Pet Shop Boys

There's no denying the Pet Shop Boys have enough material for a greatest hits collection. Problem is: they've already done it, twice. And since the release of Pop Art, a very comprehensive double CD compilation, they haven't done much of interest, making it very difficult to justify this new collection. Ultimate never gets close to living up to its title; it loses a bunch of great songs, such as "Love Comes Quickly" and "So Hard," so it can fit on a single CD, replacing them with lesser songs from later albums and the one obligatory new song. It just isn't the best representation of the band's career. The only way Ultimate comes even close to necessary is through the deluxe edition, which comes with an additional DVD. Rather than just having the expected music videos, it actually contains 27 television performances by the band, most of which haven't seen the light of day since they were first broadcast. And if that wasn't enough, it also features their entire 90-minute live show from 2010's Glastonbury Festival, making for a very entertaining disc. Fans should pick up the CD/DVD version and everyone else should pick up the superior Pop Art instead.