Playlist: The Very Best of Janis Joplin

Released in 2010, Playlist has several of Janis Joplin's biggest hits and signature songs -- "Piece of My Heart," "Mercedes Benz," "Me and Bobby McGee," "Down on Me" -- but the entire purpose of the Playlist series is to dig a little deeper, and so this 14-track budget-line disc does, selecting some lesser-known album tracks and five live cuts to draw a fuller portrait of Joplin. Although it certainly doesn't paint as rich a portrait as a full box set, this collection of hits and relatively obscure cuts is a well-chosen, entertaining sampler. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine