Cher - Pop Giants (1990)

Cher's The Casablanca Years collects all of her hit singles from the late '70s, and there weren't that many. Only three singles charted in the Top 100 and only one -- the number eight "Take Me Home" -- cracked the Top 40. So, the rest of the collection is padded with album tracks, making the disc into a mammoth, 17-track compilation. Nearly everything she released on the label is included and it all sounds similar -- it's all insistent, mildly catchy disco. During this era, Cher didn't work with particularly gifted producers or songwriters, which meant her disco tracks were undistinguished. Occasionally, such as "Take Me Home," she had a strong song, but she was more likely to cut a wealth of mediocre material, throwing in a few genuinely embarrassing tracks along the way. And that means The Casablanca Years is an artifact of the late '70s that is only of use for dedicated Cher fans. It's a well-produced and thorough collection, but no one but the most devoted fan needs to own this music.