Personnel: Ira Siegel, Tim Pierce (guitar); Marti Fredericksen, Don Potter, Larry Byrom, Biff Watson, Billy Joe Walker , Tom Bukovac, Bob Minner (acoustic guitar); Denny Hemingson (electric guitar, steel guitar); Dan Dugmore, Dann Huff, Jeff King , Jerry McPherson, Michael Landau, Pat Buchanan, B. James Lowry, Darran Smith, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Byron Gallimore (12-string guitar); Sonny Garrish, Bruce Bouton (steel guitar); Tom Hemby (gut-string guitar); Paul Franklin (dobro); Darrell Scott (mandolin); Mary Katherine, Connie Ellisor, Carl Gorodetzky, Pamela Sixfin, David Davidson , Lee Larrison, Alan Umstead, David Angell, Catherine Umstead, Cate Myer (violin); Dean Brown , Glen Duncan, Aubrey Haynie, Stuart Duncan (fiddle); Kathryn Plummer, Kristin Wilkinson, Jim Grosjean, Gary VanOsdale (viola); Julia Tanner, John Catchings, Anthony LaMarchina, Bob Mason (cello); Tim Lauer (accordion); Chris Lindsey , John Barlow Jarvis (piano); Jeff McMahon (Fender Rhodes piano); Jamie Muhoberac (Hammond b-3 organ); Steve Nathan, Jimmy Nichols (keyboards); Bill Cuomo (synthesizer); Glenn Worf, Michael Rhodes , Mike Brignardello, Paul Bushnell, Tony Shanahan, Craig Nelson , John Marcus (bass guitar); Chris McHugh, Lonnie Wilson, Richard Pagano, Paul Leim, Billy Mason, Shannon Forrest (drums); Eric Darken, Terry McMillan, David Dunkley, Vinnie Colaiuta (percussion); Chip Davis, Chris Rodriguez, Monet Owens, Stephen Hornbeak, Cindy Richardson Walker, Crystal Taliefero, Curtis Young, Greg Barnhill, Karen Staley, Kim Parent, Lari White, Lisa Cochran, Mark Luna, Mary Ann Kennedy, Pamela Rose, Stephanie Bentley, Vince Gill, Bekka Bramlett, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Perry Coleman (background vocals); David Campbell .

Additional personnel: Tim McGraw.

Six albums into her career, Faith Hill already has more than enough hit singles to fill a best-of album, so this 13 track compilation is a fine summation of her career up to 2007. Containing seven number-one country hits, many of which crossed over to the pop charts, HITS is a fine argument for Faith Hill as one of the top country singers of her time. From pop crossover smashes like "This Kiss" and "Breathe" to more traditional country songs like "Mississippi Girl" and "The Way You Love Me," HITS is a solidly entertaining listen. However, for good measure, HITS also adds three live songs--the Janis Joplin standard "Piece of My Heart," "There Will Come A Day," and "Cry"--as well as one solid new single, "Beautiful." Tastefully packaged and intelligently sequenced as well as musically unbeatable, HITS is a textbook example of how to do a mid-career best-of collection, and is far more listenable than the average uninspired cash-in.

In 2001, not long after Faith Hill became an international superstar, European markets were treated to There You'll Be: The Best of Faith Hill, a 15-track collection that brought new listeners up to speed on Hill's American hits. Six years later, Hill had her first American compilation released. Simply titled The Hits, this 2007 set weighs in at 15 tracks, the same length as There You'll Be, but it does cover more ground, as Faith released two albums (2002's Cry and 2005's Fireflies) in the time separating the two compilations. That means this has two big hits not heard on the previous set -- 2002's "Cry" and 2006's "Mississippi Girl" -- along with a live version of "Stronger" and the new song "Red Umbrella." It's not just that The Hits has these new songs, but the rest of the record skews a little bit closer to Hill's country roots than her international comp (in other words, there's no "Over the Rainbow" here and no remixes), which makes this better suited for an American audience, and also a better compilation overall, as this captures Hill at her best as a country-pop singer and an adult contemporary diva. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine