Robbie Williams

After leaving boy band Take That, then hanging out with Noel Gallagher and pretending to be in Oasis, Robbie Williams' profile plummeted. So he joined up with songwriter and producer Guy Chambers, and became a genuine pop icon. All of these cuts prove that his talent is much more than skin deep: groove to the hi-energy thunk-funk of "Rock DJ," dance-rock all night to his Kylie hook-up "Kids," and soak up the ecstatic gorgeousness of "Angels." Robbie kicks it, old school, in Next Steps.

Anyone with the nerve to take on Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin at their own game — and handle a rowdy rock festival crowd, while making the tabloid press dance to his tune — wasn't going to have a problem building a lasting career as a singer/songwriter. And so these tracks prove, as Robbie bridges the gap between "Mack the Knife" — from his trad pop 2001 album Swing When You're Winning — and gorgeous originals like "One Fine Day." Robbie flexes his world-music muscle on a couple of exotic tracks, in Deep Cuts.

Robbie can turn his hand to just about any style, including the trans-global melting pot of "My Culture" (featuring Maxi Jazz) from the 1 Giant Leap collaboration project, and the lively world vibe of Manu Chao's "Bongo Bong" and "Je ne t'aime plus" compacted into one funky track featuring Lily Allen. You want a taste of Robbie in front of a vast sea of adoring, ever-loyal fans? Then cue up his epic Knebworth 2003 rendition of "Monsoon."

Robbie Williams was Take That's bad boy, and when he left, so did most of their fans. At first, the young upstart was pigeon-holed as an attention-seeking rabble-rouser, but nobody thought that a penchant for exposing his rear-end in front of the cameras could turn into a stellar solo career. But what a career it's been so far — in 2006, he clocked a world record by selling 1.6 million world tour tickets . . . in just one day. These songs catalogue Robbie's greatest hits, from the fast 'n' loose "Let Me Entertain You" to the soaring "Millennium" and the spine-tingling ballad "She's the One." Iconic.