Besting 1991's GREATEST HITS with a longer track list and the inclusion of two new recordings, the Eurythmics' ULTIMATE COLLECTION is a definitive exhibition of the band's best songs. The Eurythmics were always a singles band, and a set such as this--with indelible hypnotic/robotic grooves like "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) alongside the synth-pop melancholia of "Here Comes the Rain Again" and raucous neo-soul like "Would I Lie to You?"--helps one appreciate how much great work the duo produced.

By the late '80s and into the '90s, the Eurythmics sound favored sweeping balladry and smooth, loungy productions (the closer of the set, "Was It Just Another Love Affair?," is a case in point). There is a fair sampling of that material, but ULTIMATE sticks primarily to the band's mid-'80s peak, showcasing their finest songs, the superb producing and arranging of Dave Stewart, and the exceptional vocals of Annie Lennox.