The Beatles' 1 was released on November 13, 2000, but the songs collected on it weren't a new Beatles album recorded that year. It brings earlier singles together under one title. A compilation can be a record by one band; you don't need a Various Artists credit to identify one.
The more useful check is where the recordings came from. Then ask what the selection is meant to help you explore. A release date and a list of performers provide only part of that answer.
Start with the selection rule
On the official page for 1, George Martin's notes describe a collection drawn from the UK Record Retailer and US Billboard number-one charts. He traces its span from Love Me Do to The Long and Winding Road.
For someone looking for an introduction through major singles, that is a clear starting point. It also explains an omission: a favourite album track that didn't meet the stated chart criterion falls outside the collection's purpose. Don't assume a compilation promises to represent every side of an artist's work.
Keep two questions separate when browsing it. November 2000 identifies the package. The songs lead back to earlier releases. If a streaming catalogue puts a recent edition in front of you, read its description before taking the displayed year as the date the musicians played the material.
Try these two hypothetical records
Imagine two ten-track releases. The first gathers recordings by one band from four earlier releases. The second is a newly recorded tribute project, with ten different performers covering another artist's songs. These examples are invented to illustrate the distinction; they aren't recommendations for actual records.
MusicBrainz's classification guide helps explain why artist count won't settle the question. It includes single-artist retrospectives and rarities drawn from older sources in its compilation category, as well as themed various-artists collections. It excludes tribute releases of cover recordings.
In our first example, one band is enough for a compilation. In the second, ten performers don't automatically make the new recordings a compilation under those rules. The number ten tells you the size of the programme, not its recording history.
MusicBrainz also excludes a reissue merely adding bonus tracks and a split release containing new music by several artists. Those are rules for that database. Other catalogues can use different labels, so use the category as a prompt to read the credits, rather than as the last word about the record.
Follow a track without losing the collection
Return to the practical choice. You know one song by a singer and want to hear more. Look at the hits collection's actual contents first. Does it contain that song, and does its coverage reach the periods you're curious about? A demos-and-rarities set may be interesting later, once you know what the original releases contain. Neither name tells you which recording sounds better.
For a themed collection by several artists, try its running order if you're interested in how the selections connect. A compiler may be introducing a label, place or sound. That's a reason to give the sequence a chance, without assuming every compilation tells a deliberate story.
When you find a track you like, follow its credited performer and source release where those details are supplied. Save the compilation too if you want to return to its particular route through the music. There is no need to choose between preserving that route and exploring further.
Retain the overall collection credit alongside each track's performer. Leave live, demo and alternative-take wording attached to the relevant version. Our album-credits guide helps trace those names; albums versus playlists considers when to follow a supplied sequence and when to make your own.