21 Number Ones

Rogers's songs are an indelible part of the fabric of American pop culture

A beloved, universally known icon of American entertainment, Kenny Rogers has been among the most consistent sellers in either country or pop since the mid-'70s, when the single Lucille earned him his first chart-topping release. During his outstanding career, Rogers has earned multiple Grammy, Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music, American Music and People's Choice awards and also enjoyed sales of more than 105 million units worldwide. If you love the music of Kenny Rogers, then you will love this expanded greatest hits collection – 21 of his original hits, plus one bonus track. These are all the original recordings as you remember them; there are no re-recorded songs. Kenny Rogers sure can write 'em, and even those who dismiss the country-pop star's catchy, well-written commercial fare will know half the words to the tunes on 21 Number Ones. This compilation is not the most comprehensive Rogers collection on the market, nor is it necessarily representative of his best work as an artist, but a listen through these tracks will make one thing clear: Rogers's songs are an indelible part of the fabric of American pop culture.

There are plenty of the duets Rogers is famous for

Kicking off the with The Gambler (still one of Rogers's most infectious and enjoyable tunes), 21 Number Ones hits all the usual suspects, from the Lionel Richie-penned Lady, to the twangy feel-good parable Coward of the County, to the epically romantic She Believes in Me to Lucille, Rogers's breakthrough crossover hit from 1976. There are also plenty of the duets Rogers is famous for, including ones with Sheena Easton (We've Got Tonight), Dolly Parton (Islands In The Stream), Dottie West (Every Time Two Fools Collide, All I Ever Need Is You, and What Are We Doing In Love) and Ronnie Milsap (Make No Mistake She's Mine). The only song on this greatest hits package that wasn't a #1 hit is the duet Rogers does with Kim Carnes called Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer, which may not have hit number one, but made the Top Five on the pop, country, and adult contemporary charts. Some of the standouts in this collection are Daytime Friends, Morning Desire, and Buy Me A Rose, a song he recorded with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean.

As a primer on the superstar's biggest hits, it's hard to find a better collection

With a new studio album, Water and Bridges, on the way, Kenny Rogers is primed for resurgence in 2006, starting with this concise reminder of the wide swath he's cut through the country mainstream over the past 30 years. 21 Number Ones is an updated edition of the 1980 collection Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits, which has been certified for U.S. shipments of 12 million copies. Never the prettiest of instruments, Rogers's sandpapery voice has been surrounded by smart, lilting arrangements that reference both country and pop, his ballads enhanced by lush string arrangements, his story songs with pedal steel cries, and throughout, background voices that betray some southern gospel influence. The formula has worked aces for Rogers, employed as it is in the service of finely crafted tunes with simple, unambiguous lyrics. Longtime fans will most likely have all of 21 Number Ones’ material, but as a primer on the superstar's biggest hits, it's hard to find a better collection. An awesome achievement with the promise of more ahead!