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It's that time of year. Greatest Hits cost record companies little but make big bucks. CAMERON ADAMS looks at the Best Ofs coming soon to a Christmas stocking near you
Madonna: GHV2
Released: November 12
Reason for existing: She's Madonna and it's Christmas.
Pros: Classics such as Deeper and Deeper, Ray of Light, Erotica, Frozen, Bedtime Story, Beautiful Stranger and Frozen on one album.
Cons: Criminally, there's not one new song, unlike Immaculate Collection, which had Justify My Love and Rescue Me. This selectively spans singles released between 1991-2001, bar Fever, most of the Evita slush and ballads You'll See, Rain and This Used to Be My Playground, which were on the Something to Remember ballad set.
Reason for buying: Fans will have it all already, but apparently the booklet is amazing, with more than 600 photos. But as with the equally selective video collections, fans are saying do it properly or not at all.
Five: Greatest Hits
Released: November 19
Reason for existing: They don't exist any more, so their record company has to make albums for them.
Pros: A near-flawless selection of boy-band pop it's OK to like: We Will Rock You, Keep On Movin', If Ya Gettin' Down, Everybody Get Up, Let's Dance, Got the Feelin', When the Lights Go Out. Includes final single Rock the Party/Closer to Me, plus new song Set Me Free.
Cons: Dodgy old extra songs but not their AC/DC sampling gem Lay Your Lovin' on Me.
Reason for buying: The only boy-band album you'll ever need.
Backstreet Boys:
Chapter One
Released: October 29
Reason for existing: To claim they're not splitting -- hence the title -- and to give little girls something to ask Santa for.
Pros: Quality pop hits such as Everybody (Backstreet's Back), I Want It That Way, As Long As You Love Me, Shape of My Heart and Quit Playin' Games With My Heart.
Cons: A sapfest of wet ballads, including one unreleased track, Drowning, rejected from their last album. One listen shows why.
Reason for buying: Hormones.
Ricky Martin: The Best Of
Released: November 12
Reason for existing: Hmm. Strange time in Ricky's career. The hits are drying up and the Latin thing is over. This is his second best-of this year,...