POP MUSIC; Little Boxes, All Decked Out And Ready to Play

Boxed sets have become an annual holiday ritual for fans and record companies alike. And if all the gold- and platinum-selling sets are any indication, record companies have figured out how to please both first-time listeners and dedicated collectors. Here are 26 choices our critics found noteworthy. Prices are suggested retail. Various Artists: 'Black Box' TVT; three CD's ($45.98; limited edition, $69.98)

This 41-song collection gathers songs from the 13-year history of Wax Trax records, the Chicago label that helped popularize the hard electronic dance music known as industrial. "Black Box" begins with a previously unavailable collaboration between Al Jourgensen of Ministry and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. It continues with a mix of the aggressive 1980's dance nuggets that helped earn the label its vanguard reputation (by bands like Ministry, Revco, and the KLF) and the songs by ill-fated bands and side projects that contributed to the label's bankruptcy in 1992. For avid industrial fans, the limited-edition package is encased in a metal box and includes Wax Trax trinkets and party favors. N. S.