The Best of Siouxsie And The Banshees

20th Century Masters offers up a straightforward run through Siouxsie & the Banshees' greatest hits, effectively boiling the Once/Twice Upon a Time singles collections down to one disc. It's a well-executed job, as well – without a keen memory for every U.K. single the band released, it's difficult to pinpoint where the omissions fall. From "Hong Kong Garden" to "Face to Face," the entire spellbinding scope of Bansheedom is laid bare and, if the later years (from "Peek A Boo" onwards) receive short shrift, then that is only as it should be. The innovation that shone through the band's earliest singles was a rare gift indeed; 20th Century Masters allows everyone to share in it, and at a budget price, as well!

Synth pop's first international superstars, the Human League were among the earliest and most innovative bands to break into the pop mainstream on a wave of synthesizers and electronic rhythms, their marriage of infectious melodies and state-of-the-art technology proving enormously influential on countless acts following in their wake. The group was formed in Sheffield, England, in 1977 by synth players Martyn Ware and Ian Marsh, who'd previously teamed as the duo Dead Daughters; following a brief tenure as the Future, they rechristened themselves the Human League after enlisting vocalist Philip Oakey. The trio soon recorded a demo, and played their first live dates; they soon tapped Adrian Wright as their "Director of Visuals," and his slide shows quickly became a key component of their performances.

Like the Vibrators, the Stranglers were an older band which managed to gain visibility and success through association with Britain's punk movement. Musically, the group is much more polished than some of their rawer brethren such as the Adverts and Siouxsie and the Banshees…