The Best of Santana

There are a couple of Santana best-of compilations out there, and even a few mastersound gold-plated CDs, but this collection is as good a place as any for a newcomer to explore. It contains the band's three essential charters--"Black Magic Woman," "Evil Ways," and "Oye Como Va"--along with some lesser hits. Santana broke barriers, making ethnic-influenced music palatable to the mainstream, but this set doesn't sound like a history lesson. Few bands have ever made better music for driving on a hot summer day, and this CD is ideal for blasting out the windows of your car on a crowded thoroughfare. --Charles R. Cross

• Supernatural
• Ultimate Santana
• The Very Best of The Doobie Brothers
• Abraxas
• Africa Speaks
• Santana's Greatest Hits
• Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix
• Santana (Legacy Edition)
• Listen to the Music: The Very Best Of The Doobie Brothers
• Complete Clapton