(Early R&B, Pop-Soul, Girl Groups) Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - The Ultimate Collection - 1998, MP3 (tracks), 320 kbps

This 25-track compilation demonstrates, former Motown secretary Reeves and her cohorts hardly languished in obscurity. Rather, the team--with the assistance of Motown producers like Mickey Stevenson and the formidable Holland-Dozier-Holland trio--provided the musical soundtrack for the '60s with such classics as "Heat Wave," "Dancing in the Street," "Nowhere to Run," and their first hit, 1963's "Come and Get These Memories." While it doesn't have every one of the group's 24 charted hits, this collection includes all of their major smashes, some notable B-sides ("A Love Like Yours," "Forget Me Not," "Motoring," and the much-loved "Third Finger, Left Hand"), and some interesting obscurities, such as 1970's "I Should Be Proud" (a poorly disguised Vietnam protest) and "Tear It On Down," the group's final chart single. A perfect, essential overview of one of Motown's most prized and admired female groups.