Various Artists - America's Greatest Hits 1945 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

We continue our highly popular and successful America's Greatest Hits series as we work back through the 1950s, now reaching the point at the turn of the decade, this time with an expanded 4-CD edition to sit alongside the existing single CD 1950 edition (ACRCD176) originally released in 2006 before we introduced the 4-CD in recent years. This great-value 104-track collection comprises every record which charted in the Top 15 of the Billboard Best Sellers and Honor Roll Of Hits and the Top 10 in the Cash Box chart during 1951. It omits certain records which peaked in 1951and which have already appeared in our America's Greatest Hits 1951 collection and some which were big hits in 1949, and had already peaked, so will appear in that collection. As with all these collections it features all the biggest hits of the year and all the biggest names in American pop of that era, at a time when the USA was emerging from post-war austerity into a more optimistic decade but was about to become embroiled in the Korean War, and it very much captures the spirit of the times. It also includes a number of lesser known records which are not heard very often and which have not been readily available on CD. As always, it includes a substantial 15,000-word booklet with a commentary on every track, and it's a must for collectors of our completist chart-based anthologies. Album Tracks 1. Andrews Sisters - I Can Dream, Can't I' 2. Bing Crosby - Dear Hearts and Gentle People 3. Bing Crosby - Mule Train 4. Dinah Shore - Dear Hearts and Gentle People 5. Dick Haymes - the Old Master Painter 6. Tony Martin - There's No Tomorrow 7. Richard Hayes - the Old Master Painter 8. Jo Stafford & Gordon MacRae - Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (The Magic Song) 9. Jack Teter Trio - Johnson Rag 10. Ames Brothers - Rag Mop 11. Buddy Clark - a Dreamer's Holiday 12. Red Foley - Chattanoogi

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 1949, the final year of the first decade of the Billboard Best Sellers chart - the chart was launched in July 1940. This great value 103-track 4-CD set comprises just about every record which peaked in the Top 15 of the Billboard Best Sellers and Cash Box charts during 1949. For reasons of space, it excludes some records were still in the chart at the start of the year, but which peaked in the Top 15 in 1948, and so will be included in the forthcoming 1948 collection. It was a big year for solo vocalists, who were now dominating as television offered an ideal means of exposure and 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. Only eight different records made No. 1 in the chart, some with very long stays at the top. 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 as the war receded in people's minds and a momentous new decade in music approached. It includes a 15,000+ word booklet with a commentary on every record as well as full discographical and chart information. Album Tracks 1. Sammy Kaye & the Kaydets - Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly) 2. Russ Morgan - So Tired 3. Betty Rhodes - Buttons and Bows 4. Evelyn Knight & Stardusters - a Little Bird Told Me 5. Margaret Whiting & the Crew Chiefs - Far Away Places 6. Evelyn Knight & the Stardusters - Powder Your Face with Sunshine 7. Bing Crosby - Far Away Places 8. Brother Bones & H

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 &