," "One Piece at a Time," "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" and the other 10 songs here. Every song is a story detailing the lives of the neighbors you never had in Nebraska. Everyone will like Johnny Cash at some point in their lives so do yourself a favor: buy this and begin the journey down the road with the Man in Black.

Don't bleep #@&* out!!!
I've always wanted to have a little Johnny Cash on the shelf, so I went for this collection. It's got many of the standards, which is nice. BUT A TRACK OR TWO HAS BEEN EDITED TO REMOVE PROFANITY. I find this to be profane. While there may be an indication that this is the case somewhere in the item information, I missed it. Now I will have to buy (from a music store where I can listen to the tracks first and ensure they are not modified) some more Johnny Cash to get the real track. . .