Pop Culture Safari!: Top 5 Reissue Labels: Hip-O Select

Continuing our look at reissue record labels, here's Hip-O Select. Unlike some others on our list, this is actually a major in disguise, not a mom-and-pop outfit. But its catalog is pretty spectacular.

Created by the Universal Music Group, a big chunk of Hip-O's output includes reissues from the Motown catalog. You can't really go wrong with that. And Hip-O has shown itself to be a good curator and steward of all those great tunes in Barry Gordy's vault. The label's box sets collecting Motown singles, both familiar and obscure, including all the b-sides, are particularly impressive.

But that's not all Hip-O is up to. Other items under its banner include a reissue campaign focusing on the famed Chess blues label, also an embarrassment of riches. Then there are jazz reissues from the great Verve label, a series of boxes focusing on James Brown's singles output, a variety of rock and pop reissues (including a nice set of Buddy Holly's complete recordings) and much more.

In short, Universal has rights to a whole lot of great music and they're working to put it out in nice, great-sounding packages.

Hip-O releases are generally available online and in stores, and you can order them direct from the label's site. They even have a few items on vinyl.

Here's a look at some popular Hip-O releases. Click the links to order discounted items from Amazon.