20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection

Photographer: Anthony Barboza.
Released several years after the superior Greatest Hits (2007), Freddie Jackson's Millennium Collection consists of only ten songs but will be of use to casual listeners on a tight budget. Eight of the selections topped Billboard's R&B chart, while the two that didn't reached the Top Ten. This could have neatly compiled all of the singer's R&B number ones, as he scored exactly ten of them from 1985 through 1991. (The missing chart toppers are "A Little Bit More" -- a duet with Melba Moore -- and "Do Me Again.") The likes of "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)," "You Are My Lady," and "Nice 'N' Slow" remain adult contemporary R&B staples. ~ Andy Kellman