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This release fills in another of the gaps in our strand of R&B and country collections associated with Acrobat’s popular “America’s Greatest Hits” series, this one focusing on the top R&B records in the US Billboard charts during 1953. This great value 91-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 appeared during the year in the published Top 10 “Best Selling Retail Rhythm & Blues Records” and “Most Played Juke Box Rhythm & Blues” charts. It was a fascinating time in R&B, with different elements of the genre creating the musical landscape from which rock ‘n’ roll was would soon emerge – Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, Ruth Brown and Big Joe Turner had hits during the year, not to mention Big Mama Thornton’s original version of “Hound Dog” – and the collection sees doowop groups like The Clovers and The Orioles jostling for elbow room with electric blues artists like B.B. King, Little Walter and Muddy Waters, and old school jump blues bands like Buddy Johnson, alongside solo singers like Big Maybelle, Chuck Willis and Varetta Dillard. 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.
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