Included here are all of the songs that made the lascivious Millie Jackson an item on R&B stations as one of the hottest live performers. From her debut "Child of God" to later R&B/country fusions like her hankie-wringing remake of "If You're Not in Love by Monday," Jackson's throaty voice demands your full attention. She rarely crossed over significantly, but "Ask Me What You Want," "My Man, a Sweet Man," "All the Way Lover," and her popular "It Hurts So Good," all made noticeable bangs on Billboard's R&B Singles Chart. 21 of the Best is a good introduction for Millie Jackson neophytes, and a grand collection of her greatest hits for those who purchased the original 45s and the occasional album.

Dancing Queen isn't the soundtrack to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again but it's something sexier: an ABBA covers album by Cher inspired by her role as Ruby in the 2018 film. Cher didn't sing much in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – she duetted with Andy Garcia on "Fernando" and was part of the crew singing "Super Trouper" – but it was enough to whet her appetite to sing more of Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus' songs, so she headed into the studio with her producer Mark Taylor and cut ten quick covers. Bearing the perhaps-inevitable title Dancing Queen, the tribute is swift and breezy, especially for a record that doesn't take liberties with the original arrangements. Taylor peppers the album with vocoders and electronic beats but the intent and feel of Cher's interpretations are faithful to the original beloved hits. It's just enough of an update to feel fresh, yet familiar enough to be nothing but a dose of glitzy, cheerful nostalgia.

One of the most ambitious Euro-disco acts of the late 1970s was Space, which shouldn't be confused with the alternative rock band that recorded Spiders in 1996. By the time that Space was formed in the 1990s, the Euro-disco act heard on Deliverance had long since called it quits. Recorded in London and Paris in 1978, this conceptual, mostly instrumental LP employs a lot of futuristic sci-fi imagery and is quite high-tech for its time. Synthesizer-dominated instrumentals like "Air Force" and "Running in the City" give the impression that Jean-Philippe Iliesco, the album's producer, had been paying close attention to German innovators like Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder-and yet, Deliverance has a high-tech energy of its own.

For those looking to find a crash course in "the funk" – a quick introduction to the fusion of R&B, soul, jazz, blues, good old rock & roll, and all-out outrageousness that creates the ultimate good groove – you can't do much better than the Funk Essentials compilations. Funky Stuff: The Best of Funk Essentials is the perfect portrait. With its contents drawn from the single-band Funk Essentials compilation albums, this clean, clear set provides incredible diversity while keeping the vibe connected. In other words, Funky Stuff is not only an introduction to the heaviest of hitters, but also a nifty, smooth ride for the already initiated.