Acrobat Music

America's Greatest Hits 1962
America's Greatest Hits 1962

Various Artists
Styles: America's Greatest Hits
Catalogue Number: ACQCD7057
This release is the latest in the series of “America’s Greatest Hits” which over the years has provided annual collections of the biggest hits of each year in the Billboard pop charts. The collection for 1962 is an excellent value 115-track 4-CD set which includes every record that appeared in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 during the year. Many of the tracks are, inevitably, well-known hits, which went on to score chart success in the UK, but there are no less than 53 tracks which did not make it into the UK charts despite their major US success, including classic tracks by well-known artists alongside more obscure hits by artists that never made any kind of impression in the UK – Barbara George, Don & Juan, The Sensations, Claudine Clark, Dickey Lee, Bent Fabric, Marcie Blane and others. The whole collection is a highly entertaining trawl through the American music scene of the times, a rather different musical experience from listening to our British Hit Parades collections from the UK charts, which naturally feature a high proportion of home-grown talent. It captures the essence of the strands of musical creativity that were active at the time, including early Motown hits from the likes of Mary Wells, The Marvelettes and The Contours, many fine R&B records, plus hits in genres as diverse as teen angst, pure country and complete musical novelties. As ever, it includes comprehensive booklet notes with commentary on every track as well as the distinctive series packaging. It is likely to appeal to the many collectors who enjoy these completest anthologies, and will hopefully provide useful programming for the specialist radio programmes which feature pop nostalgia.

Disk 1:
Track Title Artist
1 Goodbye Cruel World James Darren
2 Walk On By Leroy Van Dyke
3 The Twist Chubby Checker
4 The Lion Sleeps Tonight The Tokens
5 Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen Neil Sedaka
6 Run To Him Bobby Vee
7 Peppermint Twist Joey Dee & The Starlighters
8 Can't Help Falling In Love Elvis Presley
9 When I Fall In Love The Lettermen
10 Unchain My Heart Ray Charles & His Orchestra
11 I Know (You Don't Love Me No More) Barbara George
12 When The Boy In Your Arms (Is The Boy In Your Heart) Connie Francis
13 Norman Sue Thompson
14 The Wanderer Dion
15 Baby It's You The Shirelles
16 Duke Of Earl Gene Chandler
17 Break It To Me Gently Brenda Lee
18 Dear Lady Twist Gary US Bonds
19 A Little Bitty Tear Burl Ives
20 Crying In The Rain The Everly Brothers
21 Hey! Baby Bruce Channel
22 Midnight In Moscow Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen
23 Chip Chip Gene McDaniels
24 Don't Break The Heart That Loves You Connie Francis
25 What's Your Name Don & Juan
26 Let Me In The Sensations
27 Her Royal Majesty James Darren
28 Percolator (Twist) Billy Joe & The Checkmates
29 Slow Twistin' Chubby Checker
Disk 2:
Track Title Artist
1 Dream Baby Roy Orbison
2 Twistin' The Night Away Sam Cooke
3 Johnny Angel Shelley Fabares
4 Good Luck Charm Elvis Presley
5 Mashed Potato Time Dee Dee Sharp
6 Young World Ricky Nelson
7 Love Letters Ketty Lester
8 Lover Please Clyde Mc Phatter
9 Stranger On The Shore Mr. Acker Bilk
10 Soldier Boy Shirelles
11 Shout (Part 1) Joey Dee & The Starlighters
12 Twist, Twist Senora Gary US Bonds
13 P.T. 109 Jimmy Dean
14 Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) Ernie Maresca
15 Old Rivers Walter Brennan
16 She Cried Jay And The Americans
17 Everybody Loves Me But You Brenda Lee
18 Funny Way Of Laughin' Burl Ives
19 I Can't Stop Loving You Ray Charles
20 Lovers Who Wander Dion
21 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Gene Pitney
22 The One Who Really Loves You Mary Wells
23 Palisades Park Freddy Cannon
24 It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin Johnny Tillotson
25 Playboy The Marvelettes
26 Second Hand Love Connie Francis
27 The Stripper David Rose & His Orch.
28 Cindy's Birthday Johnny Crawford
29 That's Old-Fashioned The Everly Brothers
Disk 3:
Track Title Artist
1 Roses Are Red (My Love) Bobby Vinton
2 Al-Di-La Emilio Pericoli
3 Wolverton Mountain Claude King
4 Johnny Get Angry Joanie Sommers
5 Snap Your Fingers Joe Henderson
6 The Wah Watusi The Orlons
7 Sealed With A Kiss Brian Hyland
8 Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes) Dee Dee Sharp
9 Speedy Gonzales Pat Boone
10 Ahab The Arab Ray Stevens
11 The Loco-motion Little Eva
12 Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Neil Sedaka
13 Theme From Dr Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight) Richard Chamberlain
14 Things Bobby Darin
15 You'll Lose A Good Thing Barbara Lynn
16 You Don't Know Me Ray Charles
17 Little Diane Dion
18 Sheila Tommy Roe
19 She's Not You Elvis Presley
20 Party Lights Claudine Clark
21 Vacation Connie Francis
22 Ramblin' Rose Nat King Cole
23 Teen Age Idol Rick Nelson
24 Sherry The Four Seasons
25 Patches Dickey Lee
26 Green Onions Booker T. & The MGs
27 Rinky Dink Baby Cortez
28 Let's Dance Chris Montez
29 You Beat Me To The Punch Mary Wells
Disk 4:
Track Title Artist
1 You Belong The Duprees
2 Monster Mash Bobby Boris Pickett &The Crypt-Kickers
3 Alley Cat Bent Fabric & His Piano
4 I Remember You Frank Ifield
5 Venus In Blue Jeans Jimmy Clanton
6 Do You Love Me The Contours
7 If I Had A Hammer Peter, Paul & Mary
8 He's A Rebel The Crystals
9 Only Love Can Break A Heart Gene Pitney
10 All Alone Am I Brenda Lee
11 Gina Johnny Mathis
12 Limbo Rock Chubby Checker
13 Big Girls Don't Cry Four Seasons
14 Return To Sender Elvis Presley
15 Next Door To An Angel Neil Sedaka
16 Popeye (The Hitchhiker) Chubby Checker
17 Bobby's Girl Marcie Blane
18 Don't Hang Up The Orlons
19 The Cha-Cha-Cha Bobby Rydell
20 Ride Dee Dee Sharp
21 The Lonely Bull (El Solo Torro) The Tijuana Brass
22 Telstar Tornadoes
23 Release Me Esther Phillips "Little Esther"
24 Go Away Little Girl Steve Lawrence
25 You Are My Sunshine Ray Charles
26 Love Came To Me Dion
27 Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans
28 Hotel Happiness Brook Benton
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