Steps - Gold: Greatest Hits
Steps have made it back to the top of the charts with the Ultimate Collection, almost a decade to the day since their last Greatest Hits was sitting at Number 1.
The new collection includes a slightly different group of hits, as well as a brand new recording of 'Dancing Queen'.
Whereas the Ultimate Collection is in chronological order, Gold: Greatest Hits was in a more traditional format, featuring most of their biggest tracks.
A couple of notable omissions ('You'll Be Sorry' and 'I Know Him So Well') are featuring on the new record, and aren't really missed on this collection.
Listening back, it's a good reminder of where mainstream music sat, highlighted by the cheesy pop of songs like 'Better The Devil You Know' and '5,6,7,8'.
For fans, this will be how they remember the band, and it's yet to be seen if their return will actually be a success.
Gold: Greatest Hits almost makes the new collection redundant, and it still stands up well in reminding us why Steps were so huge in the first place.
Many pop acts from the late '90s have become the subject of jokes and ridicule over the previous decade, and it's easy to forget that Steps were something a little bit different.
The male/female dynamic gives this a different edge compared to their peers (the likes of Spice Girls) and modern pop-band equivalents (JLS and The Saturdays), and it does still stand out.
Some of us may not have "got it" the first time round (and may still question the quality of these songs), but their success can't be denied.
Neither, in that respect, can the fun-factor of the band be undermined - music doesn't have to be ground-breaking and meaningful.
Sometimes, a good beat and an infectious hook is all it takes, and Steps chose some excellent material to cover in their own style.
It remains to be seen whether their return will help or hinder their legacy, but fans will always have this collection to remember Steps at their best.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge
Tagged in Steps Classic Cuts