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MILES DAVIS QUINTET, LIVE in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1

The last Davis box set came out two years ago, with 71 discs. This mere three-disc set has Davis united with one of his greatest and most genre-altering quintets, which included Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. The black-and-white DVD is particularly revelatory: You've never seen men in such constricting-looking three-piece suits so ready to blow minds.

[Box set: $33.]

U2, Achtung Baby (Super Deluxe Edition)

U2 has devoted a 10-disc set to just one album. Well, make that two albums, since this box commemorates not just the 1991 classic Achtung Baby, but also its quickly turned-around sequel, 1993's Zoopropa. A DVD documentary (by Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim) ramps up the nostalgia.

[Box set: $126. Two-CD version: $21]

STING, 25 Years

Sting might just be the last music mega-star to put together a comprehensive box set covering his entire career. It's not big on rarities: three out of four discs just encapsulate key picks from his studio catalog in chronological order. If you're driven to tears by the lack of Police songs, don't worry: the capping disc is a concert DVD shot in 2005 at a club in New York, and it includes even more songs from Sting's old band than his emancipated years.

[Box set: $120. Two-CD version: $27.]

RAY CHARLES, Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles

This five-disc set includes both the A- and B-sides of all 53 singles the great man released in 1960-72 during his most artistically fruitful period. (Yes, you did the math right — that's 106 tracks.) You don't get "What'd I Say" and the more hardcore '50s R&B sides he made before switching to the ABC label, but you do get "Hit the Road Jack," "Georgia on My Mind" and just about all of Charles' pop smashes — including his brief (and acclaimed) country crossover phase. The A+B approach is a terrific way to discover some of the quintessential soul man's greatest obscurities while re-appreciating his signature classics.

[Box set: $43.]

NIRVANA, Nevermind (Super Deluxe)

Hard to believe, but AARP's youngest members were slam-dancers of 30 when Nirvana's landmark album came out. If Achtung Baby didn't fulfill your need to turn back the clock to 1991, Nevermind should. Bonuses include B-sides, a superlative live DVD, the earliest demos of the material, rehearsals recorded on a boom box and an alternate early mix of the album that Kurt Cobain openly preferred to the "slick" finished product.

[Box set: $120. Two-CD version: $21.]