Box Sets from Legendary Soul Record Labels [Something Interesting #57]

When I was younger during the early 2000s, one of my biggest passions was collecting CDs that were recommended by all the major music magazines. I think this was perhaps not the wisest course of action the older I got, especially once streaming became more of a thing. Box sets were not a common purchase for me since they were often prohibitively expensive for a high schooler/college student, so they had a particular hold on my imagination. So I defaulted to albums and would only get a box set once in a while.

A genre that lent itself well to this was older soul music, especially from the 1950s to the1970s. Since singles were the more prominent format for soul than artist-driven albums during that time, putting all the hits into a 4-6 CD set made more sense. This post is designed to compile many of these into groups based on the most famous of soul's record labels so you all can have them in one place.

Side note: I only had the first (Hitsville USA 1959-1971) and the last (Love Train) so this was a fun way to finally get around to listening to things I've only read about, so be mindful that mileage may vary but most of these songs are great. To get the mood started, I'm also adding this BBC documentary with footage from some of Motown's finest in action:

Motown Records

Motown played a vital role in the racial integration of popular music as an African American-owned label that achieved crossover success with white audiences. In the 1960s, Motown and its main subsidiary labels (including Gordy, Soul) were the most prominent exponents of what became known as the Motown sound, a style of soul music with a mainstream pop-influenced sound and appeal. Motown was the most successful soul music label, with a net worth of $61 million. Between 1960 and 1969, Motown had 79 songs reach the top-ten of the Billboard Hot 100. [from the Wikipedia entry]

Box sets here are Hitsville USA - The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 and Hitsville USA - The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992.

Chess Records

In 1951, the Chess brothers began an association with Sam Phillips, of the Memphis Recording Service, the forerunner of Sun Records.[8] One of the most important recordings that Phillips gave to Chess was "Rocket 88", by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (the band was actually Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm), which topped Billboard magazine's R&B Records chart[9] and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 in recognition of its influence on rock and roll.[10] One of the most important artists that came out of Memphis was Howlin' Wolf,[11] who stayed with the label until his death in 1976. Musical figures created for Chess by Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and others were the basis of much subsequent rock and roll. Many songs created by Chess artists were later covered by many rock artists, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Ten Years After, the Beach Boys and Eric Clapton. [from the Wikipedia entry]

Box sets here include The Chess Story 1947-1956, The Chess Story 1957-1964, and The Chess Story 1965-1975.

Stax-Volt Records

Stax was influential in the creation of Southern soul and Memphis soul music. Stax also released gospel, funk, and blues recordings. The label was founded by two siblings, business partners Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, whose last names formed the basis of the label's name (Stewart + Axton = "Stax"). It featured several popular ethnically integrated bands (including the label's house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s) and a racially integrated team of staff and artists unprecedented in that time of racial strife and tension in Memphis and the South. According to ethnomusicologist Rob Bowman, the label's use of "one studio, one equipment set-up, the same set of musicians and a small group of songwriters led to a readily identifiable sound. It was a sound based in black gospel, blues, country, and earlier forms of rhythm and blues (R&B). It became known as southern soul music." [from the Wikipedia entry]

Box sets here include Stax-Volt: The Complete Singles 1959-1968 and The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971.

Philadelphia International Records

It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. The label was known for showcasing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as Philly soul) that was founded on the gospel, doo-wop and soul music of the time. This sound later marked a prominent and distinct era within the R&B genre. During the 1970s, the label released a string of worldwide hits that emphasized lavish orchestral instrumentation, heavy bass and driving percussion. [from the Wikipedia entry]

Box set here is Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia (one of my favorite albums of all time, by the way...).