'00s R&B

Smoother than ever, laden with head-spinning production details, and packed full of superstars both behind the mixing desk and in front of it, rhythm and blues has evolved — via generic crossover and creative cross-pollination — into arguably the dominant pop style of the '00s. Estelle takes us straight to the dancefloor with her chart-topping Kanye West collaboration "American Boy" which was produced by will.i.am . . . who in turn hooks up with Cheryl Cole on "Heartbreaker". Timbaland lends his so-solid skills to OneRepublic, transforming a great rock ballad into a signature hit ("Apologize") and Beverley Knight swings in a soulful direction on "Shoulda Woulda Coulda".

Rhythm and blues has always been the go-to genre for standout vocal and production talent, but in the '00s a couple of distinct trends have flourished. First, the decade's most significant, globally unstoppable musical phenomenon, American Idol, has uncovered a bunch of stars whose transition into the upper echelons has been seamless — check out Jennifer Hudson's lush heart-melter "If This Isn't Love" and Fantasia's 2007 stunner "When I See U". And secondly, what better way for a rapper to show his/her sensitive side that with a side-serving of sweetness: Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz show us how it's done (with Ludacris and Usher) on "Lovers and Friends".

The velvet rope is being held open for you by a suited man the size of a barn, so step into the VIP section, where you'll find Craig David, whose "7 Days" has aged like vintage cabernet since its release in 2000, alongside the Notorious B.I.G., brought back to life with some X-rated verbals by Diddy and Nelly on "Nasty Girl", and Lyfe Jennings, who rides a slow-tempo groove on the clean version of "S.E.X.". You'll also rub shoulders with two-thirds of Destiny's Child — Kelly Rowland transfixes with the tragic narrative of "Stole" while Beyoncé belts out her insight into the ways of men on "If I Were a Boy".

Rhythm and blues hasn't just thrived in the '00s . . . it has taken ownership of the '00s. The fusion-friendly genre has been there to soundtrack the ways of our heart (Case's "Missing You"; Gabrielle's "Out of Reach"), raise the temperature after midnight (Timbaland's collab-fest "Give It to Me", Nelly's "Ride Wit Me"), and keep dance floors bouncing till daybreak (Usher's "Yeah!", Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On"). Our Essentials reads like an A-to-Z of contemporary pop superstars, and features insanely tight production from the likes of Jermaine Dupri (Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together", Usher's "Burn") and the Stargate team (Chris Brown's "With You", Ne-Yo's "Closer") . . . so what are you waiting for? Your definitive 21st-century overview begins right here.