Greatest Hits (CD - 2001)

Producers include: Dave Hall, Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey, P. Diddy, Jimmy Jam.

Despite various tabloid-worthy tribulations and a rather flat cinematic debut in the musical bio-flick GLITTER, Britney and her fellow singing Mousketeers would do well to take notes on the galactic-sized success of '90s diva Mariah Carey. The two-disc GREATEST HITS bears witness to Carey's mind-boggling chart dominance and her remarkable five-octave range. Encompassing all the chart-toppers of 1998's #1'S compilation including "I Don't Wanna Cry," "Hero," and "One Sweet Day," this anthology traces the Long Islander's path from heartfelt balladeer ("Vision Of Love," "Love Takes Time") to hip-hop flavored dance-pop queen ("Fantasy," "Make It Happen").

Among Mariah's most impressive traits is her ability to seamlessly match up with a wide range of duet partners. When she's not digging into a Jackson 5 hit with Trey Lorenz ("I'll Be There") or playing Diana Ross to Lionel Richie's Luther Vandross (the '80s smash "Endless Love"), Carey is throwing down with Jay-Z ("Heartbreaker") and going toe-to-toe with fellow diva Whitney Houston ("When You Believe"). Other notable collaborations include a harmony-soaked meeting with Boyz II Men ("One Sweet Day"), a sweet-flowing Jermaine Dupri outing ("Sweetheart") and a Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-produced summit with Joe and 98 Degrees ("Thank God I Found You"). minimize