While there have been a bunch of Toto budget-line compilations over the years, 2003's The Essential Toto is the first high-profile hits collection since 1990's Past to Present 1977-1990. At 14 songs, The Essential is one track longer than that compilation, but it shares eight cuts with Past to Present, which, of course, are all the big hits: 'Africa,' 'Hold the Line,' 'Georgy Porgy,' 'Rosanna,' 'I Won't Hold You Back,' '99,' and 'Pamela.' What differentiates the two compilations, then, is that The Essential boasts a much better remastering and a better selection of songs, including the single 'Make Believe' and a good selection of album tracks from their peak period, like 'I'll Supply the Love.' While this is missing some hits, they're minor ones that won't be missed by most listeners -- 'Live for Today,' 'Afraid of Love,' 'Loves in the Night,' 'Waiting for Your Love,' 'Stranger in Town,' and 'Holyanna' -- and what's here is very good, an accurate representation of Toto at their best, making this their best compilation to date.