Buddha's Greatest Hits is the first definitive collection of the Austrian new wave dance-popster's hits, containing his two great singles – "Rock Me Amadeus" and "Der Kommissar" – plus such other hits as "Jeanny" and "Vienna Calling," album tracks, and Jason Nevins' bonus remix of "Der Kommissar." Of course, Falco's music hasn't dated particularly well and was always lightweight Euro-dance, but it can be a guilty pleasure, and this is the best place to find out why.

Falco 3 was the artist's biggest hit album in the United States because of the radio and video success of the song "Rock Me Amadeus." The track "Vienna Calling" is a forgotten minor hit, as it charted in the Top 20. Originally released in 1986, Falco 3 was out of print for years, until its reissue in 1996. "Jeanny" is also of note, as it was ridiculously banned from radio play for its theme of prostitution. A classic, synth pop piece of 1980s guilty pleasure. Six of these tracks appear on Falco's Greatest Hits disc, which is the definitive collection of the Austrian's new wave dance pop. Falco 3 is his best and most popular album.

The Very Best Of Andy Gibb honors the monumental worldwide success, achieved within just a few years, of one of the most celebrated recording artists and stage performers of his time. The collection’s 15 tracks include Gibb’s three Number One chart toppers, “I Just Want To Be Your Everything,” “Shadow Dancing,” and “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water.” Four more Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hits are showcased: “An Everlasting Love,” “(Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away,” “I Can’t Help It” featuring Olivia Newton-John, and “Desire,” Gibb’s collaboration with his brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. All of the collection’s tracks are drawn from Andy Gibb’s three hit studio albums, 1977’s platinum-certified Flowing Rivers, 1978’s platinum-certified Shadow Dancing, and 1980’s gold-certified After Dark.

Those who are into irony have to appreciate the fact that Kim Wilde, England's top female pop-rocker of the 1980s, enjoyed her first major hit with the anthemic "Kids in America" – for someone who was born and raised in the U.K., she sang quite convincingly about American youth. But Wilde had a lot more than a taste for the ironic going for her in the early to mid-1980s; the singer was very much in her prime when the recordings on this CD came out in 1981 and 1982. At the time, Wilde's forte was synthesizer-minded new wave – an approach that serves her well on "Kids in America," "Water on Glass," "View from a Bridge" and other melodic yet exuberant hits found on Greatest Hits.

A more mature, calculated album from a pop star who's often gloried in being immature and spontaneous, I've Been Expecting You may suffer from comparisons to its excellent predecessor, but it also finds Robbie Williams weathering the sophomore storm quite well. While Williams' debut was infectious and outrageous, the second is indeed a more studied album. The opener, "Strong," begins very well, with the spot-on lyrics: "My breath smells of a thousand fags/And when I'm drunk I dance like me Dad," and "Early morning when I wake up/I look like Kiss but without the makeup." Many of the tracks on I've Been Expecting You show an undeniable growth, both in songwriting and in artistic expression; two of the highlights, "No Regrets" and "Phoenix From the Flames," are sensitive, unapologetically emotional songs that may not be as immediately catchy as those on his debut, but pack a greater punch down the road. Williams does indulge his sense of fun occasionally, playing up James Bond during the transcontinental hand-waver "Millennium" (which samples Nancy Sinatra's theme for You Only Live Twice), and simply roaring through "Win Some Lose Some" and "Jesus in a Camper Van."

One of the best U.K. debuts of the '90s, Life Thru a Lens is an uninhibited joyride through all manner of British music, from glam to alternative to soft-rock to dance-pop. Beginning with the joyous "Lazy Days," the album continually betrays overt influences from Oasis and other Britpop stars, but triumphs nevertheless due to gorgeous production, Williams' irresistible personality, and the overall flavor of outrageous, utterly enjoyable pop music. Whether he's romping through aggressive burners like "Ego A Go Go" and "South of the Border," crooning on the ballad "Angels," or offering a slice of life – working-class style – on the title track and "Lazy Days," Williams is a pop star through and through. For those who appreciate great pop with plenty of cheek, Life Thru a Lens is an excellent album.