Everybody loves a good Greatest Hits collection.

Whether it’s The Eagles, Garth Brooks or Guns ‘N Roses, a Greatest Hits album can make for the perfect soundtrack for any group of people.

That’s the reason why Greatest Hits collections are some of the highest selling albums of all time – everyone can relate to them.

These are an artist’s biggest chart-toppers. Not necessarily their best work, but clearly their most populist and successful.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a Greatest Hits album.

I think though if you asked any of these artists, their hope would be for you to go beyond their Greatest Hits to discover their Deep Tracks.

Most musicians with a catalog extensive enough to produce a Greatest Hits album have an array of overlooked gems lurking on their studio albums.

Discovering these Deep Tracks is what I love about collecting vinyl.

Instead of just buying something like Queen’s greatest hits album, I can take a chance on an album like A Night At The Opera that has a song or two I recognize like “Bohemian Rhapsody”. After all, I’m only paying a couple of dollars for the used vinyl – not much more than I’d pay for the one song I know on iTunes.

Then, when the needle hits the wax, you get the magical feeling of discovering the hidden classics, the deep tracks lost underneath the noise of the Greatest Hits. Songs like “The Prophet’s Song” or “’39” that are just as good, if not better, than the songs you know by heart, only they never made it onto the radio.

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When you go to a church service, you’re basically listening to God’s Greatest Hits. 

Most preachers, whether they admit it or not, only teach on a small percentage of the Bible. Seriously – when was the last time you heard a sermon out of Nahum? Obadiah? 2nd John? Not too often I imagine.

Understandably so. There are some passages in the Bible which make for easy, relatable and relevant sermon topics. Others are confusing, unsettling and off-putting for a large communal gathering.

This is why most preacher’s stick to God’s Greatest Hits. And I don’t have a problem with this.

A preacher’s job is not to teach their congregation the entirety of the Bible. Depending on them to do so during the one or two times a week they get to speak is foolish.

Instead, I think it’s up to us to discover the Deep Tracks of God.

If you’re just showing up to hear God’s Greatest Hits every week, you are missing out on some incredible Deep Tracks.

These Deep Tracks may be more difficult to listen to at first. They may be harder to understand, tougher to slog through. That doesn’t make them any less profound or incredible.

As Paul puts it:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. (2 Timothy 3:16)

You can learn a lot about an artist by listening to their Greatest Hits. A Greatest Hits album shouldn’t be a stopping point if you like what the band has to offer. It should be an entryway into the Deep Tracks of their catalog.

Going to church once or twice a week is a good way to get to know the Greatest Hits of God. Don’t get me wrong – these are hits you’ll want to get to know by heart, ones you’ll never get tired of hearing.

If you really want to get to know the Artist though, open up the Bible the other 6 days of the week. Read a passage you’ve never read before, one you haven’t seen in a while.

Discover the Deep Tracks of God. You’ll be amazed at how much more amazing work there is in His back catalog.

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