As adjuncts to our highly popular “America’s Greatest Hits” series of collections for each calendar year in the 50s and early ‘60s, we have already produced collections based on landmark moments in the Billboard charts – “The First Top 100 Nov. 1955” (ACQCD7062), “The First Hot 100 Aug. 1958” (ACQCD7083), “The First Hot 100 of the '60s” (ACQCD7097), “The 'Heartbreak Hotel' Top 100” (ACQCD7122)and “The Day The Music Died - Feb 3rd 1959 Hot 100” (ACQCD7134), “The 'Telstar' Hot 100 December 22nd 1962” (ACQCD7144) and “The Twist” Hot 100 Jan. 25th 1962” each comprising the records in the Top 100 for the date in question. This collection celebrates another notable chart event in January 1959, when Billboard its 1000th chart since the launch of the record sales chart in July 1940, which morphed over the years from Best Sellers in Stores Top 10 into the Top 100 and the Hot 100. This collection comprises just about all the records in the Billboard Hot 100 of that week (one record is unavailable for copyright reasons) and it provides a fascinating and evocative snapshot of the music scene at what was a dynamic and transitional time as the post-rock ‘n’ roll era headed towards another cataclysmic musical decade. It’s a window onto a vibrant and exciting musical environment, and includes a number of unfamiliar names and recordings of which even pop enthusiasts 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.
