On Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida — Giuseppe Verdi's agent didn't have enough clout to get him into the credits, obviously — a host of superstars perform songs from a new stage musical composed by the songwriting team that brought you The Lion King. There is every reason to expect an insufferable kitschfest. But in fact, many of these performances — Boyz II Men's gorgeous "Not Me," Kelly Price's soulful "The Gods Love Nubia," Dru Hill's soaring "Enchantment Passing Through" — are powerfully emotional. The arrangements are restrained — relatively speaking, of course — and the excesses of most musicals are deftly avoided.

Don't expect to suss out Aida's love-triangle plot from this collection. Not all the songs from the musical are included, and the ones that are appear in no particular order. But, against all odds, this pop opera is impressively satisfying on its own unpretentious terms.

“Is It True”

As the British Invasion reached its peak in 1964, Brenda Lee went from Nashville to London to record one of her hardest-rocking hits, her perky vocal backed by a stuttering, squalling guitar. That guitar was played by session musician Jimmy Page, yet to skyrocket to fame with first the Yardbirds and then Led Zeppelin. "She said to me, 'I've come here to make a record with the British sound,'" remembered producer Mickie Most. "She felt she wouldn't get the same sound in Nashville because they're only just catching up on the British beat group sound of about six months ago."