There is no overestimating the historical power and influence of Shania Twain's Come on Over. You can hear it in the music of Taylor Swift (all the way up through 1989, easily), as well as Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce, Kelly Clarkson, Maren Morris, latter day The Chicks, even Harry Styles. Its success—40 million copies sold and counting—freed up boundaries (for better or worse) for countless country acts, from Rascal Flatts to Dan + Shay, to be unashamed of going pop. The album's production, by Twain's now-ex husband Mutt Lange (who was previously best known for his work with AC/DC and Def Leppard), is an epoch in the country music timeline—much the way Chet Atkins' Nashville Sound was. While some of those production flourishes sound a bit dated on the three-disc remaster (including domestic and international versions plus a grab bag of collaborations and remixes) of Come on Over, these are still killer songs that would tear it up on country and/or pop radio today. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" packs an even bigger dose of serotonin. Every aspect—guitar, fiddle, vocals—of "Love Gets Me Every Time" sounds so crisp and clear on both the US version and its international compatriot, famously stripped of the hollering fiddle at the front of the mix. Freshened-up "You're Still the One" glistens, the pedal steel sharp as ever against the gooey cloud of backing vocals. But want something different? There's also a fun 1999 live duet with Elton John turning his twang up to 11, as well as several thumping dancefloor remixes and a largely superfluous version from Twain's 2022 Las Vegas residency, with Coldplay's Chris Martin on piano. There's both the spirited and clicky original of "I'm Holdin' On to Love (To Save My Life)" and a more down-home take with Alison Krauss. The bluegrass queen makes a second appearance on a duet of "From This Moment On," from the Up! Close and Personal live album, offering a warmer, rounder take on the pristine original with Bryan White. A 1999 Miami concert collab on the song with Backstreet Boys puts everyone's vocal acrobatics on display. "Honey, I'm Home," always one of the most countrified tracks on the album, is slick as a whistle, and cowbell positively vibrates on "That Don't Impress Me Much" (and the line "OK, so you're Brad Pitt/ That don't impress me much" still holds up). And while remastering highlights how cheesy Lange's Eurovision-style production is on "Come On Over," Twain just sounds terrific. Viva Shania. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

Shania Twain's second record, The Woman in Me, became a blockbuster, appealing as much to a pop audience as it did to the country audience. Part of the reason for its success was how producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange -- best-known for his work with Def Leppard, the Cars, and AC/DC -- steered Twain toward the big choruses and instrumentation that always was a signature of his speciality, AOR radio. Come on Over, the sequel to The Woman in Me, continues that approach, breaking from contemporary country conventions in a number of ways. Not only does the music lean toward rock, but its 16 songs and, as the cover proudly claims, "Hour of Music," break from the country tradition of cheap, short albums of ten songs that last about a half-hour. Furthermore, all 16 songs and Lange-Twain originals and Shania's sleek, sexy photos suggest a New York fashion model, not a honky tonker. And there isn't any honky tonk here, which is just as well, since the fiddles are processed to sound like synthesizers and talk boxes never sound good on down-home, gritty rave-ups. No, Shania sticks to what she does best, which is countrified mainstream pop. Purists will complain that there's little country here, and there really isn't. However, what is here is professionally crafted country-pop -- even the filler (which there is, unfortunately, too much of) sounds good -- which is delivered with conviction, if not style, by Shania, and that is enough to make it a thoroughly successful follow-up to one of the most successful country albums by a female in history.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Shania Twain's second record, The Woman in Me, became a blockbuster, appealing as much to a pop audience as it did to the country audience. Part of the reason for its success was how producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange -- best-known for his work with Def Leppard, the Cars, and AC/DC -- steered Twain toward the big choruses and instrumentation that always was a signature of his speciality, AOR radio. Come on Over, the sequel to The Woman in Me, continues that approach, breaking from contemporary country conventions in a number of ways. Not only does the music lean toward rock, but its 16 songs and, as the cover proudly claims, "Hour of Music," break from the country tradition of cheap, short albums of ten songs that last about a half-hour. Furthermore, all 16 songs and Lange-Twain originals and Shania's sleek, sexy photos suggest a New York fashion model, not a honky tonker. And there isn't any honky tonk here, which is just as well, since the fiddles are processed to sound like synthesizers and talk boxes never sound good on down-home, gritty rave-ups. No, Shania sticks to what she does best, which is countrified mainstream pop. Purists will complain that there's little country here, and there really isn't. However, what is here is professionally crafted country-pop -- even the filler (which there is, unfortunately, too much of) sounds good -- which is delivered with conviction, if not style, by Shania, and that is enough to make it a thoroughly successful follow-up to one of the most successful country albums by a female in history.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Read My Lips is above all the work of an angry man. As an advocate for gay rights and member of Act Up New York, Jimmy Somerville took off from the realization that a certain number of musicians, labeled as progressive and often gay themselves, would give up on addressing politics as soon as they made a record. With Somerville, music is political. At the end of the 1980s, the former lead of Bronski Beat and The Communards, with his countertenor voice, decided to throw himself into a joyful protest with the danceable rhythms of Read My Lips. In the song that gives this first solo album its title, the Scottish singer implores the listener to take action and make their voice heard (“We’ll shout as loud as we can”). There’s also a passing wink to the disco hit “No More Tears” by Barbara Streisand and Diana Ross (“Enough is Enough”). The same battle cry rings on “And You Never Thought This Could Happen to You” (“There’s a power we command, if united we stand, fighting for our rights”). The album is also an homage to the pop music of the 60s and 70s: we’re reminded of the hits of Burt Bacharach in “Don’t Know What To Do”, while the covers of The Bee Gees’s “To Love Somebody” and Françoise Hardy’s “Comment te dire adieu” shine with their cheerful energy. Regarding the latter track – the real powerhouse of the album – it manages to keep a certain retro charm (strings and a jazz trumpet solo) all while harmonizing perfectly with its time. The second part of this double album Expanded consists of several remixes (including one of “You Make Me Feel” by William Orbit), as well as demo versions that will especially delight Jimmy Somerville fans. ©Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz

A companion album to the 2022 documentary Not Just a Girl, this is a tight, no-nonsense collection of Shania Twain songs that's heavy on the hits. Some of these hits, such as 1996's "You Win My Love," have been eclipsed by Twain's blockbusters, so it's notable that they're here and "That Don't Impress Me Much" isn't, but that platinum hit is the only titanic number missing in action: "You're Still the One," "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under," and "Any Man of Mine" are all here. That makes for a satisfying, if not quite definitive, listen.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Wheels Are Turnin' blends clear, crisp ballads with high-energy pop/rock, which eventually gave REO Speedwagon four Top 40 singles, the same amount as Hi Infidelity credited them with four years earlier. Kevin Cronin's writing is rock-solid, a delightful turnaround from 1982's Good Trouble album. As one of the band's best ballads, "Can't Fight This Feeling" puts an elegant piano riff in front of Cronin's earnest voice, presenting REO with its second number one single, while "I Do' Wanna Know" is a turbulent ride of clean-cut guitar and up-and-down piano that comes off as well-crafted pop with a bite. Every track has the band sounding sharper and more alive, with even the less-extravagant material like "Break His Spell" and "Thru the Window" emanating merit. "One Lonely Night" throws the spotlight on Cronin's voice, proving that his expertise at carrying out the slow stuff hasn't dwindled, while "Live Every Moment" rounds out the last of the singles from the album, hitting number 34 in August of 1985, eight months after Wheels Are Turnin' achieved its number-seven mark on the U.S. charts. With production, songwriting, and tight instrumentation wisely dished out in equal portions, Wheels Are Turnin' was evidence that REO Speedwagon could still make some gratifying rock & roll.© Mike DeGagne /TiVo

Emerging from its early days as a new age and world music mecca, Narada is quickly becoming a haven for veteran and up-and-coming smooth jazz artists in the mid-2000s. While famous names like Ramsey Lewis and Jeff Lorber provide an anchor for the bunch, funky and melodic cats like this Wes Montgomery-influenced, Chicago-based electric guitarist bode well for the genre's soulful future. He pays homage directly to his guitar hero on the breezy, atmospheric, and decidedly retro "John L," whose solos amidst the trippy soundscapes seem like spiritual meditations. The hook on that track is as irresistible as the ones that shine throughout, and that, after all, is -- along with catchy grooves -- the mark of a successful song in this genre. While it's clear he can jam, Colionne is intent on creating memorable pieces a listener can hum for days, and succeeds right off the bat with the brash "Can You Feel It" and the sexy, moody title track. Others like "If You Ask Me" and "Liquid" tap into a rich blues influence -- which in the future he should definitely explore even further. If there's one minor drawback, it's that he's so conscious of radio airplay time that he doesn't stretch as much as you can tell he wants to. Though they're buried at the end of the collection, it's worth getting through the first ten tracks to hear his rich vocal cover of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "High Flyin'," the exciting 2004 hit that established him as a presence in smooth jazz.© Jonathan Widran /TiVo

A companion album to the 2022 documentary Not Just a Girl, this is a tight, no-nonsense collection of Shania Twain songs that's heavy on the hits. Some of these hits, such as 1996's "You Win My Love," have been eclipsed by Twain's blockbusters, so it's notable that they're here and "That Don't Impress Me Much" isn't, but that platinum hit is the only titanic number missing in action: "You're Still the One," "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under," and "Any Man of Mine" are all here. That makes for a satisfying, if not quite definitive, listen.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

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In December 2012, country and pop superstar Shania Twain returned to the stage for the first time since her Up! tour wrapped up in 2004; she booked a residency at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she performed a special show she conceived and helped produce that merged spectacular stagecraft with a set of Twain's best and best-known songs. The show, titled Shania: Still the One, was a major box office success, with Twain playing 105 performances over the course of two years and thrilling fans eager to see her reconnect with her audience. Still the One: Live from Vegas is a live album that documents Twain's dazzling live show and includes 19 songs that helped make her one of the most successful recording artists of the '90s and 2000s. Selections include "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!," "Come on Over," "That Don't Impress Me Much," "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," "You're Still the One," "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?," "You Win My Love," and many more.© Mark Deming /TiVo