Toby Keith

Toby Keith didn't become a crossover superstar until 2002, when his post-9/11 anthem "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" made him a household name, but by then, he had been a country star for nearly a decade, constantly reaching the upper heights of the country charts while on Mercury. That's the era covered on 2003's 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: the years between his 1993 self-titled debut and his 1997 farewell to Mercury, Dream Walkin'. This does its job perfectly, containing all of his big hits from this era, including "Should've Been a Cowboy," "A Little Less Talk and a Little More Action," and "Me Too." In fact, even though this disc has two less tracks, this mid-priced collection is better than 1998's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 since it has no filler, all the biggest and best hits, and is presented in chronological order -- all factors that make this a near-ideal summary of Keith's Mercury recordings as well as a fine introduction to the man himself. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide