Through The Years - The Best Of

Released in 2018, Best of Kenny Rogers: Through the Years focuses squarely on Rogers golden era of the late 1970s and early 80s, letting 20 hits pile up in chronological order. The set begins with Lucille, his Top Ten breakthrough from 1977, and draws to a conclusion with the 1987 Ronnie Milsap duet Make No Mistake, Shes Mine, adding the 2006 single I Cant Unlove You as a coda. In between, there are a bunch of big hits -- Daytime Friends, Love or Something Like It, The Gambler, Coward of the County, You Decorated My Life, Lady, Love Will Turn You Around, plus duets with Kim Carnes, Dottie West, and Sheena Easton -- but not all of them. Notably, there is nothing from the First Edition and Islands in the Stream, his smash duet with Dolly Parton, is nowhere to be found. Their absence makes Through the Years somewhat less than definitive, yet its still a fine roundup of his prime hitmaking period. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine