VH-1 Classic, one of the fastest growing stations, shows mostly videos from that decade, and the soundtrack to “Not Another Teen Movie” consisted solely of eighties cover songs. Record companies always seem to quickly spot trends, and therefore it is not surprising that there are three good musical compilations from “the decade of greed.”

The undisputed king of these ‘80s packages is Hip-O’s 3-CD “I Want My ‘80s Box!” whose title is derived from MTV’s early slogan that implored viewers to call their cable companies to request the station.

The box covers all the bases. Representing accessible metal is Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again.” The Gap Band’s “You Dropped A Bomb On Me” and Dazz’s catchy ‘Let It Whip” are prototypical R&B dance records, while Hollis’s Run-D.M.C. offer their cover of the 70’s Aerosmith hit, “Walk This Way,” in which they portend the future of urban music. Also included are one-hit wonder darlings such as A-Ha, Big Country, Madness, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, and Drexy’s Midnight Runners. Yes, there is even stylish rock that still sounds quite fresh, as Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love,” Robert Palmer’s “Addicted To Love,’ the Motels’ lyrically incomplete but undeniable “Suddenly Last Summer,” and Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” are all featured.

If a triple album of ‘80s tunes is too much for either your sanity or your wallet, then Collectables’ 18-track single disc “Ultimate Hits Of The ‘80s” should be a sufficient replacement. It shies away from R&B funk in favor of crossover hits like Earth Wind & Fire’s arguably best record, “Let’s Groove,” and Deniece Williams’ “Let’s Hear It For The Boy.” For the most part, “Ultimate Hits” plays it safe with such fare as the Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited,” Paul Young’s “Every Time You Go Away,’ Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is,” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.” There are, however, some surprises -- among them is metal favorites Quiet Riot’s KISS-inspired “Cum On Feel The Noize.” And while the Australian band Men at Work is featured, their more notable songs -- such as “Down Under” and “Who Can It Be Now?” -- are left out in favor of “Overkill.”

Admit it: you once plunked down good money to see movies starring Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and Robert Downey, Jr. Mars Records’ “The Brat Pack Years” is a delightful guilty pleasure that celebrates the music from such flicks as “The Breakfast Club,” “Valley Girl,” “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “Weird Science,” “About Last Night,” “Sixteen Candles” and the like.

How could one not like an album that features the Bangles’ rapid-fire take on the old Simon & Garfunkel chestnut, “Hazy Shade Of Winter”; Modern English’s deliberately exaggerated Cockney accents on “I Melt With You”; John Parr’s out-of control singing of the theme from “St. Elmo’s Fire” in which he struggles to cram the film’s title into the lyrics; and the Simple Minds’ hypnotically catchy, albeit nonsensical, “Don’t You Forget About Me?”