Backstreet Boys were the biggest band in the world for a short while and that period is documented on their first hits compilation, 2001's The Hits: Chapter One. Twelve years later came Essential, a double-disc set that has all 13 songs from The Hits, along with another 16 songs -- generally, songs that came after 2001, when BSB started to slide down the charts. There were hits -- 2005's "Incomplete," 2007's "Inconsolable" -- that just showed up on the Adult Contemporary charts; a fair approximation of where the group wound up in their second decade. Essential traces this evolution, filling in a few more details of those early hit-making years, which makes this worthwhile for the dedicated fan but many listeners may find either The Hits, or the variety of budget-line collections released since, to be a better bet as they contain the hits and nothing but.

Tracklist
Disc - 1
01. Everybody (Backstreet's Back) (Extended Version) 4:46
02. As Long As You Love Me 3:32
03. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) 3:53
04. I'll Never Break Your Heart 4:47
05. We've Got It Goin' On (Radio Edit) 3:40
06. All I Have To Give 4:34
07. The Call 3:24
08. I Want It That Way 3:34
09. Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely 3:55
10. Get Down (You're The One For Me) (LP Edit) 3:51
11. If You Stay 4:17
12. The One 3:46
13. Shape Of My Heart 3:51
14. More Than That 3:44
15. Larger Than Life 3:52

Disc - 2
01. Anywhere For You 4:40
02. Just Want You To Know 3:52
03. Drowning 4:28
04. Incomplete 3:59
05. Weird World 4:12
06. Lose It All 4:05
07. Inconsolable 3:38
08. Helpless When She Smiles (Radio Version) 4:05
09. One In A Million 3:32
10. Crawling Back To You 3:44
11. I Still... 3:49
12. Straight Through My Heart 3:28
13. Bigger 3:17
14. Bye Bye Love 4:20