Country Music Hall of Fame

Bill Monroe made his most famous and popular -- and arguably his best -- recordings after he signed to Decca Records in 1950. For the next 40 years, he cut a number of classics, and 16 of his finest tracks are collected on Country Music Hall of Fame. The original versions of many of Monroe's best-known songs, including "New Mule Skinner Blues" and "Uncle Pen," are included, as well as his popular remake of his standard "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Of course, a career as long and varied as Monroe's is difficult to boil down to just 16 tracks and, inevitably, some of the latter-day cuts won't please some dedicated fans. Nevertheless, it's hard to beat Country Music Hall of Fame as a single-disc introduction to one of the greatest musicians in country music history.