There's little in Boy, U2's 1980 debut, to suggest that this was a band bent on world domination. Indeed, there's a charming, if naive, coming-of-age urgency in songs such as "I Will Follow", "Stories for Boys" and "Out of Control" that may startle listeners more familiar with U2's latter-day bombast and stadium-scale theatrics. Bono's viewpoint, still tantalisingly vague and wide-eyed, showed that his penchant for strident polemics hadn't yet gotten the best of him; his anthems are those of a yearning Dubliner barely out of his teens rather than those of a world-weary multimillionaire. The band's sometimes-ragged musical chops work in its favour here, gently burnished to then-fresh new-wave sheen by producer Steve Lillywhite. If the Edge's dense, effects-laden guitar work seems overly familiar, it's only because this album was such a key influence on the whole "rock of the 80s" sound. Though not quite as moody or musically accomplished as October, arguably the band's first masterpiece, Boy still ranks as one of U2's best albums. -Jerry McCulley.

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment Modest Mouse started sounding like a real band. But on Good News For People Who Love Bad News, front man Isaac Brock sounds like he's finally touching the earth, and the band-minus founding member and drummer Jeremiah Green-follows suit. For the longest time, singer-songwriter Brock seemed to exist solely to defy the established rules, forging forward on sheer momentum and ingenuity. Even Pavement looked relatively ordinary in comparison to the band's early releases like 1996's This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About and 1997's The Lonesome Crowded West. A relaxed mood prevails, not so much in volume but in attitude. On the follow-up to the group's 2000 major label debut, The Moon & Antarctica, big sloppy melodies battle it out with brass on punky epics such as "Float On" and "The Ocean Breathes Salty. " The lyrics are simpler, the arrangements tamer, but the vitality remains. The prevailing mood is that Modest Mouse has pulled off something extraordinary here: a well-rounded, lovable record that doesn't sound anything like David Gray. -Aidin Vaziri.

Maybe it was the fact that the uncle of singer Miles Hunt had played unhinged French horn on the very weird first ELO album and sax with retro rock & roll pranksters Wizzard which so inspired the irreverent humour and common pop touch of the Wonder Stuff. Appearing from nowhere (well, Wolverhampton actually) in 1987 and with girls' hairstyles, The 'Stuffies dutifully stuck a whoopee cushion beneath the raincoat-covered arse of a glum English indie scene with their 1988 debut Eight Legged Groove Machine-a winning mix of brisk, skiffle-light, laddish pop and quite swaggering impertinence. "Unbearable", for example hammed it up with a sawn-off That Petrol Emotion riff and the almost Churchillian barb of "I didn't like you very much when I met you/but now I like you even less" while "It's Yer Money I'm After, Baby" ("It's not your heart/it's your bank I want to break") was something akin to Ray Davies with behavioural problems. "Astley In The Noose" (one of four b-sides added to this repackaged edition) was a call for the hanging of a certain manly voiced 80s pop star for the crime of singing oldies. Probably a jibe too far, considering the Wonder Stuff went on to have a number one single with a rather hairy-chested version of Tommy Roe's mouldy old "Dizzy". -Kevin Maidment.

Maybe it was the fact that the uncle of singer Miles Hunt had played unhinged French horn on the very weird first ELO album and sax with retro rock & roll pranksters Wizzard which so inspired the irreverent humour and common pop touch of the Wonder Stuff. Appearing from nowhere (well, Wolverhampton actually) in 1987 and with girls' hairstyles, The 'Stuffies dutifully stuck a whoopee cushion beneath the raincoat-covered arse of a glum English indie scene with their 1988 debut Eight Legged Groove Machine-a winning mix of brisk, skiffle-light, laddish pop and quite swaggering impertinence. "Unbearable", for example hammed it up with a sawn-off That Petrol Emotion riff and the almost Churchillian barb of "I didn't like you very much when I met you/but now I like you even less" while "It's Yer Money I'm After, Baby" ("It's not your heart/it's your bank I want to break") was something akin to Ray Davies with behavioural problems. "Astley In The Noose" (one of four b-sides added to this repackaged edition) was a call for the hanging of a certain manly voiced 80s pop star for the crime of singing oldies. Probably a jibe too far, considering the Wonder Stuff went on to have a number one single with a rather hairy-chested version of Tommy Roe's mouldy old "Dizzy". -Kevin Maidment.

Though The Proclaimers have been having hits since 1987, when "Letter from America" became an unlikely but welcome chart-topper, they have recorded only sporadically. So while the time feels right for a Best Of collection, this is mostly drawn from just four albums. In what is either an apology, or a genuine attempt to provide value for money, or both, three fine new songs are included, plus The Proclaimers' justly popular cover of Roger Miller's "King of The Road" (a collection of cover versions by The Proclaimers remains one of the best albums never made). What is clear from this 20-track retrospective is that The Proclaimers have not developed at all since they first picked up guitars. Craig and Charlie Reid seem to believe they got it right the first time, and it's difficult to argue otherwise. Certainly, there has never been anyone else like them: The Proclaimers have stuck doggedly to their guns, refusing to forsake their treacle-thick Scottish accents (a decision they sang about on "Throw The R Away") or their worldview (how many self-proclaimed rock & roll outlaws would dare to sing a song called "I Want To Be A Christian" or "Let's Get Married"?). In their perverse and obstinate way, The Proclaimers are about as rock & roll as it gets. These are simple and direct songs, but they're great simple and direct songs, performed with unashamedly earnest passion by two extraordinary singers-their harmonies merit comparison with those of the brothers Louvin or Righteous. The Reids' awkward appearance made them a staple of parodists, but the way they look should not distract anyone from the way they sound. Anyone who fails to weep at "Sunshine on Leith" is dead, or might as well be. [+]

Be careful what you wish for-you just might get it. Don McLean, like any other singer/songwriter, no doubt wanted a hit or some degree of success. "American Pie" gave him that and too much more. McLean's ode to Buddy Holly begins with a folky intro that sounds like a protest song. Almost nine minutes later, the tune finally ends. Sure, the song's poetic; sure, it's a touching tribute; and sure, it's undeniably a classic. But it also became the bane of McLean's existence for many years, as it was the only song of his that people wanted to hear. The album American Pie sold well on the strength of the title track, and even propelled the comparatively weak "Vincent" into the Top 20. A fine release rooted in folk, American Pie is a classic, whether or not one actually pays attention to the other songs. -Steve Gdula.

Like the Beatles and Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson is one of the handful of artists that can release an album of their number one singles. Number Ones includes his solo chart toppers in the UK and abroad from the period beginning with his Off the Wall album right up to the new song "One More Chance", a collaboration with R Kelly. The remaining 17 songs on the album are all classics drawn from the disco-soul Off the Wall, the funky Thriller, the good Bad, the safe Dangerous, the semi-best-of History and the weak Invincible. Regardless of whether the bulk of Number Ones has appeared on other greatest hits albums, this is still an incredible selection of Michael Jackson's best music. -Georgina Collins.

Boyzone have always favoured covers-from their earliest singles (versions of 1970s pop groups the Detroit Spinners' "Working My Way Back To You" and the Osmonds' "Love Me For A Reason") to their first million-selling hit, a faithful reading of Australian high-pitched harmony singers, the Bee Gees' "Words". So the release of By Request compilation of cover versions in 1999 came as no real surprise, then. What is a surprise, however, is the amount of emotion and pathos Ronan and co-manage to invest in songs like Cat Stevens' "Father & Son" and Tracy Chapman's "Baby Can I Hold You"-far exceeding the brief most boy bands have of merely smiling sweetly at the camera and making sure the dance steps are inch perfect. Musically, all the songs here veer towards the brand of harmony-laden, lightweight dance-pop Boyzone have virtually claimed for their own. -Everett True.