Patti Labelle GOLD

Though there are plenty of solid Patti LaBelle anthologies on the market, GOLD is undoubtedly one of the best. Consisting of two discs, GOLD covers the entire spectrum of LaBelle's career (and it's been an impressive one), reaching all the way back to her work with the Bluebelles in the 1960s, her hits with the group LaBelle in the '70s (including, naturally, the disco cornerstone "Lady Marmalade"), and continuing through all aspects of her solo career (which spans from the late-'70s well into the 2000s). Through it all, of course, is LaBelle's mighty voice, which drips with gospel-inflected soul, sass, and pure sweetness.

• Format: CD
• Genre: R&B