Reba #1's (MCA, 2005)

A collection like this one, which includes a whopping 35 tracks, reveals just how popular Reba McEntire is, while at the same time it shows off the topnotch songs that have kept her at the top for so long.

Augmented with two new songs (one for each of its two discs), this "best of" package (it should also be noted that not every song did reach the top of the charts) also reinforces Reba's tight quality control over the years. The first new tune, "You're Gonna Be," is a song saturated with mother-to-child devotion, opening with the lines, "6 lbs. and 9 oz lookin' up at me/Like I have all the answers, I hope I have the one's you need." The second newbie, "Love Needs A Holiday," by Tim Mensy and Tony Haselden, treats romantic doldrums with just a dash of humor. The chorus begins: "They love their kinds and their house/And that dog in the yard/Oh, and their neighbors, for the most part."

With this compact disc career overview, one can probably spin it like a roulette wheel and likely land upon some winning classic or other. Highlights among its highlights include the tearjerkers "Whoever's In New England" and "You Lie," and encouragers like "I'm A Survivor." That Reba's not just a survivor, but a thrive-r as well.