Take That

What a ride it's been, and continues to be . . . the early-'90s ascent to pop superstardom; the rift; the solo shots; the Robbie-less mid-'00s reunion, during which the foursome emerged stronger and sharper than ever; and now the Robster's return. Assembled in Manchester (in 1990) as a riposte to American boy band New Kids on the Block, Take That accelerated towards the highest reaches of the pop universe at an astonishing rate, earning the lads comparison with the Beatles in the process. Dive into their first-phase hits with lusty abandon, from the heartbreaker "Back for Good" to the supremely groovy "Relight My Fire," then soak up their 21st-century majesty with "Patience" and "Greatest Day." There's more from Take That, with and without Robbie, in Next Steps.

Take That nation: prepare to work up a healthy sweat in the second section of our salute to your enduring northern heartthrobs, as we deliver a couple of early dance-pop belters — the house-y debut single "Do What You Like" from 1991 (which was delivered with risqué video), and the following year's "Once You've Tasted Love," both recorded in the days when Gary Barlow sported a Billy Idol-esque shocking blond hair style. Alongside those tunes, we've added a high point from the four-strong reunion comeback album, 2006's Beautiful World — heartbreaking piano ballad "I'd Wait for Life" — as well as 2009's "The Garden" with its democratically shared vocal. Live TT performances and a scattering of solo standouts await, in Deep Cuts.

Any Take That concert carries with it the guarantee of pure, move-bustin', silky-harmonied sensation, but with The Circus album tour, the band exceeded even their own high standards, rising from the stage atop a giant mechanical elephant at one point, achieving a level of showmanship worthy of Pink Floyd: keep that image in mind as you cue up our brace of 2009 Wembley Stadium recordings. And to round out the full TT picture we've handpicked a few solo tracks from both Mark — including the breezy rocker "Four Minute Warning" from 1996's Green Man — and Gary, who mines a smooth and funky groove on 1997's "Love Won't Wait" (a song co-written by Madonna).

When Take That split in 1996, telephone support lines were set up to help the fans cope: their retreat from pop life hit hard, like bereavement. Almost a decade would pass before their Robbie-less reunion, and, as of late-2010, Mr. Williams is once again back in the gang. The group stormed to fame with the upbeat Tavares cover "It Only Takes a Minute" (the band's 1992 breakthrough single) and Gary Barlow's first great ballad, "A Million Love Songs," which hinted at the depths of talent he was holding in reserve. In fact, the reason Take That still stand head and shoulders above their peers is a killer combination of Gary's world-class songwriting and a whole lot of raunch: few boy acts ever looked and sounded that good. As for the future? Well, we get the feeling that Take That's script is still only half-written: check out 2010's re-reunion single, "The Flood."