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The rainbow on the cover of KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND PART 3 led to a pot of gold for Harry Wayne “KC” Casey and company. The TK collection spun off No.1 hits “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” - which topped the chart on this day in 1976 - and “I'm Your Boogie Man,” and “Keep It Comin' Love” just missed the top slot (two additional singles also charted). Disco records rarely get better than this one, and that's no backhanded compliment – funky grooves abound, the instrumental work is spot-on, and KC's exuberance will win any listener over. Rhino's expanded edition KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND PART 3 … AND MORE adds eight bonus tracks including some outstanding solo sides that show the sun kept shining on KC into the 1980s.

Formed in Dallas by brothers Brandon and Benjamin Curtis, and Josh Garza, indie rockers Secret Machines had a well-received debut under their belts when they released TEN SILVER DROPS in 2006. The self-produced Reprise collection includes eight expansive songs that bridge the gap between space rock and arena rock – it's equal parts atmosphere and anthem on such tracks as “Lightning Blue Eyes,” “I Want to Know if It's Still Possible” (which features Garth Hudson of The Band on accordion) and lead single “Alone, Jealous and Stoned” (a favorite of David Bowie). Ben Curtis would depart after TEN SILVER DROPS to form School of Seven Bells, and this final set from the original trio was hailed by Entertainment Weekly as “a spiritual sibling to such previous great, emotionally raw ruminations on shattered personal lives as Phil Collins’ FACE VALUE and Beck’s SEA CHANGE.”

Among R&B's greatest power couples, Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson paid plenty of dues as songwriters in the 1960s, including a string of hits for Motown, before stepping into the spotlight themselves. Landing on Warner Bros. in the early 1970s, the duo finished the decade with STAY FREE, a mix of soul, funk and disco that sounds just as alluring now as on its original release 40 years ago this month. Front-loaded with singles “Found A Cure” (a Top 40 pop hit), “Nobody Knows” and the title track, the collection makes for compulsive listening; Ashford & Simpson were seasoned producers as well as writers, and knew how to get the most out of percussion, string and horn sections. The gold-certified STAY FREE offers musical liberation that's both sophisticated and danceable.

Canadian quartet Hot Hot Heat made an impressive debut for Sub Pop in 2002 before moving to Sire for follow-up ELEVATOR three years later. Produced by Dave Sardy (Jet, Oasis), the album is a rush of pop-punk energy like its predecessor, with singer-keyboardist Steve Bays clearly having a ball and guitarist Dante DeCaro making his swan song with the band a memorable one before departing for Wolf Parade. Singles “Goodnight, Goodnight” and “Middle of Nowhere” both reached the Modern Rock chart, and “You Owe Me an IOU” and “Running out of Time” are just as compulsively listenable. A Top 40 success, ELEVATOR is sure to lift the mood of any indie rock fan.

For millions of listeners, Duran Duran defined new wave music in the 1980s thanks to RIO. The British quintet's second album was originally marketed in America like their first, as a New Romantic release, but really took off after it was remixed as dance music (and promoted with some iconic videos). Housed in distinctive Patrick Nagel cover art, the nine songs include such favorites as “Save A Prayer,” the title track and the #3 hit “Hungry Like The Wolf.” The Collectors Edition of this classic album features an extra disc's worth of demos, rarities and remixes (including the versions originally heard on both sides of the Atlantic). The definitive look at the platinum-certified album, RIO (COLLECTOR'S EDITION) will satisfy the hungriest Duran fan.

Led Zeppelin's second album was cut, appropriately enough, on the fly – it was written and recorded (in studios of varying quality) during multiple U.S./European tours in 1969. As a singer and lyricist, Robert Plant was growing by leaps and bounds, guitarist Jimmy Page was coming into his own as a producer, and the thundering rhythm section of John Paul Jones and John Bonham helped make LED ZEPPELIN II the band's heaviest (and first No.1) album. As on their debut, the blues influence is undeniable on such tracks as “Whole Lotta Love” and “Heartbreaker,” but the acoustic-flavored “Ramble On” was one indication that the U.K. quartet were looking well beyond Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf. The hard rock landmark celebrates its 50th anniversary today, and it's still as powerful as ever.

Born in Kentucky on this day in 1956, Dwight Yoakam channels the spirit of Bakersfield on his major label debut GUITARS, CADILLACS, ETC., ETC. Produced by Pete Anderson, the Reprise collection reveals Yoakam to be both a brilliant writer and interpreter; given heartfelt performances, the originals (“I'll Be Gone,” "It Won't Hurt") and covers (“Honky Tonk Man,” “Ring Of Fire”) mesh seamlessly. At a time when Nashville's slickest and safest ruled the Billboard Country chart, this superb album went to No.1, leading the way for a host of “new traditionalists” (the presence of rocker Maria McKee of Lone Justice on a track offers further proof of Yoakam's maverick spirit). Originally released in 1986, GUITARS, CADILLACS, ETC., ETC. delivers a no-nonsense brand of country that remains ageless.

Until the release of STRANGE ANGELS 30 years ago today, Laurie Anderson was seen more as a performance artist than a musician, yet like so much of her work, the Warner Bros. collection confounded expectations. Sure, you'll hear some of the deadpan vocal delivery familiar to fans since “O Superman,” but you'll hear honest-to-goodness singing, too (Anderson took lessons in preparation for this recording, and it turns out she has a beautiful voice). The album also marshals a small army of established accompanists - including guitarist Chris Spedding, singer Bobby McFerrin, The Roches and even Meat Loaf - while remaining distinct from mainstream pop or rock. Such songs as “Babydoll,” “The Dream Before” and the title track are quirky, literate and undeniably appealing even if their avant-garde roots sometimes show. Laurie Anderson's most accessible album, STRANGE ANGELS is an ideal introduction to the visionary artist.

Joni Mitchell's TURBULENT INDIGO was a return to her old label, Reprise Records, and to some extent a return to her classic sound – jazz-informed, acoustic-dominant songs that generally turn their backs on whatever technology was in vogue in 1994. Produced with longtime collaborator Larry Klein, the collection touches upon topical issues like spousal abuse (“Not To Blame”), scandal-ridden churches (“Magdalene Laundries”) and AIDS (“Sex Kills”), but Mitchell's insightful lyrics make them evergreen. The overall outlook may be a bit pessimistic - tortured artist Vincent Van Gogh inspired Joni's self-portrait on the cover – but it's hard to get depressed listening to vocal and instrumental work that's this transcendent. A Grammy winner for Pop Album of the Year, TURBULENT INDIGO was released 25 years ago today, and it remains a late-career highlight for the legendary singer-songwriter.

Bad Company's real-life "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" began 45 years ago when the British supergroup topped the album charts in America with their self-titled debut, launching the band as one of the most popular of the classic-rock era. Rhino celebrates their musical legacy with THE SWAN SONG YEARS 1974-1982, a new boxed set that includes every studio album the group released on the Led Zeppelin-owned record label. The 6-disc set includes BAD COMPANY (1974), STRAIGHT SHOOTER (1975), RUN WITH THE PACK (1976), BURNIN' SKY (1977), DESOLATION ANGELS (1979) and ROUGH DIAMONDS (1982), all platinum- or gold-certified, and all remastered from the original analogue multi-track tapes for this collection. With such favorites as “Can't Get Enough,” “Rock Steady,” “Feel Like Makin' Love” and “Silver, Blue & Gold,”  THE SWAN SONG YEARS shows the still-active Bad Company at their best.