...but their effect was diluted by the likes of The Darkness and The Backstreet Boys. This album is a reasonably enjoyable compilation of what are, for the most part, middle-of-the-road songs, pleasant enough for background music. Personal highlights include "Purple Rain" by Prince and "This Year's Love" by David Gray (which has a legitimate claim as one of "the most moving songs of all time", unlike Michelle McManus' offering which one can only assume was put on as some sort of comic relief). I was also surprised to find that I enjoyed the N Sync track -- very mellow and understated. Overall though, I wouldn't recommend shelling out for this album. Better to invest in the individual artists' own albums (Aretha, REM, David Gray, etc) and ditch the second-rate hangers-on.