Its three newly recorded songs,[1] "Catch My Breath", "Don't Rush", and "People Like Us", served as singles; contributions to their production came from Sound Kollectiv, Greg Kurstin, and Dann Huff.

"[4] On September 11, 2012, the UK branch of Sony Music Entertainment revealed on a press conference that a greatest hits album from Clarkson would be released by the end of 2012.

[7][8] Greatest Hits – Chapter One contains seventeen tracks spanning ten years of music material from Clarkson's career, including a collaborative work with country artist Jason Aldean and three newly recorded tracks specifically made for the greatest hits album.

"Catch My Breath", an electropop song, was written by Clarkson along with her musical director Jason Halbert and Eric Olson.

The international version of the compilation includes the songs "The Trouble with Love Is", "Beautiful Disaster", "I Do Not Hook Up" and "Dark Side".

[10] Clarkson performed "Don't Rush" at the 46th Annual Country Music Association Awards with Vince Gill on November 1, 2012.

[11] On November 18, 2012, she performed a medley of "Miss Independent", "Since U Been Gone", "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" and "Catch My Breath" at the 40th Annual American Music Awards.

[18] AllMusic's senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine lauded Clarkson's transcendence from her American Idol image and her endurance throughout the 2000s, writing that "Consequently, Greatest Hits – Chapter One winds up sounding like pop sounded in the new millennium: alternatively calculated and inspired, a pop star who always seemed in control of her fate even when she aspired to be heard as bumper music in malls from sea to shining sea.

"[19] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy opined that "the sailing has been pretty smooth for Kelly ever since, turning out big pop songs (courtesy of Dr. Luke and Max Martin) with even bigger vocals that are, for the most part, wholly reassuring.

"[21] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine noted: "Clarkson's five studio albums have been a mixed bag, both in terms of quality and overall style, ranging from the R&B-lite of Thankful to the slick pop-rock of Breakaway and All I Ever Wanted.

"[22] Greatest Hits – Chapter One debuted at number eleven on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, selling about 75,000 copies in its first week.