Willie Nelson - 16 Biggest Hits (1998)

A greatest-hits package from an artist who thrived on concept albums is a frightening proposition. Even the liner notes refer to him as the "all-time #1 country album artist." To top it off, much of Nelson's best work--Yesterday's Wine, Shotgun Willie, and Phases And Stages, for example--was commercially unsuccessful (not to mention on a different label). While Red-Headed Stranger and Stardust did make commercial inroads, they're best digested as single entities. With all that said, these Columbia chart toppers, which span from 1975 to 1989, still make for enchanting listening. By illustrating Nelson in his various moods---pop standards, honky tonk, cowboy, folk, gospel---it provides a worthwhile introduction, and will help newcomers decide where to move next.