The god-awful CD cover of a cartoon cheesily-grinning DJ in the Tony Blackburn mould gives you an idea of what the compilers of this double album think of the 44 songs within - all of which share the distinction of being by artists who never again troubled the Top 20.

As a compilation, it's let down by a lack of decent sleeve notes, whether of the "where are they now?" or the "who the heck were they anyway?" variety.

It's like watching a lengthy, sometimes intriguing, occasionally great, but ultimately slightly disappointing edition of Top Of The Pops 2, with a very random selection of songs from the last four decades.

Some are long forgotten (I Eat Cannibals by Toto Coelo, anyone?), some inevitable, (99 Red Balloons, Uptown Top Ranking, Spirit In The Sky, Fire etc), and some at least clear up the mystery of who wrote that song - especially when it's been covered, sampled or ripped off countless times.

Nineties guitar bands from the other side of the Atlantic seem to have been particularly cursed by the one-hit wonder syndrome (Soul Asylum, The Rembrandts, Crash Test Dummies etc). And some of the Eighties tracks are particularly obscure. Ideal for cheesy DJs, and a godsend for sadistic pub quiz compilers.

Updated: 08:51 Thursday, February 27, 2003