New Edition's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1

Yes, the 1996 reunion album Home Again rocked, but it wasn't quite the tour de force everyone was expecting. That's because what was so great about New Edition was their irresistible blend of bubblegum pop and sweet soul, the kind responsible for hits like "Popcorn Love" and "Candy Girl" (guided, of course, by the hand of producer Maurice Starr, who went on to recycle these songs for white-bread clones New Kids on the Block). Included here is also the song that inspired Boyz II Men's name, and one of the prototypical new-soul ballads, "Can You Stand the Rain." "Count Me Out" and "Cool it Now" are bundles of fun, but not nearly as fun as simply hearing those voices at their tender beginnings. Who could have known they would go on to dominate the world of hip-hop and R&B in the '90s? --Rebecca Wallwork