Monday, November 16, 2020

Box Sets: Top 100

First posted 11/16/2020; updated 11/20/2020.

Box Sets:

Top 100

This list was created by first aggregating best-of lists focused on box sets (see sources at bottom of page). Those figures were combined with the box sets’ overall status in Dave’s Music Database, which factors in sales, chart peaks, critic ratings, appearances on other best-of lists, and DMDB points of songs on the collection. The DMDB defines a box set as a compilation of three or more compact discs, or the equivalent, which would be at least 240 minutes, or four hours, of music.

Box sets are most typically associated with efforts to compile a mix of hits and rarities from veteran artists. However, this list also includes compilations from various artists, classical works, larger-than-usual live collections, repackagings of multiple studio albums gathered together, deluxe editions of studio albums, and even one triple-length studio album.

Note: The first date(s) listed in parentheses after the album title indicates the years covered by the box. The second date indicates when the box was released (hence the r.).

Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here.

  1. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live 1975/1985 (live box: 1975-85, r. 1986)
  2. Various Artists Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 (1959-71, r. 1992)
  3. Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonatas (32) (1795-1822)
  4. Various Artists compiled by Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music (1926-32, r. 1952)
  5. Louis Armstrong The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings (1925-28, r. 2000)
  6. Richard Wagner Der Ring Des Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle) (opera, 1848-1874)
  7. James Brown Star Time (1956-84, r. 1991)
  8. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Don Giovanni (opera, 1787)
  9. Various Artists Atlantic Rhythm & Blues (1947-74, r. 10/15/91)
  10. The Rolling Stones The Singles Collection: The London Years (1963-71, r. 1989)

  11. Richard Wagner Tristan Und Isolde (opera, 1857-59)
  12. Various Artists produced by Phil Spector Back to Mono (1958-69, r. 1991)
  13. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) (1786)
  14. Led Zeppelin How the West Was Won (live: recorded 1972, r. 2003)
  15. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concertos (27) (1767-1791)
  16. Johann Sebastian Bach St. Matthew Passion (1736)
  17. Prince The Hits/The B Sides (1978-93, r. 1993)
  18. Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartets (16) (1798-1826)
  19. The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs (1999)
  20. Duke Ellington The Blanton-Webster Band (box set, recorded 1939-42, r. 1990)

  21. Elvis Presley The King of Rock and Roll: The Complete ‘50s Masters (1953-58, r. 1992)
  22. Eric Clapton Crossroads (1963-87, r. 1988)
  23. Bob Dylan Biograph (1962-81, r. 1985)
  24. Elton John Greatest Hits 1970-2002 (1970-2002, r. 2002)
  25. Various Artists The First Rock and Roll Record (1916-56, r. 2011)
  26. Béla Bartók The String Quartets (1908-39)
  27. Various Artists The Music of Disney: A Legacy in Song (1926-91, r. 1992)
  28. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin (Box Set) (1969-79, r. 1990)
  29. Charlie Parker The Complete Savoy & Dial Studio Recordings (1944-48, r. 2000)
  30. Velvet Underground Peel Slowly and See (1955-70, r. 1995)

  31. The Police Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings (1978-86, r. 1993)
  32. Elvis Presley Artist of the Century (1954-77, r. 1999)
  33. Bruce Springsteen The Essential: Limited Edition (1973-2002, r. 2003)
  34. Bob Marley & the Wailers Songs of Freedom (1961-83, r. 1992)
  35. Johnny Cash The Essential (1955-83, r. 1992)
  36. Various Artists Doo Wop Box: 101 Vocal Group Gems (1948-87, r. 1994)
  37. Chuck Berry The Chess Box (1955-73, r. 1988)
  38. Queen The Platinum Collection (1973-99, r. 2001)
  39. Ludwig van Beethoven (composer) The Symphonies (9) (classical, composed 1800-1824)
  40. Ray Charles The Birth of Soul – The Complete Atlantic Rhythm & Blues Recordings (1952-59, r. 1991)

  41. Elton John Diamonds (1969-2016, r. 2017)
  42. Bing Crosby Bing! His Legendary Years (1931-57, r. 1993)
  43. Various Artists Loud, Fast & Out of Control: The Wild Sounds of ’50s Rock (1948-61, r. 1999)
  44. Howlin’ Wolf The Chess Box (1951-73, r. 1991)
  45. Bing Crosby Bing: A Musical Autobiography (1938-54, r. 1954)
  46. Aretha Franklin Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings (1967-77, r. 1992)
  47. The Beach Boys Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys (1961-88, r. 1993)
  48. Bob Dylan The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 (archives: 1961-89, r. 1991)
  49. Cream Those Were the Days (1966-69, r. 1997)
  50. Journey Time 3 (1975-86, r. 1992)

  51. Led Zeppelin The Complete Studio Recordings (1969-79, r. 1993)
  52. The Who 30 Years of Maximum R&B (1964-91, r. 1994)
  53. Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Sevens (1925-26, r. 1999)
  54. Various Artists No Thanks! The ‘70s Punk Rebellion (1973-81, r. 2003)
  55. The Jimi Hendrix Experience The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1966-70, r. 2000)
  56. Burt Bacharach (composer) The Look of Love: The Collection (1957-96, r. 1998)
  57. Charlie Christian with Benny Goodman The Genius of Electric Guitar (1939-41, r. 2001)
  58. Muddy Waters The Chess Box (1947-72, r. 1989)
  59. Stevie Wonder At the Close of a Century (1962-97, r. 1999)
  60. Elvis Presley From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential ‘60s Masters (1960-69, r. 1993)

  61. Fats Domino They Call Me the Fat Man: The Legendary Imperial Recordings 1949-62, r. 1991)
  62. Elton John To Be Continued (1965-90, r. 1990)
  63. Rod Stewart Storyteller (1964-89, r. 1989)
  64. Charlie Parker The Complete Savoy Sessions (1944-48, r. 2000)
  65. The Rolling Stones Grrr! (1963-2012, r. 2012)
  66. Ray Charles Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection (1949-93, r. 1997)
  67. David Bowie Nothing Has Changed (1969-2014, r. 2014)
  68. Elvis Presley Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential ‘70s (1970-77, r. 1995)
  69. David Bowie Sound + Vision (1969-80, r. 1989)
  70. Fleetwood Mac 25 Years: The Chain (1967-92, r. 1992)

  71. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Playback (1973-93, r. 1995)
  72. Fletcher Henderson A Study in Frustration: Thesaurus of Classic Jazz (1923-38, r. 1994)
  73. Marvin Gaye The Master (1961-84, r. 1995)
  74. Billie Holiday Quintessential (1933-42, r. 1998)
  75. The Beatles The Capitol Albums, Vol. 2 (1962-65, r. 2006)
  76. Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd (1970-77, r. 1991)
  77. Aerosmith Pandora’s Box (1966-82, r. 1991)
  78. Patsy Cline The Collection (1955-63, r. 1991)
  79. Nirvana With the Lights Out (1987-94, r. 2004)
  80. Kenny Rogers Through the Years: A Retrospective (1956-97, r. 1999)

  81. Paul Simon 1964/1993 (1957-91, r. 2006)
  82. The Byrds The Byrds (1965-90, r. 1990)
  83. The Beatles In Mono (1962-70, r. 2009)
  84. Michael Jackson The Ultimate Collection (1969-2004, r. 2004)
  85. Prince Sign ‘O’ the Times: Super Deluxe Edition (1981-87, r. 2020)
  86. The Cure Join the Dots: B-sides & Rarities (The Fiction Years) (1978-2001, r. 2004)
  87. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers The Live Anthology (1978-2007, r. 2009)
  88. The Allman Brothers Band Dreams (1966-88, r. 1989)
  89. Lou Reed Between Thought and Expression (1972-88, r. 1992)
  90. The Beatles The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1 (1963-64, r. 2004)

  91. The Smiths Complete (1983-87, r. 2011)
  92. Various Artists Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the ‘80s Underground (1979-89, r. 2004)
  93. Simon & Garfunkel Old Friends (1965-75, r. 1997)
  94. B.B. King King of the Blues (1949-91, r. 1992)
  95. Crosby, Stills & Nash CSN (1968-90, r. 1991)
  96. Various Artists Now That’s What I Call Disney (1937-2011, r. 2011)
  97. Simon & Garfunkel The Collection (1965-70, r. 2007)
  98. Various Artists Country Music (1928-2002, r. 2019)
  99. Steve Winwood The Finer Things (1964-90, r. 1995)
  100. Bruce Springsteen Tracks (1972-95, r. 1998)

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