Playlist: The Very Best Of Britney Spears

There are very few artists who truly define an era. A select list of musicians over the years drew a line in the sand before the Beatles, there was no British Invasion; before Nirvana, no such thing as "alternative rock." Britney Spears is one of those pivotal figures. Teen-pop exploded with the release of her debut album, in 1999, and Spears became the best-selling female artist in the 2000s, with over 100 million albums sold. Michael Jackson and Madonna sought her out as a collaborator and from Beyonce to Rihanna, Miley Cyrus to Nicki Minaj, the pop stars who emerged in her wake all claimed Spears as an influence. Always provoking extreme public reactions, she has stated, "I don't want to be in between. I think that's boring." In addition to Britney's biggest singles, this compilation also illustrates her career-long dedication to cutting-edge sounds on the dancefloor. One of her first singles, "(You Drive Me) Crazy," is included here in its "Stop Remix!" form, while the collection closes with 2009 s "Circus," reworked by remix master Diplo.