As adjuncts to our highly popular “America’s Greatest Hits” series of collections for each calendar year in the 50s and early ‘60s, we have already produced collections based on landmark moments in the Billboard charts – “The First Top 100 Nov. 1955” (ACQCD7062), “The First Hot 100 Aug. 1958” (ACQCD7083), “The First Hot 100 of the '60s” (ACQCD7097), “The 'Heartbreak Hotel' Top 100” (ACQCD7122)and “The Day The Music Died - Feb 3rd 1959 Hot 100” (ACQCD7134) each comprising all the records in the Top 100 for the date in question. This collection celebrates a landmark event of 1962, the launching of the first telecommunications satellite Telstar on July 10th, a multinational project involving the USA, UK and France, which revolutionised transatlantic TV broadcasting as well as telephone and other communications, and helped bring the world closer together. Within weeks the event had inspired the British band The Tornados to record Joe Meek's iconic instrumental composition and production “Telstar” which made No. 1 in the UK in September and stayed there for five weeks. It entered the US Hot 100 while it was at No. 1 in the UK, and rose to make No. 1 in Christmas week.

This collection comprises just about all the records in the Billboard Hot 100 of that week (a couple of records are unavailable for copyright reasons) and it provides a fascinating and evocative snapshot of the music scene at the end of an important and optimistic year. It’s a window onto a dynamic and exciting musical environment, and includes a number of unfamiliar names and recordings of which even pop enthusiasts may not be too aware, and which will be welcome additions to their collections. It contains a 12,000+ word booklet featuring background notes on every record.

REVIEWS

“A great collection of hit records from the era of space exploration topped off by the Telstar probe. Across four CDs, we count down the Hot 100 all the way from America and from the week The Tornados tuneful instrumental swept to the top of the Billboard charts. The English flag replacing the stars and stripes of The Four Seasons the previous week - bet those big guys did cry! The entire 100 plays out together with an informative and well-written booklet from Paul Watts - jammed packed with historical music notes. So you can read in between the spaces. Produced by the legendary Joe Meek, ‘Telstar’, was the second instrumental single to reach number one in 1962 on both the US and UK weekly charts. This transatlantic hit aside, there’s plenty of other satellites orbiting - including a handful of memorable Christmas tunes (The Four Seasons, Bing Crosby, The Drifters etc etc),  - so, to give you an idea of what rocks, here’s just a few from the chart of December 22, 1962.”  –  Mark Watkins (Jazz Review February 2020)

“As is usual with Acrobat in this series, one can only admire the thorough research and wealth of information that goes into these projects, together with the care and attention to detail that brings such deserved popularity... A collection well worth acquiring”   –  Gerry Stonestreet  (In Tune Issue 340)

“You might think a four CD. 98-track collection of every record on the Billboard music chart on the day Telstar hit US No.1 for the Tornados might be enough for any music fan. But, no. The handsome package includes a comprehensive booklet with details of every act and recording in the collection. Everyone from Elvis to The Orlons, from Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett to Bobby Rydell gets equal space, and it’s a breath-taking tribute to compiler Paul Watts for the huge amount of work this must have taken. Well done!”  –  John Howard (UK Rock & Roll Magazine Issue 196)