Your Favorite Compilation Albums/CDs - Various Artists

Cafe Society
1

Recently I started digging into the “HD2” stations on my car radio, and came across a great 60’s soul station (WHQT 105.1 HD2 out of Coral Gables FL). Not that I’ve bought many, but this jogged my memory that my favorite compilation CD of all time is “The Soul Of New Orleans” on England’s Charly label. The tracks:

1 Working In A Coal Mine - Lee Dorsey
2 Barefootin’ - Robert Parker
3 Look A Py Py - The Meters
4 Iko Iko - The Dixie Cups
5 Ride Your Pony - Lee Dorsey
6 Cissy Strut - The Meters
7 Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Lloyd Price
8 People Say - The Dixie Cups
9 Down Home Girl - Alvin Robinson
10 Holy Cow - Lee Dorsey
11 Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville
12 Chapel Of Love - The Dixie Cups
13 Release Me - Johnny Adams
14 Chicken Strut - The Meters
15 Get Out Of My Life Woman - Lee Dorsey
16 Let The Good Times Roll - Alvin Robinson
17 Red Sails In The Sunset - Fats Domino
18 Hercules - Aaron Neville
19 Sinner Girl - Benny Spellman
20 Don’t Pity Me - Curly Moore
21 Gossip Gossip - Diamond Joe
22 I Think You’re Jiving Me - Huey ‘Piano’ Smith

Volume 2 (“It Will Stand”) is also great:

1 Ooh Poo Pah Doo - Jessie Hill
2 Over You -Aaron Neville
3 Mother-In-Law - Ernie K-Doe
4 I Like It Like That - Chris Kenner
5 Te-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta - Ernie K-Doe
6 Moanin’ and Screamin’ - Diamond Joe
7 Let’s Live - Aaron Neville
8 It Will Stand - The Showmen
9 Country Fool - The Showmen
10 I Cried My Last Tear - Ernie K-Doe
11 Something You Got - Chris Kenner
12 I’m Gonna Put Some Hurt on You - Raymond Lewis
13 All These Things - Art Neville
14 Lipstick Traces (On a Cigarette) - Benny Spellman
15 Fortune Teller - Benny Spellman
16 Green Door - Eskew Reeder
17 It’s Raining - Irma Thomas
18 Land of 1000 Dances - Chris Kenner
19 Ruler of My Heart - Irma Thomas
20 It Do Me Good - The Pitter Pats
21 Coo Coo Over You - The Hueys
22 (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man - Skip Easterling

These two CDs cemented my love for New Orleans music in general, exposed me to the genius of Allen Toussaint, the beauty of Irma Thomas’s voice, and the raw talents of Chris Kenner, Ernie K-Doe, etc.

If anyone has a favorite compilation album/CD (not a greatest hits by one artist) that rivals these, I’d love to hear about it.

2

Golden Throats has some great songs and some great entertainers in it.

Said combination however, doesn’t really result in great music. Risible? You bet!

1.“Proud Mary” - Leonard Nimoy
2.“It Ain’t Me, Babe” - Sebastian Cabot
3.“Blowin’ in the Wind” - Eddie Albert
4.“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” - William Shatner
5.“A Whiter Shade of Pale” - Noel Harrison
6.“I Can See for Miles” - Frankie Randall
7.“Try a Little Tenderness” - Jack Webb
8.“Twist and Shout” - Mae West
9.“House of the Rising Sun” - Andy Griffith
10.“Mr. Tambourine Man” - William Shatner
11.“You Are the Sunshine of My Life” - Jim Nabors
12.“Like a Rolling Stone” - Sebastian Cabot
13.“White Room” - Joel Grey
14.“If I Had a Hammer” - Leonard Nimoy

And that’s just volume 1!

3

I’m familiar with the legend of the Golden Throats, and have checked out a few cuts in the past, but I just listened to #7 for the first time…I lasted about 1:30.

Clearly not the album to put on at the start of a romantic evening.

4

I have got to get my hands on this. I’ve had the pleasure and the privilege to see performances (on tv) of Mr. Nimoy and Mr. Shatner, but I really really need to hear Jack Webb singing about Tenderness. Egad.

Compilation albums have been off my radar for about 40 years now, but I remember
this one by K-Tel. It’s hard to believe there was a time that my family all listened to music and laughed together. Whenever *Sylvia’s Mother *came on my mother would say "oy, put the girl on the phone already so this poor nebich can stop whining ".

5

I have all of the Pebbles compilation CDs that I know of.

I have dozens if not hundreds of compilations of garage rock/punk and funk from all over the world, but Pebbles as a series is one of my favorites.

6

One of my favorites: I’m Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen

Who by Fire-- House of Love
Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye-- Ian McCulloch
I Can’t Forget-- Pixies
Stories of the Street-- That Petrol Emotion
Bird on the Wire-- The Lilac Time
Suzanne–Geoffrey Oryema
So Long Marianne-- James
Avalanche IV-- Jean-Louis Murat
First We Take Manhattan-- REM
Chelsea Hotel-- Lloyd Cole
Tower of Song-- Robert Forster
Take This Longing–Peter Astor
True Love Leaves No Traces-- Dead Famous People
I’m Your Man-- Bill Pritchard
A Singer Must Die-- Fatima Mansions
Tower of Song-- Nick Cave
Hallelujah-- John Cale

7

Hot Rods & Custom Classics
Disc: 1

  1. New Car Attitude - Hot Rods & Custom Classics

  2. Action Packed - Ronnie Dee

  3. Stick Shift - The Duals

  4. Hot Rod Man - Tex Rubinowitz

  5. Hotrod Gang - Stray Cats

  6. Cruisin’ - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps

  7. Radar Love - Golden Earring

  8. Mercury Blues - David Lindley

  9. Maybellene - Chuck Berry & His Combo

  10. The Ballard Of Thunder Road - Robert Mitchum

  11. Forty Miles Of Bad Road - Duane Eddy(His ‘Twangy’ Guitar & The Rebels)

  12. SS 396 - Paul Revere & The Raiders

  13. See The U.S.A. In Your Chevrolet - Dinah Shore

  14. Little Deuce Coupe - The Beach Boys

  15. Hot Rod - The Collins Kids

  16. Mr. Highway Man (Cadillac Daddy) - Howlin’ Wolf

  17. Lost Highway - Hank Williams

  18. Highway Patrol - Junior Brown

  19. Heavy Traffic Ahead - Bill Monroe

  20. Radar - Mr. Bear & His Bearcats

  21. Motorhead Baby - Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson

  22. Led Sled - Denny Freeman

  23. Rev Off - Steve Wertheimer’s 1951 Mercury Custom & Mike Young’s 1960 Chevrolet ‘Exotica’ Impala
    Disc: 2

  24. Rockin’ Down The Highway - The Dobbie Brothers

  25. Hey Little Cobra - The Rip Chords

  26. Hot Rod Queen - Deke Dickerson & The Ecco - Fonics

  27. Hot Rod Lincoln - Johnny Bond

  28. Hot Rod Race - Ramblin’ Jimmie Dolan

  29. Drag Race - Hot Rods & Custom Classics

  30. Draggin’ - Curtis Gordon

  31. Dragster - Johnny Fortune

  32. Race With The Devil - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps

  33. Devil In My Car - The B - 52’s

  34. Ride On Josephine - George Thorogood & The Destroyers

  35. Rocket ‘88’ - Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats

  36. Key To The Highway - Little Walter & His Jukes

  37. Low Rider - War

  38. Whittier Blvd. - Thee Midniters

  39. Every Woman I Know - Billy ‘The Kid’ Emerson

  40. One Pieve At A Time - Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Three

  41. Cadillac Assembly Line - Albert King

  42. I Want A Lavendar Cadillac - Maurice King & His Wolverines

  43. Bring My Cadillac Back - The Knighmares

  44. Pink Cadillac - Sammy Masters & His Rocking Rhythm

  45. Transfusion - Nervous Norvus

  46. Crawling From The Wreckage - Dave Edmunds

  47. Dead Man’s Curve - Jan & Dean

  48. James Dean 1955 Interview - Hot Rods & Custom Classics
    Disc: 3

  49. Let’s Go For A Ride - The Collegians

  50. On The Road Again - Canned Heat

  51. Drive South - John Hiatt

  52. I Gotta New Car - Big Boy Groves & Band

  53. No Money Down - Chuck Berry & His Combo

  54. Dear Dad - Dave Edmunds

  55. Little Forty Ford - Leon Smith

  56. '41 Ford - The Grand Prix

  57. '64 Ford - Phranc

  58. Stolen Car - The Green Hornets

  59. Go Lil’ Camaro Go - Ramones

  60. Road Runner - Bo Diddley

  61. Beep Beep - The Playmates

  62. Black & White Thunderbird - The Delicates

  63. Pink Thunderbird - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps

  64. '54 Corvette - The Customs

  65. Sting Ray - The Routers

  66. Route 66 Theme - Nelson Riddle

  67. Gas Money - Jan & Arnie

  68. Gasoline Alley - Rod Stewart
    Disc: 4

  69. Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett

  70. Hopped-Up-Mustang - Arlen Sanders

  71. Wild, Wild Mustang - Dick Dale & His Del-Tones

  72. 409 - The Quads

  73. Automobiles - The Spaniels

  74. V-8 Ford Blues - Mose Allison

  75. Pontiac Blues - Sonny Boy Williamson

  76. G.T.O. - Ronny & The Daytonas

  77. Go Go G.T.O. - Carol & Cheryl

  78. Bite Bite Barracuda - Buddy Randell & The Knickerbockers

  79. Ford V-8 - Honey Boy Allen

  80. No Particular Place To Go - Chuck Berry

  81. Four In The Floor - The Shutdowns

  82. Big Green Car - Jimmy Carroll

  83. Spark Plug - Four Teens

  84. Buick 59 - The Medallions

  85. Freeway - The Fugitives

  86. Two Lane Highway - Pure Prairie League

  87. Six Days On The Road - Dave Dudley

  88. Wheels - Flying Burrito Bros.

Great stuff, except for that crap by Ronnie Dee.

8

Dammit Johnny, beat me to it by 8 minutes.

9

Actually, Webb’s version is rather sweet.

My favorite is probably “The New Spirit of Capitol,” a showcase for a bunch of new acts on Capitol records in 1970.

  1. Little Girl – Steve Miller Band
  2. Jamie – Hedge & Donna
    3 Games People Play – Joe South
  3. Silver Threads and Golden Needles – Linda Ronstadt
  4. July, You’re a Woman – John Stewart
  5. A Little Girl Lost – David Axelrod
  6. The Boy Soldier – Edgar Broughton Band
  7. Please Don’t Worry – Grand Funk Railroad
  8. It’s Time – The Sons
  9. Astronomy Domine – Pink Floyd
    11 Broke an’ Hungry – Guitar Junior
    12 Innervenus Eyes – The Bob Seger System
    13 Red Cross Store – Mississippi Fred McDowell

At the time, only Joe South had had a hit. Five others because major stars after, so it was good taste on Capitol’s part.

10

The wonderful Ace Records in London have a series of compilations of the original recordings of songs that are more famous for being done by other artists. Here’s the track listing of the first of them.

01 Tainted Love - Gloria Jones

02 Suspicious Minds - Mark James

03 Wild Thing - The Wild Ones

04 I Fought The Law - The Crickets

05 The Red Rooster - Howlin' Wolf

06 Hanky Panky - The Raindrops

07 Go Now - Bessie Banks

08 A Rockin' Good Way - Priscilla Bowman & the Spaniels

09 This Diamond Ring - Sammy Ambrose

10 Tobacco Road - John D Loudermilk

11 I Found You - Yvonne Fair

12 Ain't That Loving You Baby - Eddie Riff

13 Louie Louie - Richard Berry & The Pharaohs

14 My Boy Lollipop - Barbie Gaye

15 Little Bit O' Soul - The Little Darlings

16 Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town - Johnny Darrell

17 Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand - Hoagy Lands & the Mustangs

18 You Need Love - Muddy Waters

19 A Groovy Kind Of Love - Diane & Annita

20 You Were On My Mind - Ian & Sylvia

21 I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - Tommy Hunt

22 Let's Get Together (Live) - The Kingston Trio

23 California Sun - Joe Jones

24 Something Stupid - Carson & Gaile

25 Hey Joe - The Leaves

26 Rock Around The Clock - Sunny Dae & the Knights

They also do artist specific ones eg songs covered by David Bowie, Nick Cave etc. It’s good stuff.

11

Beyond the Beach, a 1994 compiliation of (then) contemporary surf and surfbilly instrumentals, introduced me to groups like the Mermen, Aqua Velvets, and Laika & the Cosmonauts. A ton o’ fun.
The Sound Gallery Volume 1 is a collection of instrumentals that could be described as “ultra-lounge,” but with a whole lot more soul and funk. The songs were recorded by session musicians for a variety of British mood music LPs. It’s great music for the open road. There’s a second volume, but I haven’t heard that one.

12

A couple of label samplers from the '70s really found a place in my heart. One song happens to appear on both; both also include oddball versions of music from Handel’s Messiah…

“V” - a sampler from the early days of the Virgin label. Most of these tracks were otherwise unavailable at the time.

Robert Wyatt: Yesterday Man
Mike Oldfield: Don Alfonso
Ivor Cutler: Go And Sit Upon The Grass
Tangerine Dream : Overture
Kevin Coyne: Marjory Razorblade
Kevin Coyne: Looking For The River
Captain Beefheart: Mirror Man (live)
Captain Beefheart: Upon The My-O-My (live)
Slapp Happy: Extract From The Messiah
Henry Cow: A Worm Is At Work
Tom Newman: Sad Sing
Tom Newman: Superman
Chili Charles: Semba
Jabula: Baile (They Are Gone)
Clearlight Symphony: Extract From Part 1
Hatfield And The North: Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Donut
White Noise: White Noise II (Extract)
Steve Hillage: Pentagramaspinn
The Greater Antilles Sampler

Nick Drake: Northern Sky
Quiet Sun: R. F. D.
Tim Hardin: Never Too Far
Grimms: Take It While You Can
Gay and Terry Woods: The Time Is Right
Albion Country Band: Albion Sunrise
Allen Fontenot and the Country Cajuns: Cajun Theme
Country Gazette: Roses For A Sunday Afternoon
Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band: Just As The Tide Was Flowing
Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick: Grey Daylight
June Tabor: Pull Down Lads
Gary Shearston: I Get A Kick Out Of You
Osamu Kitajima: Benzaiten
Fripp & Eno: Evensong
Tom Newman: Sad Sing
White Noise: Love Without Sound
Winwood/Kabaka/Amao: Irin-Ajo
Don Cherry Trio: Tibet
Morning Glory: Cloudless Sky
John Cage: Experiences #1
Tibetan Bells: White Light
Portsmouth Sinfonia: Hallelujah

13

Of course, my very favorite compilations are all Louie Louie, all the time. I have both volumes put out by Rhino Records as well as a handful of others. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Louie Louie is the greatest rock song that will ever be written.

14

Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films

  1. Opening Medley (“I’m Getting Wet and I Don’t Care at All”)
    a) “Hi Diddle Dee Dee (An Actor’s Life For Me)” from Pinocchio 1:59 Ken Nordine, with Bill Frisell and Wayne Horvitz
    b) “Little April Shower” from Bambi 3:32 Natalie Merchant, Michael Stipe, with Mark Bingham and The Roches
    c) “I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)” from The Jungle Book 3:39 Los Lobos

  2. “Baby Mine” from Dumbo 3:21 Bonnie Raitt and Was (Not Was)

  3. “Heigh Ho (The Dwarf’s Marching Song)” from Snow White and The Seven Dwarves 3:30 Tom Waits

  4. Medley Two (“The Darkness Sheds Its Veil”)
    a) “Stay Awake” from Mary Poppins 1:48 Suzanne Vega
    b) “Little Wooden Head” from Pinocchio 2:10 Bill Frisell and Wayne Horvitz
    c) “Blue Shadows on the Trail” from Melody Time 3:50 Syd Straw

  5. Medley Three (“Three Inches Is Such a Wretched Height”)
    a) “Castle in Spain” from Babes in Toyland 2:37 Buster Poindexter and The Banshees of Blue
    b) “I Wonder” from Sleeping Beauty 3:22 Yma Sumac

  6. “Mickey Mouse March” from The Mickey Mouse Club 2:13 Aaron Neville

  7. Medley Four (“All Innocent Children Had Better Beware”)
    a) “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins 4:17 Garth Hudson
    b) “Whistle While You Work” from Snow White and The Seven Dwarves 2:22 NRBQ
    c) “I’m Wishing” from Snow White and The Seven Dwarves 4:20 Betty Carter
    d) “Cruella De Ville” from 101 Dalmatians 2:15 The Replacements
    e) “Dumbo And Timothy” from Dumbo 2:04 Bill Frisell and Wayne Horvitz

  8. “Some Day My Prince Will Come” from Snow White and The Seven Dwarves 1:08 Sinéad O’Connor

  9. Medley Five (“Technicolor Pachyderms”)
    a) “Pink Elephants On Parade” from Dumbo 4:54 Sun Ra & His Arkestra
    b) “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” from Song of the South 3:16 Harry Nilsson

  10. "Second Star To The Right" from Peter Pan 	4:02 	James Taylor

  11. Pinocchio Medley ("Do You See The Noses Growing")

a) “Desolation Theme” from Pinocchio 2:02 Ken Nordine, with Bill Frisell and Wayne Horvitz
b) “When You Wish upon a Star” from Pinocchio 3:46 Ringo Starr, with Herb Alpert

15

Two of my all-time favorite tribute albums, based on the selection of songs represented, and the artists selected to perform them. In fact, both these albums would be included in my “Desert Island Discs!”
“The Songs Of Jimmie Rodgers - A Tribute”

1 “Dreaming With Tears In My Eyes” Performed by Bono

2 “Any Old Time” Performed by Alison Krauss and Union Station

3 “Waiting For A Train” Performed by Dickey Betts

4 “Somewhere Down Below The Mason Dixon Line” Performed by Mary Chapin Carpenter

5 “Miss The Mississippi And You” Performed by David Ball

6 “My Blue Eyed Jane” Performed by Bob Dylan

7 “Peach Pickin’ Time Down In Georgia” Performed by Willie Nelson

8 “In The Jailhouse Now Performed” by Steve Earle and the V-Roys

9 “Blue Yodel #9 (Standin’ On The Corner)” Performed by Jerry Garcia; David Grisman; John Kahn

10 “Hobo Bill’s Last Ride” Performed by Iris DeMent

11 “Gambling Bar Room Blues” Performed by John Mellencamp

12 “Mule Skinner Blues” Performed by Van Morrison

13 “Why Should I Be Lonely” Performed by Aaron Neville

14 “T For Texas” Performed by Dwight Yoakam
“Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons”

1 “She” (Chris Ethridge/Parsons) – Performed by The Pretenders and Emmylou Harris

2 “Ooh Las Vegas” (Rick Grech/Parsons) – Performed by Cowboy Junkies

3 “Sin City” (Chris Hillman/Parsons) – Performed by Beck and Emmylou Harris

4 “$1000 Wedding” (Parsons) – Performed by Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield

5 “Hot Burrito #1” (Ethridge/Parsons) – Performed by The Mavericks

6 “High Fashion Queen” (Hillman/Parsons) – Performed by Chris Hillman and Steve Earle

7 “Juanita” (Hillman/Parsons) – Performed by Sheryl Crow and Emmylou Harris

8 “Sleepless Nights” (Felice and Boudleaux Bryant) – Performed by Elvis Costello

9 “Return of the Grievous Angel” (Thomas Stanley Brown/Parsons) – Performed by Lucinda Williams and David Crosby

10 “One Hundred Years from Now” (Parsons) – Performed by Wilco

11 “A Song for You” – Performed by Whiskeytown

12 “Hickory Wind” (Bob Buchanan/Gram Parsons) – Performed by Gillian Welch

13 “In My Hour of Darkness” (Emmylou Harris/Parsons) – Performed by the Rolling Creekdippers

16

Clay Dog Records released two albums of street musicians, one Chicago, one NYC, both were excellent:

Street Dreams New York: Music from the subways of New York City

  1. Mta (MTA
  2. Slide (Simon 7 & Paul Clements
  3. Saddest Day Of My Life (Asheba & The One Vibe Band)
  4. Radio Rodney (Paul Clements)
  5. Touch Your Hair (Kathleen Mock)
  6. End Of The Line (Herman Ferman)
  7. A Stitch In Time (Didjworks)
  8. Rock It Baby (Asheba & The One Vibe Band)
  9. You Should Know (Kathleen Mock/Roger Ridley)
  10. Rolling Dice (Simon 7 & Paul Clements)
  11. Summertime (Roger Ridley)
  12. Nothing (Herman Ferman)
  13. Rosetta Pierce (Mecca Bodega)
  14. It Must Have Been An Angel (Kathleen Mock)
  15. My Man (Tan Ridley)
    Street Dreams: Chicago
  16. C.T.A.
  17. Stand by Me - 78 Cents
  18. Sweet Home Chicago - Chicago Brother & Sister Blues Band
  19. El Condor Pasa - Ch’uwa Yacu
  20. I Can See Clearly Now - Fritz Legros
  21. Cupid - 78 Cents
  22. I Got My Mojo Workin’ - Chicago Brother & Sister Blues Band
  23. Djembe Jam - John Smith
  24. Anniversary Waltz - Yuan Wei/Bogdan Pokrzywnicki
  25. Ch’uwa Yacu - Ch’uwa Yacu :: Clear Water - Ch’uwa Yacu
  26. Route 66 - Chicago Brother & Sister Blues Band
  27. Yardbird Suite - Michael Barber
  28. Jamaican Drums - Yambe & The Hartisan Brothers
  29. Wonderful - 78 Cents
  30. Jesus, My Brother - Fritz Legros
  31. Lift Every Voice - Flow
  32. Amazing Grace - Samson Reeves Jr.
    **It’ll Come to You: The Songs of John Hiatt ** Patty Griffin’s cover is worth the price of admission alone, the rest completes the full show
    1 Paper Thin- Buddy & Julie Miller / Buddy Miller / Julie Miller
    2 Take It Down- Patty Griffin
    3 It’ll Come to You- Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise
    4 When We Ran- Linda Ronstadt
    5 Riding with the King- Eric Clapton / B.B. King
    6 Feels Like Rain- Buddy Guy
    7 Thing Called Love - Bonnie Raitt
    8 Icy Blue Heart - Emmylou Harris
    9 She Loves the Jerk - Rodney Crowell
    10 The Way We Make a Broken Heart - Rosanne Cash
    11 The Most Unoriginal Sin - Willie Nelson
    12 She Don’t Love Nobody- Nick Lowe & His Cowboy Outfit
    13 Across the Borderline - Freddy Fender
17

I was a big fan of the Heavy Metalcartoon soundtrack. The film was pretty silly but the music was great. I had it on vinyl but because of rights issues it took forever for it to be finally released on CD.

  1. “Heavy Metal” (Original Version) Sammy Hagar
  2. “Heartbeat” Riggs
  3. “Working in the Coal Mine” Devo
  4. “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” Blue Öyster Cult
  5. “Reach Out” Cheap Trick
  6. “Heavy Metal (Takin’ a Ride)” Don Felder
  7. “True Companion” Donald Fagen
  8. “Crazy (A Suitable Case for Treatment)” Nazareth
  9. “Radar Rider” Riggs
  10. “Open Arms” Journey
  11. “Queen Bee” Grand Funk Railroad
  12. “I Must Be Dreamin’” Cheap Trick
  13. “The Mob Rules” (alternate version) Black Sabbath
  14. “All of You” Don Felder
  15. “Prefabricated” Trust
  16. “Blue Lamp” Stevie Nicks
18

I bought The Great British Rock Invasion, a triple album compilation of British bands from the 60s and 70s when I was 15 in 1984, and it was instrumental in shaping my musical tastes {although Side 6 was pretty useless, in hindsight. Well, The Jam and Nazareth were good.}

19

I think you almost have to omit movie soundtracks just to keep the topic under control (good call on Heavy Metal though Hail Ants). There are many, many to cite in that category: Saturday Night Fever, American Graffiti, Dazed & Confused, Boogie Nights, Pulp Fiction, and so on. Thinking up non-soundtrack comps is an interesting challenge.

A label called Sympathy 4 the RI came out with an excellent comp called Alright This Time Just the Girls, featuring all female artists or women-fronted bands. (Here are track lists to Volume I and Volume II.) Some really terrific stuff by bands I’d mostly never heard of before (or since).

Rhino Records had a nice line in decade-spanning compilations, including Have A Nice Decade: The '70s Pop Culture Box and Like, Omigod! The '80s Pop Culture Box (Totally). These things always suffer because the REALLY big artists never license their stuff (the 70s box has no Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones of Paul McCartney; the 80s set has no Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson), but within those limitations, they’re about as good as you’re going to get.

And arguably the greatest comp of the rock era: Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, featuring some amazing hit singles and forgotten gems.

20

I was a big fan of the first few Punk-o-Rama compilations from the 90’s. Some great stuff there.