 | The Very Best of Aretha Franklin: The 60's by Aretha Franklin
Buy new: $8.97 / Used from: $0.54 One of the best voices ever in its prime. Arethas vocals are perfection here: she soulfully bellows without oversinging. Highlights: Respect, do right woman-do right man i say a littyle prayer
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 | Pinkerton by Weezer
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $3.75 The lead singer takes the simple lyrics and fills them with vulnerable emotion, while guitars and drums wail behind him. Highlights: The heartbreaking 'across the sea","tired of sex" "pink triangle"
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 | Exile in Guyville by Liz Phair
Buy used from: $1.51 Phairs lyrics are filled with gut wrenching heartache, isolation and sexism. Highights: "dance of the seven veils""mesmerizing""divorce song"
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 | Every Great #1 Hit by Diana Ross & the Supremes
Buy used from: $0.99 Diana was at her best when she had two other ladies to compete with: the best here are the bizzarly soulful "the happening", the intense "you keep me hanging on" and the daring "love child"
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 | My Life by Mary J. Blige
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $1.97 |
 | Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z
Buy new: $13.99 / Used from: $9.85 A hungry, driven jay z flows over the catchy "cnat knock the hustle" , gets delightfully nasty on "ant no nigga", and "brooklyns finest" where jay and biggy go head to head
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 | Stankonia by OutKast
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $1.97 The funky atlanta natives make funkiness look effortless. Highlights: the hilarious "ill call before i come" and "we luv deez hoez'along with the soulful "humble mumble" and the chillig "B.O.B."
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 | Mama's Gun by Erykah Badu
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $3.06 Ms. Badu has the vocal range to give mariah and christina a run for thier money, but twists her voice around beatiful piana notes and thumping drum beats on songs like the sassy "booty" and "bag lady"
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 | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $1.70 Lauryn disses Wyclef, praises her child, chastises her peers, all with a wonderfully earthy voice.The best:the angry "lost ones", the touching "to zion"and"exfactor"one of the best breakup songs ever
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 | The Blueprint by Jay-Z
Buy new: $10.97 / Used from: $5.98 Jay Zs is at both his most pompous and vulenrable state here.Highlights: "takeover" where he destroys nas with his wit and "song cry" where he sucumbs to heartbreak and gets away with it
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 | Afrodisiac by Brandy
Buy new: $13.96 / Used from: $1.63 Brandy's amazing pipes flow over timberlands erratic, beautiful beats. Highigjhts: the heartwrenching "i tried", the funky "turn it up" and "who is she 2 u"
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 | Aaliyah by Aaliyah
Buy used from: $0.95 Aaliyah matures into a woman. Shes sensual without being crude, vulnerable without being complacent and confdient without being pompous. Highlights: Rock the boat, i care 4 u and u got nerve
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 | Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins
Buy new: $13.99 / Used from: $4.76 |
 | The Best of the Ronettes by The Ronettes
Buy used from: $24.89 Ronnie Spectors versatile voice takes essentially the same beat and creates 18 different songs. she sines on "be my baby", "when i saw you" and "walking in the rain"
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 | Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below by OutKast
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $0.92 Both albums are uneven on thier own, but if you combine theyre pros, youve got a great followup to stankonia. "hey ya" with its great lyrics, singiing and beat ranks as one of my favorite songs
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 | The Very Best of Aretha Franklin: The 70's by Aretha Franklin
Buy used from: $2.93 Yes, she oversings, but who deserves a pass more? Aretha shines on the soulful "spanish harlem", swells with heartbreak on "dont play that song" and puts her own spin on "holy moses"
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 | One in a Million by Aaliyah
Buy used from: $1.86 Aaliyah and Timberland take the midtempo r&b sound of the 90s to its peak. Aaliyahs voice shines on "heartbroken" and she takes the cheesy "the one i gave my heart to" and gives it credibility
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 | The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $0.91 Janet sprinkles her lyrics with a disturbing mixture of extreme hurt and fetish sexuality, yet the raw emotion and power in her voice saves the cd.Highlights: got til its gone. what about,i get lonely
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 | Ray of Light by Madonna
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.01 Madonna, emotionally sincere? The queen of pop waxes about motherhood and postcone bra depression over some truely unique beats. Highlights: the unbeleivable "ray of light", "swim" and "little star
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 | Tasty by Kelis
Buy used from: $0.01 Kelis wraps her rapsy, powerful voice around 80s inspired r&b, hip hop and even some rock. Highlights: MIllionare, in public, protect my heart
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 | The College Dropout by Kanye West
Buy new: $10.97 / Used from: $1.90 Kaynes is intermetantly crude and serious over his own soul inspired, bumping beats. HIghlights: all falls down, spaceship and through the wire
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 | CrazySexyCool by TLC
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.01 The girls sing soulfully about sex, social issues and sex; t boz and chilli prove once and for all that one doesnt need a church tuned voice to churn out fantastic vocals.
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 | Mary by Mary J. Blige
Buy new: $13.98 / Used from: $2.49 Mary dominates "let no man be put asunder" which sounds like a lost donna summer song, the beatiful "im in love" and even survives a sing off with aretha on "dont waiste your time"
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 | Debut by Björk
Buy new: $15.99 / Used from: $0.36 Bjork contorts her voice to be overpowering, funky and soulful over some great techno beats.Highlighs: big time sensuality, human beahvior and venus as a boy
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 | What's the 411? by Mary J. Blige
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $0.49 This cd paved the way for practically every current r&b star by mixing hip hop heats with soul vocals. Mary rolls over the bumping "going through" and gives heart to "real love"
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