As adjuncts to our highly popular Americas 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), and The 'Heartbreak Hotel' Top 100 (ACQCD7122) each comprising all the records in the Top 100 for the date in question. This collection commemorates the 60th anniversary of another significant musical landmark, and comprises the complete Top 100 on the date when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper died when their light aeroplane crashed in Clear Lake, Iowa, when travelling between tour dates.
The event later became known as The Day The Music Died after singer/songwriter Don Mclean described it in this way in his 1971 No. 1 hit American Pie. For countless music fans, it certainly represented a genuine tragedy, since Buddy Holly in particular had proved himself to one the great songwriters and influential performers of the rock n roll era, and caused the inevitable question to be asked as to what he might have gone on to achieve. Interestingly, of the three artists who died so tragically, only Ritchie Valens had records in this particular chart, but inevitably the Top 100 from that time is a fascinating and entertaining snapshot of that moment, including many musical obscurities and one-hit-wonders not widely available on CD, which give a fascinating insight into the music of the time. It contains a 12,000+ word booklet featuring background notes on every record.
REVIEWS
“This excellent 4CD collection acts as a time capsule to sow exactly what was in the charts on that fateful day the music died…” **** - John Howard (Vintage Rock Issue 41)
Disc 1 |
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Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes |
The Platters |
2 |
All American Boy |
Bill Parsons & His Orchestra |
3 |
Donna |
Ritchie Valens |
4 |
Sixteen Candles |
The Crests |
5 |
Stagger Lee |
Lloyd Price |
6 |
My Happiness |
Connie Francis |
7 |
Gotta Travel On |
Billy Grammer |
8 |
Lonely Teardrops |
Jackie Wilson |
9 |
A Lover's Question |
Clyde McPhatter |
10 |
Goodbye Baby |
Jack Scott |
11 |
Manhattan Spiritual |
Reg Owen & His Orchestra |
12 |
Whole Lotta Loving |
Fats Domino |
13 |
Tall Paul |
Annette with the Afterbeats |
14 |
The Diary |
Neil Sedaka |
15 |
All Of A Sudden My Heart Sings |
Paul Anka |
16 |
Hawaiian Wedding Song |
Andy Williams |
17 |
May You Always |
McGuire Sisters |
18 |
Peter Gunn Theme |
Ray Anthony and His Orchestra |
19 |
I Cried A Tear |
Lavern Baker |
20 |
The Children's Marching Song |
Cyril Stapleton & His Orch. & Children's Chorus |
21 |
Nobody But You |
Dee Clark |
22 |
La Bamba |
Ritchie Valens |
23 |
The Chipmunk Song |
The Chipmunks with David Seville |
24 |
To Know Him Is To Love Him |
The Teddy Bears |
25 |
Lucky Ladybug |
Billy And Lillie |
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Disc 2 |
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Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Little Space Girl |
Jesse Lee Turner |
2 |
Bimbombey |
Jimmie Rodgers |
3 |
One Night |
Elvis Presley |
4 |
The Children's Marching Song (Nic Nack Paddy Whack) |
Mitch Miller and His "Singalong With Mitch" Chorus |
5 |
Lonesome Town |
Ricky Nelson |
6 |
With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair |
Pat Boone |
7 |
Problems |
The Everly Brothers |
8 |
Tom Dooley |
The Kingston Trio |
9 |
The Lonely One |
Duane Eddy His 'Twangy' Guitar & The Rebels |
10 |
Petite Fleur |
Chris Barber's Jazz band |
11 |
The Little Drummer Boy |
Harry Simeone Chorale |
12 |
Blue Hawaii |
Billy Vaughn |
13 |
I'm A Man |
Fabian |
14 |
Don't Take Your Guns To Town |
Johnny Cash |
15 |
Red River Rose |
Ames Brothers |
16 |
Love You Most Of All |
Sam Cooke |
17 |
Teasin' |
Quaker City Boys |
18 |
Trust In Me |
Patti Page |
19 |
Let's Love |
Johnny Mathis |
20 |
I Got A Wife |
The Mark IV |
21 |
I Got Stung |
Elvis Presley |
22 |
Rock-A-Conga |
The Applejacks |
23 |
Beep Beep |
The Playmates |
24 |
Don't Pity Me |
Dion & The Belmonts |
25 |
Try Me (I Need You) |
James Brown and The Famous Flames |
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Disc 3 |
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Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
C'Mon Everybody |
Eddie Cochran |
2 |
She Say (Oom Dooby Doom) |
The Diamonds |
3 |
Pretty Girls Everywhere |
Eugene Church and The Fellows |
4 |
Lovers Never Say Goodbye |
Flamingos |
5 |
Peek-A-Boo |
Cadillacs |
6 |
It's Only The Beginning |
The Kalin Twins |
7 |
Good Rockin' Tonight |
Pat Boone |
8 |
Ambrose (Part 5) |
Linda Laurie |
9 |
Love Is All We Need |
Tommy Edwards |
10 |
The Girl On Page 44 |
The Four Lads |
11 |
I'll Wait For You |
Frankie Avalon |
12 |
There Must be A Way |
Joni James |
13 |
Gazachstahagen |
Wild Cats |
14 |
Queen of The Hop |
Bobby Darin |
15 |
The Shag (Is Totally Cool) |
Billy Graves |
16 |
The Wedding |
June Valli |
17 |
I've Had It |
Bell Notes |
18 |
Poor Boy |
Royal Tones |
19 |
Charlie Brown |
The Coasters |
20 |
Raspberries, Strawebrries |
Kingston Trio |
21 |
Alright, Okay, You Win |
Peggy Lee |
22 |
Plain Jane |
Bobby Darin |
23 |
It's Just A Matter of Time |
Brook Benton |
24 |
Tragedy |
Thomas Wayne with The Delons |
25 |
You Are Beautiful |
Johnny Mathis |
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Disc 4 |
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Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Apple Blossom Time |
Tab Hunter |
2 |
Yellow Bird |
Mills Brothers |
3 |
One Rose |
Teresa Brewer |
4 |
First Anniversary |
Cathy Carr |
5 |
Here I Stand |
Wade Flemons and the Newcomers |
6 |
Who Cares |
Don Gibson |
7 |
Don't You Know Yockomo |
Huey Piano Smith with His Clowns |
8 |
Evening Rain |
Earl Grant |
9 |
Matilda |
Cookie & His Cupcakes |
10 |
My Man |
Peggy Lee |
11 |
Wicked Ruby |
Danny Zella & His Zell Rocks |
12 |
The Worryin' Kind |
Tommy Sands |
13 |
Pledging My Love |
Roy Hamilton |
14 |
Wiggle Wiggle |
Accents |
15 |
I Got A Feeling |
Ricky Nelson |
16 |
The Story of My Love |
Conway Twitty |
17 |
Philadelphia, USA |
Nu Tornados |
18 |
It's Only Make Believe |
Conway Twitty |
19 |
Rawhide |
Link Wray and The Wraymen |
20 |
Nola |
Billy Williams |
21 |
Give Me Your Love |
Nat King Cole |
22 |
Teardrops Will Fall |
Dicky Doo and the Don'ts |
23 |
The Bluebird, The Buzzard And The Oriole |
Bobby Day |
24 |
The Hanging Tree |
Marty Robbins |
25 |
Madrid |
Nat King Cole |