The Beatles: White Album 30th Anniversary Edition (EMI, £33.99)

The Beatles: White Album 30th Anniversary Edition (EMI, £33.99)

The older rock 'n' roll gets, the more excuses for anniversary cash-ins are found. This latest repackaging of The Beatles sounds OK, though: the original artwork has been recreated for CD, including the embossed white cover, and there's even a CD-sided reproduction of the original inner sleeve poster.

The Greatest Hits Of The '80s (Disky £20.99)

Containing a whopping eight CDs in one jewel case, this is the ultimate gift for the would-be wedding singer in your household. If it featured a cheap synth and a crap hairstyle, it's in here somewhere.

READ MORE

R.E.M. "Up" (Warners £34.99)

A special boxed edition in lavish corrugated cardboard for the REM-head in your life. Includes CD, 48-page spiral book, lyrics, colour photos and "the key to your soul", whatever that is.

Huge Hits 1998 (Warners £20.49)

The best "Hits" album around, because it covers all the bases from boy-bands to girl groups, from Brit-poppers to beat-masters.

The Only Classical Album You'll Ever Need (BMG £16.49)

True classical music buffs will take issue with the title, but your granny will relish this across-the-board selection of popular airs and grace notes.

The Best Of Dance 1998 (Telstar £18.99)

It looks like the cover of the Garbage album, but inside are 40 indispensable floor-fillers from 1998. Give this to your teenager, then run and take cover.