1/2 Laura Branigan, “The Best of Laura Branigan,” Atlantic.

This pop singer, who had some hits in the first half of the ‘80s, has a strong voice, which is quite evident as she belts out songs like “Gloria” and “Solitaire.” But she never had a distinctive style, always sounding too much like Donna Summer. As you can tell from this drab collection, she also had a habit of singing bad material.

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** Nancy Wilson, “Spotlight on . . . Nancy Wilson,” Capitol. Because of her excessively mannered style that can overpower most arrangements, Wilson can sound schmaltzy and artificial. But in this ‘60s collection, which includes such standards as “Time After Time,” “I Wish You Love” and “At Long Last Love,” Wilson is largely under control--thanks to the subtle and imaginative orchestrations of conductors like Billy May and Gerald Wilson.

* Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (e x cellent).