30 Greatest Hits zeroes in on
Aretha Franklin's prime recording period for
Atlantic, from her breakout in 1967 with
"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" through the end of 1974, during which the Queen of Soul truly reigned over the charts -- she averaged over one
pop hit every two months. This two-disc set delivers all of her classics (
"Respect," "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "Chain of Fools," "Think," "Spanish Harlem," "Rock Steady"), plus much more excellent material for those who won't recognize much more than the songs (and there are quite a few) that have entered the cultural consciousness (
"I Say a Little Prayer," "The Weight," "Spirit in the Dark," "Day Dreaming"). It's a great foundation to any collection that has yet to be equaled by a pair of
Rhino sets, the two-volume
Very Best of Aretha Franklin from 1994 and
Aretha's Best from 2001. ~ John Bush
![The Very Best of Booker T. and the MG's [Stax]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888072302938_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "The Very Best of Booker T. and the MG's [Stax]")
![Greatest Hits [Jive]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0012414127129_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Greatest Hits [Jive]")
![Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits [1985]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0075678173721_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits [1985]")
