It is hard to imagine what the ‘60s and ‘70s would have sounded like without Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas and The Platters. Their hits are as much a part of today’s musical soundtrack as they were when they were first released. These albums in the 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection series are the handiest available time capsules of music that crossed boundaries of race, of geography, and of generations.

The Best Of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (Motown/UMG) edition of 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection embraces for the first time the biggest hits from both Robinson as a solo performer and with The Miracles. Each track was a Top 10 smash, whether Robinson was solo (as on “Cruisin’” and “Just To See Her”), with the group, or The Miracles went out on their own led by Billy Griffin (the #1 hit and ‘70s classic “Love Machine”). Just reciting the titles of the group hits is enough to recall one of the greatest voices and some of the greatest pop songs of our time: “The Tears Of A Clown,” “Shop Around,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” “I Second That Emotion,” “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me,” “More Love,” “The Tracks Of My Tears” and “Mickey’s Monkey.”