344: ANTHOLOGY | DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES

Wiki: Anthology, also known as Anthology: The Best of The Supremes, first released in May 1974, is a series of same or similarly titled compilation albums by The Supremes. Motown released revised versions in 1986, 1995 and 2001. In its initial version, a 35-track triple record collection of hits and rare material, the album charted at #24 on Billboard's "Black Albums" and #66 on "Pop Albums".

The 1974 LP was included in Robert Christgau's "basic record library" of 1950s and 1960s music, published in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies.  In 2012, Rolling Stone listed the 2001 version of the album at #423 in its list of "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

According to Motown data, the 1974 and 1986 releases combined sold over 1,100,000 copies in the U.S., while the 1995 edition sold around 125,000 copies. The fourth and final edition released in 2001 managed to sell around 75,000 USA copies.

The Anthology series of The Supremes' releases began in 1974 with a three-disc compilation album that surpassed in scope any releases previously compiled to represent "one of the 1960s' most popular groups".The three-album set not only included all of the R&B hits and most of the pop hits of the Supremes, but also included several tracks of the band's more experimental material, including forays made by the band into 1960s British pop, country music and musical theatre. The August 1986 CD release of the album added 15 songs to a total of 50 while the re-release on September 28, 1995, raised the number to 52. On December 18, 2001, Motown released a fourth version of Anthology with 50 songs representative of The Supremes' period with Diana Ross. This version includes three previously unreleased versions of songs in addition to the 1960s hits and a selection of cover songs.