What is your favorite compilation CD series?

I have a question for CD buyers. There are several CD compilation series on the market today. For example there are the "20th Century Masters" and the "Gold" series that feature different artists. What series do you look for or avoid and why?

 

Nuggets. First time around and then the expanded box set.

 

PAY IT ALL BACK Volumes 1-6.
On-U Sound.

 

Those Oblivion's are great, carry some nice 7 inch mixes and edits

 

and when not in the mood for On-U.

Total 1-Total 18/Pop Ambient

KOMPAKT ambient/techno excellence.

 

Camel: Rainbow's End. Has everything a Camel fan needs.

 

When I can find em cheap I've been grabbing those 90's UK 'Volume' series. Beautifully done books, interviews, pics etc...

 

Rhino used to have some great multi-volume series:

- British Invasion
- Blues Masters
- Can’t Get Enough of those New Wave Hits of the 1980s
- Hang the DJ

 

The 'Essential' series from the 90's can be hit or miss mastering wise.
Pet Shop Boys isn't too bad, Duran Duran's should be avoided. Kirsty MacColl's, this is probably the best we're going to get for the early stuff. Galore is awful.
Icon series is more miss than hit, most have massive modern compression added.

 

I always liked this series by Time Life.

 

Love the “Have a Nice Day” series from Rhino. I wish they’d re-release those.
Currently, I’m really enjoying “Twelve Inch Eighties” from the UK.

 

I collected all of Rhinos Soul Hits of the 70s cds as well.

 

That'll Flat ... Git It! - Rockabilly culled from record labels both huge (e.g. RCA, Columbia) and tiny (e.g. Event, Colonial). Some of the 30-and-counting volumes are better thaan others, but each one has a lengthly and informative booklet.

Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight - The most rocking/bopping/jumping/swinging recordings by various country singers of the 40's, 50's, and early 60's.

Back From The Grave - Like Nuggets but more concentrated, bypassing the pop-rock hits and psychedelia. Pure proto-punk attitude.

 

Nuggets...any iteration.

 

Rhino DIY series - best ever.

 

I have that Rhino DIY series. Never have listened to it. Need to go in the 'sell box'.
I like most of the Time Life Singers and Songwriters and Modern Rock 2CD sets. I have a bunch but a few of the Modern Rock discs are way out of my price range. Mastering on both sets are generally really good. Dennis Drake did most of them.
I started to collect the Time Life Classic Rock CDs (1964: The Beat Goes On, etc) and have about 18 of those. I don't know most of those songs though.
Time Life Sounds of the Eighties is great and it has a bunch of the single edits if you are into that.
I have a few of the older Playlist series CD's. Some are very good and a few have rare or hard to find edits or remixes of songs.

Pat

 

The EASY TEMPO series
10 volumes of 60s and 70s Italian library music!

Get the originals! NOT the remasters!

 

Those are definitely the rabbit hole to lead a person into the world of Euro cult soundtracks.

 

Trojan 3CD box sets...apart from a few stinkers (the Beatles and UK Ska onse are rare aberrations), overall they are excellent value sets

 

Oh really? Usual 2000s brickwalling is it? I was thinking of picking up a couple of favourites on CD with my vinyl copies being a bit rough now.

 

-I've enjoyed many of the Proper box sets out of the UK. Nicely curated compilations of Jazz / Blues / Country artists at affordable prices...
-I'll second (or third?) the love for the time-life compilations. Surprisingly deep for what they are (greatest hits packages).
-Grooves magazine was a series of CD's from 1994-1996 which focused on Alternative / Folk / Country / Blues with some exclusive tracks I've come to enjoy.
-Musician magazine's "A Little on the CD side" compilations make for a good overview of the variety of music made in the 1990's but aren't quite as successful.
-The UK Uncut & Mojo magazine compilations are actually pretty good, especially the artist / album cover series.
-In terms of live compilations the King Biscuit and Mountain Stage CD series aren't bad.
-If you're looking for more modern music the Radio 1's Live Lounge series may sway more pop than I'd like but can still be interesting from time to time as it's all live in the studio. There's always the Now That's What I Call Music series if your interested more in studio hits.
-Compilations from US radio stations like KFOG / KGSR / WXRT & WXPN's Live at the World Café can be good refreshers of what's currently popular in AOR rock.
Not sure if that's the kind of stuff you were looking for but that's what popped into my head when I started thinking about compilation series CD's.

 

Ya know, considering Dennis Drake had the opportunity to not only correct some issues he may have had the first time around (originally "Super Hits"), but also any quirks Bill Inglot may have had with his Billboard Top 40 series for Joel Whitburn and Rhino, that's my choice as well.

The grand-daddy of musical 'Boomer-food.

 

Soft Sounds for Gentle People is pretty groovy, and I do love the aforementioned AM Gold series by Time Life. Hard to Find 45s on CD has some pretty great volumes.

 

Grand 12-Inches. Compiled by Dutch mix legend Ben Liebrand:

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