Various Artists - America's Greatest Hits 1942 / Various - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

We continue our popular and successful series devoted to the biggest chart records of each calendar year in the early chart era as we focus on 1941, the first full year of the Billboard Best Sellers chart - the chart was launched in July 1940. This great value 91-track 4-CD set comprises every record which appeared in the Best Sellers Top 10 during the year, which was the first complete calendar year of the sales chart. The big names of the swing era were very much in evidence, and the year started with Artie Shaw's InchFrenesiInch at No. 1 and finished with Glenn Miller's InchChattanooga Choo ChooInch occupying the top spot. In between, a host of other big names made their presence felt - Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore and others - alongside many highly collectable lesser-known records by some artists we don't hear too much about these days. It makes for an intriguing and very entertaining musical snapshot of a year when the USA was enjoying the calm before the storm of Pearl Harbour in December of that year. It includes a 10,000 word booklet with a commentary on every record as well as full discographical and chart information. Album Tracks 1. Frenesi - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra 2. Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat - Will Bradley & His Orchestra Feat. Ray McKinley 3. A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra with Ray Eberle 4. We Three - Ink Spots 5. Only Forever - Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra 6. Five O'Clock Whistle - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra with Marion Hutton 7. Down Argentina Way - Bob Crosby & His Orchestra with Bonnie King 8. Anvil Chorus from 'Il Trovatore' - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra 9. I Hear a Rhapsody - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra with Bob Carroll 10. Ferry-Boat Serenade - Andrews Sisters with Vic Schoen & His Orches

We continue our popular and successful series devoted to the biggest chart records of each calendar year in the early chart era as we focus on 1945, the fifth full calendar year of the Billboard Best Sellers chart - the chart was launched in July 1940 - and the first year to feature a Most Played by Disc Jockeys chart. This great value 94-track 4-CD set comprises every record which peaked in the Top 10 of the Best Sellers chart during the year, plus those which entered the Top 10 in the final weeks of the year. For reasons of space, it excludes those records were still in the chart at the start of the year, but which peaked in the Top 10 in 1944, and so are included in our existing 1944 collection. It was another vintage year for Bing Crosby, who had 9 hits during the year, while Dick Haymes and Harry James with Kitty Kallen had six. Johnny Mercer had three No. 1s, one with Jo Stafford, and Doris Day made her chart debut with two No. 1s. Others who featured at No.1 were The Andrews Sisters, Vaughn Monroe, Perry Como, Harry James, Sammy Kaye and Freddy Martin, while there were also many highly collectable lesser-known records by some artists we don't hear too much about these days. It makes for an intriguing and very entertaining musical snapshot of a year when WWII came to a close, celebrated by a number of both sentimental and celebratory hits. It includes a 12,000+ word booklet with a commentary on every record as well as full discographical and chart information. Album Tracks 1. Johnny Mercer & the Pied Pipers - Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive 2. The Andrews Sisters - Rum and Coca Cola 3. Sammy Kaye & His Orch with Billy Williams - Don't Fence Me in 4. Kay Kyser & His Orchestra with Georgia Carroll - There Goes That 5. Kate Smith - Don't Fence Me in 6. Spike Jones & His City Slickers with Carl Grayson - Cocktails for Two 7. Frank Sin

We continue our popular and successful series devoted to the biggest chart records of each calendar year in the early chart era as we focus on 1947, the seventh full calendar year of the Billboard Best Sellers chart - the chart was launched in July 1940 - and the third year to feature both a Most Played in Juke Boxes and Most Played by Disc Jockeys charts as well. This great value 98-track 4-CD set comprises every record which peaked in the Top 10 of the Best Sellers chart or in the Top 7 of the Juke Box or Disc Jockey charts during the year. For reasons of space, it excludes those records were still in the chart at the start of the year, but which peaked in the Top 10 in 1946, and so are included in our existing 194 collection. It was a big year for solo vocalists, who were starting to dominate as the big swing bands declined in the era of post-war austerity, although the InchsweetInch orchestras with their featured singers continued to hold sway, and the year had it's customary smattering of novelty songs, often in jazzy R&B or country styles. Eighteen different records made No. 1 in the various charts, although only nine of those topped the Best Sellers. As usual, there were also quite a number of highly collectable records by some artists we don't hear too much about these days. It makes for an intriguing and very entertaining musical snapshot of the music scene during a period of creative transition as the world finally settled down after the turbulent years of conflict. It includes a 15,000+ word booklet with a commentary on every record as well as full discographical and chart information Album Tracks 1. Johnny Mercer & the Pied Pipers - a Gal in Calico 2. Hoagy Carmichael - Ole Buttermilk Sky 3. Charlie Spivak & His Orch. - (I Love You) for Sentimental Reasons 4. Tex Beneke with the Miller Orchestra - a Gal in Calico 5. Benny Goodman &