The Definitive Collection (CD - 2006)

Photographer: Les Leverett.

There have been many compilations of Bill Anderson's work released over the years, but none have been better than MCA Nashville's 2006 release The Definitive Collection. Not that it has every charting Billboard country single that Anderson released; he had too many to fit onto a single disc. But it does have the great majority of his big hits of the '60s and '70s -- including "Po' Folks," "Walk Out Backwards," "Mama Sang a Song," "8 X 10," "Still," "My Life (Throw It Away If I Want To)," and "Happy State of Mind" -- over the course of this 20-track disc. It may not have every single that Bill Anderson had, but no other CD has offered as much of his best in one place, making this the best summary of his peak yet assembled. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize