Most interesting is the Kinks, whose “Don't Forget to Dance” was included. At the time I had no clue of the long history (and superlative writing skills) of the band, merely knowing their single “Come Dancing.” Since then I have become an admirer of Ray Davies, and love the band's work from the 60s and 70s. If K-Tel can be credited for further exposing me to the Kinks, I cannot blame them too much for putting Stallone on the same album.

My last K-Tel album, Street Beat, defined itself as presenting “new music, hot sounds” on its cover. It turned out that this album provided the best balance of pop, rock, and R&B, along with a few curiosities. Old-school music was in evidence with “Stay with Me Tonight,” the very danceable Osbourne classic, and the fantastic “Ain't Nobody” by Rufus and Chaka Khan. I thank K-Tel for introducing me to Khan, who possesses one of the best voices in soul. Of course she went on to even greater success with “I Feel for You” a short time later. However, “Ain't Nobody's” funk recalled her earlier work with Rufus, and is representative of her best work. As for Osbourne,”Stay with Me Tonight” perfectly exemplified K-Tel's tendency to edit music down to cram as much as possible onto a record. I later learned that the song contained extra verses that provided better transitions to the chorus; now, when I listen to the Street Beat version, the song seems awkwardly edited.

The token one-hit wonder made an appearance, this time “Just Got Lucky” by the JoBoxers. Huge hits also dominated: Irene Cara's “Flashdance;” Men Without Hats's “Safety Dance;” and Madness's “Our House” were just a few examples. But Elton John's defiant “I'm Still Standing” further educated me in John's work, and Eurythmics's haunting “Love Is A Stranger” showed me that all pop music need not be conventional.

After that, I drifted away from K-Tel collections, instead purchasing individual artists' albums and 45 RPM singles. But I look back on those compilations fondly, as they served as overviews or Cliff's Notes for current music. Having no access to MTV and listening to top-40 radio stations aimed at teens, I would never have heard definitive rap tracks like “The Message” if not for these albums. I also gained an education in classic artists that later inspired me to investigate their back catalogs.

Article Author: Kit O'Toole

Kit O'Toole is a lifelong music enthusiast who maintains a music blog, Listen to the Band. In addition, she is the internet columnist and a contributing editor for Beatlefan magazine. She also holds an Ed.D. in Instructional Technology.

Visit Kit O'Toole's author page — Kit O'Toole's Blog