George Strait

That's right -- 50 George Strait songs that went straight to the top of charts. The ultimate anthology for country music fans, this awesome collection celebrates his place in history as the artist who's had more No. 1 hits than anyone else. Garth Brooks may be more popular, but Strait invented the New Traditional sound.

Few long-running pros have front-loaded their books like George Strait, whose no-frills approach started fresh and turned ticket to hackdom in under five years. The keepers presumably scattered across the second disc are hard to locate as you shake off the cobwebs induced by the first; conceivably the 51st track, the non-No. 1 "I Hate Everything," only stands out because it's placed first. (Grade - )