This collection is fabulous, and here's why:

1. This collection is strictly the number ones (Pop, R&B, AC and Dance). If you want just one collection in a neat package, this is it.

2. The songs are newly mixed for clarity and many songs have extended fades. The songs actually sound better than any other collection out there, and not slightly, the differences are truly amazing. One cannot hear the difference on a streaming download, the proof is in the purchase.

3. For those purists who want original mixes, or perhaps more hits than exist here, there are MANY Supremes collections currently available: The Ultimate Collection (Mono masters), Anthology (Stereo masters on 2 CD sets for DR&S, 70s Supremes and Diana solo), a box set, and countless others.

4. Some people are giving this CD less than 5 stars because they want the original albums (there are over 30). I don't think this CD deserves to be penalized this way. Besides, Motown's new Hip-O select line will surely re-introduce several of these albums in the near future, I look forward to it.

Bottom line: Buy this CD, it's well worth every penny...and what a great price!

Looking to start your Diana Ross and The Supremes collection? This is THE CD to do it with. Already got the hits? Well, you need this too, because the versions are different, and better than ever!

This collection is amazing and worth every penny. Unlike other compilations that have been remastered, the first 15 songs on this compilation have been REMIXED from their original 3, 8, and 16 multi-track session tapes! For those who don't know, remastering and remixing are very different. Now the songs are crystal clear, have longer fades, and the mixes are a vast improvement. They sound like they were recorded yesterday!

Another reviewer inaccurately wrote that the versions between older compilations are indistinguishable, but he is so wrong. The differences are like night and day. I guarantee it!

Harry Weinger, Andrew Skurow, Jeff Moskow and Suha Gur did an incredible job on this compilation. They must be fans because the proof is in the results. I like their past compilations on Diana Ross (The Motown Anthology, diana - Deluxe Edition, To Love Again), and the Supremes (DR&S Anthology, The '70s Anthology, Rodgers And Hart), but this time, they've outdone themselves. Thank you guys, and keep up the great work!

This collection is wonderful! It includes the best #1 hits, and a few that were #1 on dance charts, AC charts, R&B charts, and regional charts. They even mention other number ones that wouldn't fit on the single disc and TELL YOU where you can find them!

Finally, the Almighty remix is incredible. It has club hit written all over it. These guys have done the best remixes on Cher, Elton John and JLo.

Again, this is the perfect set to to have. You won't be disappointed! Buy it now!

I bought this disc recently to add to my Supremes collection because I already knew it would sound fantastic... and it does. The remastering of these classic tracks make them sound better and more vibrant than any previously released collection. But here's the real kicker: most of these tracks appear in versions that are different than have ever been heard before!!

Hardcore Supremes fans will listen to these tracks and immediately feel a shock of revelation that they are not the same old versions that have been on compilation after compilation. Most of these tracks are newly remixed for stronger bass, more stereo separation, and now have extended endings. "Stop In The Name Of Love" for example, goes on beyond it's original fade, so that you can hear the backing track fade out while the girls keep singing until they finish cold, with one final "Stop!". "You Keep Me Hangin' On " has a longer second chorus, as well as a previously unheard cold ending. And the new mix of "Reflections" is a real eye opener, with softer psychedelic sound effects synched up from the originally released version, and an ending that continues on WAY beyond the original fade out point, with an additional coda and cold ending ( not to mention an originally deleted backing vocal in the bridge of the song )! Not every track is that radically different, but most do go on slightly longer than before, and the remastering and remixing makes them sound better than ever.

Even if you own any of the previous Supremes compilations, this collection is a must, for the alternate versions of these songs, and the much improved sound quality.

Davidp

I just picked up the latest in a seemingly never-ending list of Greatest Hits Collections that released for Diana Ross and the Supremes (the 1st was released in 1967, and there's no end in sight!), and I honestly don't know where to begin.

Initially, I was hesitant on buying this one. Its a #1's collection, meaning that any Supremes hit that didnt achieve the pole position on at least one major chart has been excluded (as a result, this collection is missing such excellent classics as MY WORLD IS EMPTY WITHOUT YOU, LOVE IS LIKE AN ITCHING IN MY HEART, I'M LIVIN' IN SHAME, UP THE LADDER TO THE ROOF, NATHAN JONES, and the list goes on). For an out-and-out thorough collection of ALL The Supremes hits themselves, your best bet would be to pick up THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, giving you the best of the Diana Ross led groupings, and then the 70's ANTHOLOGY to supplement that with the Jean Terrell/Scherrie Payne hits (later Top 40 entries like FLOY JOY, I'M GONNA LET MY HEART DO THE WALKING, etc.).

Also, this is definitely NOT a collection for Diana Ross completists, either, missing many of her big hits from the 70's, 80's, even the 90's (you can get Diana's ULTIMATE COLLECTION, which covers her Motown work up until today, as well as GREATEST HITS-THE RCA YEARS, which is a flawed but worthy collection of her 80's output).

What reeled me in was the hype about the altering of the original Supremes mixes, as well as the new club mix for YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON. Was it worth it? For me, the answer is yes! I didnt buy it for a comprehensive coverage of hits, I bought it to see if I picked up something new, and I got my wish. These mixes are noticeably different, not just volume being turned up on Mary and Flo, not just the emphasis on horns in THE HAPPENING, not even the alternate or extended endings on the songs.

Example: Put on your headphones, pop in a previous mix of LOVE IS HERE AND NOW YOU'RE GONE (or the a good copy of the original 45, which I am fortunate enough to have), then listen to the version here. We're all familiar with the dramatic spoken breaks throughout, but listen in between- the old mixes had momentary spaces of air (mind you, they were never noticeable til I heard the new mix): its gone! Same thing on YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON- the new mixes are tighter, and, particularly on the 1966-67 releases, almost have this bizarre sense of urgency to them they didnt have before.

Personally, I'll probably alternate between versions, but I love these new mixes (except for STONED LOVE- what were they thinking??? find the original!)- it does put a fresh spin on these classics (the new endings are excellent for the most part- YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON being my favorite).

The Diana songs were less essential, only because I have these SAME versions already, but they're still a good listen.

So, is THE #1'S worth it? Overall, I'd say yes- I think I would have been happier if they had not used that rule as a binder, and included all the hits...imagine what we might have heard in the new versions of the other songs!...

PS. for the Purists that are bemoaning the changes, please keep in mind- Universal/Motown did not DESTROY the original masters and leave the world with these versions, they are simply a new spin: if people really wanna hear the originals, there are many, MANY other collections to choose from!

I like music for so many reasons but one of the strongest is because of the happy memories my favorite songs bring back. I remember hearing Diana Ross on the radio in '81 when "Upside Down" was a big hit. I was 11 and begged my parents to buy me the 45 because I wanted to be able to dance to it whenever I wanted (I was a greedy little child:).

But many years later as I listen to "The Number#1s" it isn't "Upside Down" that jumps out at me. Instead it is the very infectious "Come See About Me," a song that is instantly recognizable and heart-stoppingly happy-fun within its first few beats. THAT song brings back slivers of memories from when I was even younger than 11 and listened to MoTown on AM radio (before talk was big).

This collection is probably not for the serious fan. After all, if you are a Diana Ross/Supremes fan you already probably have everything they ever recorded. No, this is for the casual fan, for the person who wants to be able to access all the huge hits with ease whether it is the wonderfully exhilirating "The Happening" (how can your face not light up when you hear that?) or the very groovy love sounds of "Reflections."

I consider this one of my "happy albums," the one I put on the stereo when I want to dance around, feel silly and be a free spirit kid again. Even better is the way you feel in your car on a sunny day...the window rolled down, the heat on your face and you singing along to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."