America'S Greatest Hits 1958 / Various America'S Greatest Hits 1958 / Various CD

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 1958 is an excellent value 113-track 4-CD set which includes every record that appeared in any version of the Top 10 of the Billboard chart during the year. It was in August of 1958 that the Top 100, Best Sellers in Stores and Most Played By Disc Jockeys charts were merged to form the Hot 100. This set includes every record that appeared in the Top 10 of any of these charts. Every record that appeared in the Cashbox magazine Top 10 is included in this set. 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 35 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. 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. As ever. It's a fascinating and entertaining pot-pourri of pop, as emerging teen idols jostled with R&B acts, new rock 'n' roll stars joined the established big names, vocal groups and instrumentals of all kinds had a field day, and the inevitable and collectable quotient of one-hit wonders and novelty hits maintained the variety. It's an enlightening snapshot of the pop music scene in the USA at a time when the musical landscape was constantly evolving, and it makes for hugely entertaining listening. 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.

1. Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock 2. Sam Cooke - You Send Me 3. The Rays - Silhouettes 4. The Rays - Daddy Cool 5. Pat Boone - April Love 6. Bill Justis - Raunchy 7. Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue 8. Danny ; the Juniors - at the Hop 9. Jerry Lee Lewis ; His Pumping Piano - Great Balls of Fire 10. Jimmie Rodgers - Kisses Sweeter Than Wine 11. Ricky Nelson - Stood Up 12. Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock 13. George Hamilton IV - Why Don't They Understand 14. The Crickets - Oh Boy 15. Frank Sinatra - Witchcraft 16. Silhouettes - Get a Job 17. Billy ; Lillie - la Dee Dah 18. Elvis Presley with the Jordanaires - Don't 19. Elvis Presley with the Jordanaires - I Beg of You 20. Billy Vaughn - Sail Along Silvery Moon 21. McGuire Sisters - Sugartime 22. The Diamonds - the Stroll 23. Royal Teens - Short Shorts 24. Perry Como - Catch a Falling Star 25. Perry Como - Magic Moments 26. Frankie Avalon - Dede Dinah 27. Paul Anka - You Are My Destiny 28. The Crescendos - Oh Julie 29. Jimmie Rodgers - Oh-Oh I'm Falling in Love Again 30. Four Preps - Twenty Six Miles 31. Chuck Berry - Sweet Little Sixteen 32. Pat Boone - Wonderful Time Up There 33. Pat Boone - It's Too Soon to Know 34. Connie Francis - Who's Sorry Now 35. Jimmy McCracklin - the Walk 36. The Champs - Tequila 37. Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly 38. Chordettes - Lollipop 39. John Zacherle - Dinner with Drac 40. Andy Williams - Are You Sincere 41. Laurie London - He's Got the Whole World in His Hands 42. Jerry Lee Lewis - Breathless 43. Kathy Linden - Billy (I Always Dream of Bill) 44. Ricky Nelson - Believe What You Say 45. The Platters - Twilight Time 46. The Monotones - Book of Love 47. Huey Piano Smith ; the Clowns - Don't You Just Know It 48. David Seville - Witch Doctor 49. Elvis Presley - Wear My Ring Around Your Neck 50. The Everly Brothers - All I Have to Do Is Dream 51. Art ; Dotty Todd - Chanson D'amour (Song of Love) 52. Perry Como - Kewpie Doll 53. The Four Lads - There's Only One of You 54. Don Gibson - Oh Lonesome Me 55. Dean Martin - Return to Me 56. Nat King Cole - Looking Back 57. Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode 58. Pat Boone - Sugar Moon 59. The Four Preps - Big Man 60. Sheb Wooley - Purple People Eater 61. Jimmie Rodgers - Secretly 62. Bobby Freeman - Do You Wanna Dance 63. Chuck Willis - What Am I Living For' 64. The Coasters - Yakety Yak 65. Jan ; Arnie - Jennie Lee 66. Jody Reynolds - Endless Sleep 67. Elvis Presley with the Jordanaires - Hard Headed Woman 68. Perez Prado and His Orch. - Patricia 69. Bobby Darin - Splish Splash 70. Ricky Nelson - Poor Little Fool 71. Duane Eddy ; His Twangy Guitar - Rebel Rouser 72. Pat Boone - If Dreams Came True 73. Patti Page - Left Right Out of Your Heart (Hi Lee Hi Lo Hi Lup Up Up) 74. The Kalin Twins - When 75. Doris Day - Everybody Loves a Lover 76. The Elegants - Little Star 77. Danleers - One Summer Night 78. Jack Scott - My True Love 79. Johnny Otis Show - Willie and the Hand Jive 80. Peggy Lee - Fever 81. Domenico Modugno with Fonit Orchestra - Volare 82. Jimmy Clanton ; His Rockets - Just a Dream 83. Everly Brothers - Bird Dog 84. Poni-Tails - Born Too Late 85. Jimmie Rodgers - Are You Really Mine 86. Frankie Avalon - Gingerbread 87. The Olympics - Western Movies 88. Bobby Day - Rock-In Robin 89. Robin Luke - Susie Darlin 90. Little Anthony ; the Imperials - Tears on My Pillow 91. Tommy Edwards - It's All in the Game 92. The Everly Brothers - Devoted to You 93. Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues 94. Roger Williams - Near You 95. The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Starring Warren Covington - Tea for Two Cha Cha 96. Earl Grant - the End 97. Conway Twitty - It's Only Make Believe 98. Cozy Cole - Topsy Pt. 2 99. The Big Bopper - Chantilly Lace 100. The Kingston Trio - Tom Dooley 101. The Teddy Bears - to Know Him Is to Love Him 102. Ricky Nelson - I Got a Feeling 103. Ricky Nelson - Lonesome Town 104. The Playmates - Beep Beep 105. Bobby Darin - Queen of the Hop 106. Elvis Presley with the Jordanaires - One Night 107. Elvis Presley with the Jordanaires - I Got Stung 108. The Everly Brothers - Problems 109. The Platters - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes 110. The Chipmunks - the Chipmunk Song 111. Clyde McPhatter - a Lover's Question 112. Fats Domino - Whole Lotta Loving