By Gregg Shapiro

Contributing writer

It’s been a little more than a year since Bob Dylan put out his acclaimed “Modern Times” disc but he is still very much in the public consciousness.

The movie, “I’m Not There,” directed by gay filmmaker Todd Haynes, and starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger and Richard Gere, is a multi-tiered portrait of Dylan, as depicted through six different characters. “Dylan” (Columbia/Legacy), a three-disc set, not only arrives around the time of the release of the movie, but also when Dylan’s songs of social change and anti-war messages, his rallying cries, are as relevant as ever. Disc one covers the 1960s over the course of 19 songs, including “Blowin’ In The Wind,” “Masters of War” and “The Times They Are A-Changing,” among others. The 1970s dominate disc two, with songs such as “I Shall Be Released,” “Forever Young,” “Simple Twist of Fate” and “Hurricane.” Disc three brings listeners up to date, with later career high points such as “Make You Feel My Love” and the Oscar-winning “Things Have Changed.”

Like Bob Dylan, Robert Plant appears to be undergoing a resurgence in popularity. His collaboration with Alison Krauss, “Raising Sand” has been the recipient of high praise. The arrival of “Mothership” (Swan Song/Atlantic), a double-disc Led Zeppelin compilation, not to mention a December 2007 band reunion, guarantees that hard rock has risen again. The 24 tracks, which cover a 10-year period (1969-79) represent some of the most important and influential music of the late 20th century. Seriously, did you ever stop and wonder where we’d be without “Communication Breakdown,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Immigrant Song,” “Rock and Roll,” “Black Dog,” “D’yer Mak’er,” “Kashmir” and “All My Love,” not to mention “Stairway to Heaven”?

At the same time that Led Zeppelin was busy stretching the boundaries of blue rock in the U.K. and the world over, Santana (under the guidance of Carlos Santana) was doing its part for the genre on our shores, specifically in San Francisco. Of course, there is an entire segment of the population who only know of Santana because of the band’s comeback era collaborations with Michelle Branch (“The Game of Love”), Rob Thomas (“Smooth”) and others. “Ultimate Santana” (Arista/Columbia/Legacy) rounds up the best of those years (1999-2005) on a single disc and augments it with vintage selections such as “Oye Como Va,” “Black Magic Woman” and “Evil Ways” to mention a few, as well as the Tina Turner version of “The Game of Love.”

As the solo careers of lead singers of popular bands go, the aforementioned Robert Plant surely did alright for himself. Surprisingly, the same can’t be said for Mick Jagger (of the Rolling Stones). His solo efforts were quite often uneven affairs and had longtime fans questioning whether it was a good idea for him to venture out on his own. The 17-track assortment “The Very Best of Mick Jagger” (Atlantic/Rhino) lives up to its name by culling nine tracks (including “God Gave Me Everything” and “Just Another Night”) from his four solo releases, demonstrating that these albums were not a complete waste of time. Additionally, three previously unreleased tracks have made their way onto the disc, along with a pair of movie soundtrack cuts and two of most famous duets—“Dancing in the Streets” with David Bowie and “(You Got To Walk and) Don’t Look Back” with Peter Tosh.

Shirley Manson, of Garbage, has a Mick Jagger quality about her. The visible front-woman has a magnetism similar to Jagger’s and knows how to work it to her advantage. Heck, Garbage even has a song called “Stupid Girl,” as does Jagger’s band, the Rolling Stones. Although they never captured the initial spark of their 1995 debut disc, Garbage still earned itself the right to assemble a collection such as “Absolute Garbage” (Almo Sounds/UMe). Gratefully, the set is chronological, with the best songs (“Only Happy When It Rains,” “Stupid Girl,” “Queer,” “Push It,” “Special”) to lube you up for what comes after, including the James Bond movie theme song “The World Is Not Enough.” The second disc in the set includes more than a dozen Garbage mixes of their tunes.

She may be married to Elvis Costello, but it’s hard to imagine Diana Krall as anything but the antithesis of Shirley Manson. A first-rate jazz vocalist and pianist, Krall has amassed a considerable following and a few Grammy Awards during her career and now delivers her first compilation, “The Very Best of Diana Krall” (Verve), with 15 tunes, a majority of which are her distinctive interpretations of standards.

Earlier this year, record producers such as Mark Ronson and Timbaland were celebrated on discs that featured new work. “Y’All Know What This Is…The Hits” (Island Urban Music) compiles 10 tracks ranging from the early 1990s novelty hip-hop of “Jump” by Kris Kross to the more serious “Money Ain’t A Thing” (with Jay-Z) and diva delights such as Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” and Monica’s “The First Night.”