The 1959 R&B Hits Collection

This continues the strand of R&B and country collections associated with Acrobat’s highly popular “America’s Greatest Hits” series, this one focusing on the top R&B records in the US Billboard charts during 1959. This great value 115-track 4-CD anthology includes, with the exception of certain records which are unavailable for inclusion due to copyright restrictions, just about every record which peaked in the Top 14 positions of Billboard’s “Hot R&B Sides” chart during the year. The pop and R&B market was continuing to evolve as rock ‘n’ roll matured, and new strands arrived, with pop-flavoured R&B vocal groups making a significant impact, along with fine R&B vocalists who readily crossed into the pop charts, while the boundaries between pop and R&B continued to become less clear, as some pure pop records got traction on R&B radio stations. As a result a lot of familiar rock ‘n’ roll names appear in this collection along with one or two that will cause raised eyebrows in terms their R&B credentials. However, what that does is create a fascinating and varied collection as blues guitarists, doo-wop groups, R&B divas, great R&B vocalists and jazz orchestras jostle for position with big-name rock ‘n’ rollers, and who would say any of their records don’t belong in the R&B chart? There were 15 different No. 1s, shared by 11 artists, with the great vocalists Brook Benton, Jackie Wilson and Lloyd Price the only ones with more than one chart-topper, and Benton having the longest-running No. 1 of the year. As with all these collections, it provides a window onto a dynamic and exciting musical environment, and includes a number of unfamiliar names and recordings of which even enthusiasts of the genre 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 as well as full discographical and chart information.