Various Artists - The Sound of Philadelphia: Gamble & Huff's Greatest Hits (2008)

That Philly Soul sound lives on forever in this amazing compilation featuring Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's sparkling and crisp production aesthetic. 

I grew up on Gamble and Huff and these artists in particular; listening to WDAS 105.3 FM was the soul of Philly for my childhood and it instilled a deep appreciation for these tunes.

Give it a spin! 
Various Artists - The Sound of Philadelphia: Gamble & Huff's Greatest Hits (2008; Legacy Recordings)

Tracklisting

1	The O'Jays - Love Train		2:58
2	The O'Jays - Back Stabbers		3:06
3	Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - If You Don't Know Me By Now		3:26
4	Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - The Love I Lost		6:22
5	MFSB - T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)		5:48
6	Billy Paul - Me and Mrs. Jones		4:46
7	The Three Degrees - When Will I See You Again		2:58
8	People's Choice - Do It Any Way You Wanna		3:15
9	The Intruders - I'll Always Love My Mama		6:37
10	The O'Jays - Use Ta Be My Girl		4:01
11	Lou Rawls - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine		4:26
12	McFadden & Whitehead - Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now		7:01
13	Teddy Pendergrass - Close the Door		5:25
14	Patti LaBelle - If Only You Knew		4:45

NME C86 - A Rough Trade Records Compilation (1986)

C86-style pop music has been making a bit of a resurgence as of late, all thanks to bands like The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and The Raveonettes. Which is a good thing- because at some point fans of those bands will have to stumble upon this gem, (once) a cassette that I picked up at House Of Music (Manoa Shopping Center, Havertown, PA) sometime in the late '80s and (now) a digital file somewhere in the recesses of my hard drive. I wonder what the original tape would be worth if I still had it? (I just did an eBay search, couldn't find this actual cassette but some of its contemporaries; going for anywhere from $1.50 to $8.00; which sadly, isn't as much as I thought...)

Anyway, if you're a fan of fuzzed out and jangly twee indie pop, here's where it started- the following bands owe as much a debt to both The Jesus & Mary Chain and The Smiths for their impetus as the two bands I mentioned above owe to the entire movement in general...

1. Primal Scream - Velocity Girl
2. The Mighty Lemon Drops - Happy Head
3. The Soup Dragons - Pleasantly Surprised
4. The Wolfhounds - Feeling So Strange Again
5. The Bodines - Therese
6. Mighty Mighty - Law
7. Stump - Buffalo
8. Bogshed - Run to the Temple
9. A Witness - Sharpened Sticks
10. The Pastels - Breaking Lines
11. Age of Chance - From Now On, This Will Be Your God
12. The Shop Assistants - It's Up to You
13. Close Lobsters - Firestation Towers
14. Miaow - Sport Most Royal
15. Half Man Half Biscuit - I Hate Nerys Hughes (From The Heart)
16. The Servants - Transparent
17. The Mackenzies - Big Jim (There's no pubs in Heaven)
18. Big Flame - New Way (Quick Wash And Brush Up With Liberation Theology)
19. Fuzzbox - Console Me
20. McCarthy - Celestial City
11. The Shrubs - Bullfighter's Bones
22. The Wedding Present - This Boy Can Wait

Various Artists - NME C86 (1986; NME Magazine/Rough Trade Records)
-link opens to YouTube video-

Wanna Buy A Bridge? - a Rough Trade Records compilation (1980)

A totally awesome and definitive compilation of post-punk from Rough Trade Records' artists from the late '70s. Includes tracks by Cabaret Voltaire, Young Marble Giants, Robert Wyatt, The Pop Group, The Raincoats, Stiff Little Fingers, The Slits, Kleenex, Television Personalities and a few more!

Never made available on CD, this is one of those "vinyl-only releases"; so the rip is directly from Rough Trade Records' Spotify account. There's some copies of the LP floating around on eBay and Discogs.com, so it's a pretty rare find. 

Tracklist:

1. Alternative Ulster Stiff Little Fingers
2. Mind Your Own Business Delta 5
3. Man Next Door The Slits
4. Aerosol Burns Essential Logic
5. Part Time Punks Television Personalities
6. Read About Seymour Swell Maps
7. We Are All Prostitutes The Pop Group
8. Soldier Soldier Spizz Energi
9. Ain't You Kleenex
10. Nag Nag Nag Cabaret Voltaire
11. In Love The Raincoats
12. Final Day Young Marble Giants
13. Skank Bloc Bologna Scritti Politti
14. At Last I Am Free Robert Wyatt

Wanna Buy A Bridge? (1980; Rough Trade Records)
-playlist is in alphabetical order-