In an era where digitally downloaded music is king, box sets continue to be released and attract music lovers of all kinds. There’s something about a collection of sometimes more than 50 albums and collectible extras, all in one neat package, that’s much more satisfying than a virtual copy. Here’s a look at the best artifacts of ’10:

Matador at 21 ($40)

Over the past 21 years, the New York City-based outfit has been home to hundreds of eclectic bands, asserting itself as one of the most successful indie record labels on the planet’s playlist. This 100-song compilation is like a guided tour of the best of the quarter century, including a disc of unreleased and live tracks from Matador’s 10-year birthday concert.

Cool Extra: A set of commemorative Matador poker chips.

Standouts: “Good Woman,” Cat Power (live); “Slack Mother****er,” Superchunk.

Bruce Springsteen: The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story ($115)

“Darkness [on the Edge of Town Story] was my samurai record,” Springsteen once wrote, “stripped to the frame and ready to rumble.” These three CDs contain a catalog of songs left off the album that are too good to be lost forever. The set also includes three DVDs of live shows and a documentary on the making of the landmark album.

Cool Extra: An 80-page reproduction of the Boss’s original notebooks he kept during the recording sessions.

Standouts: “Because the Night,” “Spanish Eyes.”

Bob Dylan: The Original Mono Recordings ($120)

Dylan’s first eight studio albums – from 1962-1968 – are now available in mono for the first time on CD. Each disc is housed in LP-replica jackets with reproductions of the original sleeves and inserts, from Blonde on Blonde to John Wesley Harding. A great introduction to the most important singer-songwriter of his generation and a great addition to a Dylan fanatic’s collection.

Cool Extra: Some 60 pages of in-depth liner notes from notable historians.

Standouts: “Isis,” “Hard Times in New York Town.”

Miles Davis: The Complete Columbia Album Collection ($300)

This 52-album collection, on 70 CDs, is a bargain at 300 bones and proof that the prolific trumpeter was always one step ahead of everyone in the music world and never sounded the same. From bebop to jazz-rock, Davis was constantly pushing the limits of the genre.

Cool Extra: Live in Europe ’67 DVD

Standouts: The Complete On the Corner Sessions, Kind of Blue: The Expanded Edition.

The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights (Limited Edition Box Set) ($229)

This monster compilation of CDs, DVDs, vinyl, 45s and 7-inches is probably the most intimate look into the lives of the highly elusive boy-girl duo, tracking their 2007 Canadian tour, and is a must for diehard White Stripes fans.

Cool Extra: A 208-page hardcover book of photographs by Autumn de Wilde.

Standouts: “Jolene,” “Black Math.”

Hank Williams: The Complete Mother’s Best Recordings ($199)

This 15-CD collection showcases one of country’s most influential singer-songwriters with completely restored sound on unreleased recordings and live performances. Also included: A DVD featuring an interview with the last two members of Hank’s Mother’s Best Band.

Cool Extra: The set comes housed in a wooden replica of an old-time jukebox.

Standouts: “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” “On Top of Old Smoky.”

Jimi Hendrix: West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology ($67)

My favorite of these four CDs is the first: It features Hendrix’s early years, as a sideman in bands like The Isley Brothers and Little Richard. You can hear the beginnings of the guitar god’s future. Plus, there’s a lot of unreleased material and intimate acoustic work that show just how good Hendrix was.

Cool Extra: A 90-minute documentary, Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child.

Standouts: Dylan’s “Tears of Rage,” “Long Hot Summer Night” (solo acoustic).

Leonard Bernstein: Bernstein Symphony Edition ($142)

This 60-CD behemoth features one of the most charismatic conductors of all time and his work with the New York Philharmonic from 1953-1976 and includes classical music for every season and occasion.

Cool Extra: Thirty-two pages of essays by classical music writers Klaus Geitel and Wolfgang Stähr.

Standouts: Beethoven’s symphonies 1-9, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms.

John Lennon: Signature Box ($198)

These 11 CDs deliver digitally remastered versions of all Lennon’s studio albums plus a 2-CD collection of rarities called Lennon Home Demos. Signature is a testament to Lennon’s artistry and the genius he embodied post-Beatles.

Cool Extra: Three personal essays to John from Yoko Ono and Sean and Julian Lennon.

Standouts: “Isolation” (studio outtake), “God” (studio outtake).

Syl Johnson: Complete Mythology ($55)

The Tennessee-born bluesman has enjoyed a career spanning more than half a century thanks to throaty vocals that grip your soul like a vise. This journey through Johnson’s career comes with four CDs, six vinyls and includes 10 previously unreleased tracks.

Cool Extra: A 52-page booklet featuring a plethora of previously unpublished photos.

Standouts: “Come Sock it to Me,” “One Way Ticket to Nowhere.”