Luther Vandross: Greatest Hits

The best-of-Luther thing has been done a couple of times before, but Greatest Hits lays it down well. The single-disc format means that one of your favorites might not be here, but among the well-chosen gems present are "Never Too Much," "A House Is Not a Home," "So Amazing," and "Any Love." Vandross, of course, was the reigning king of '80s R&B romance; while he was never as troubled as Marvin Gaye or as downright eccentric as Al Green, he did have that voice. Before hip-hop split the audience generationally, it was the favored accompaniment to seduction for many fans, whose number grew even greater when 1986's "Stop to Love" pushed him through the pop-crossover barrier once and for all. Greatest Hits summarizes the days when he ruled the world. --Rickey Wright