Sly and the Family Stone
For a time, it seemed as if Sly Stone would change the world, and it's only because his music was so ambitious that we forget, sometimes, that he did just that. His integrated band played funk-based jams, but always with touches of soul, blues, rock, and lots and lots of pop, a synthesis that spoke to its time even as it predicted the future. Comprising some of the most accomplished and inspirational music ever created, this 20-song set contains all but the last of his hits as well as a few hard-edged album tracks. Until a proper box set is put together, this will have to do.--David Cantwell