Various Artists
Doo Wop Box/101 Vocal Group Gems (1993)
Banking on fraternity and obsessed with love, street-corner harmonizing became the big city's answer to rock 'n' roll. This four-CD box set corrals the coos and trills that were business as usual for the Orioles, the Ravens, and the Penguins. It's addictive stuff: One spin through the harmonies of "Come Go With Me" or "One Summer Night" and you'll understand.

Ray Charles
Genius & Soul/The 50th Anniversary Collection (1997)
It takes five discs to accommodate Charles' massive scope. From the hokum of "It Shoulda Been Me" to the jazzy R&B of "Rock House" to the irresistible schmaltz of "You Are My Sunshine," you get a clear picture why the singer and his canny blend of gospel and pop are so often deemed "American" in sound. Ambitious, creative, utterly natural, he can even take something that shouldn't necessarily work - "Eleanor Rigby" comes to mind - and chill you to the bone.

Aretha Franklin
Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings (1992)
Yup, her skills were obvious before she got to Atlantic. But every jewel needs some polishing and when Jerry Wexler sent Aretha down to Muscle Shoals, her art took on a regal resonance. Nudging her dad's gospel formalism in a torrent of pop emotion, she came up with a confluence of grit and God that supercharged these sessions. In her decade with Atlantic, Lady Soul became the voice of young, gifted, and black America.

Various Artists
Beg, Scream & Shout! The Big Ol' Box of '60s Soul (1993)
The late '50s and early '60s were about singles, not albums. Here's a slew of the best, the weirdest, the most distinct: A dictionary of soul is compiled of these hits and essential rarities. A tambourine shakes, a plea is made, the drummer smacks out a fatback beat, and the party has started. From "Memphis Soul Stew" to "Girl Watcher," this thing's got you covered.

Professor Longhair
'Fess/Anthology (1993)
Some music simply feels fantastic, and as these 40 tracks of N'Awlins woogie splash over you, there's just no way to deny their power. The rhythms come from the Caribbean, the lyrics come from down the street, and the voice comes from the moon. The good Professor's text was piano R&B at its wildest and loosest.

The Meters
Funkify Your Life: The Meters Anthology (1995)
New Orleans' premier funk foursome get the collection they deserve, a package that explains how a little can add up to a lot. Zigaboo Modeliste taps at his high-hat, Leo Nocentelli tickles his guitar, and they're off. From "Cissy Strut" to "Ride Your Pony" to "Hey Pocky A-way," these tracks sizzle. It's all about pith, and it's born of control.

Curtis Mayfield
People Get Ready!: The Curtis Mayfield Story (1996)
One of history's most soulful musicians started his career by patting us on the back with "It's All Right." The world will forever need that kind of positive spirit. The guitarist/songwriter was one of R&B's most articulate voices, putting profound statements of romance, faith, and brotherhood into tasty pop tunes that made whole cities swoon. Is it a long way from "People Get Ready" to "Superfly"? Not really. This three-disc box shows how the artistic evolution went down.

Bootsy Collins
Glory B Da' Funk's on Me: The Bootsy Collins Anthology (2001)
Acting cartoonish all the time might ruin an artist's cred. But after working with James Brown, Parliament, and Funkadelic, Bootsy's blast-off persona was backed by some of the deepest and most definitive funk the world has ever experienced. How nasty can you get? As evidenced by this two-disc collection of the bad-assed bassist's Rubber Band work - extremely.