Friday, November 24, 2000

50 years ago: Guys and Dolls opened on Broadway

Guys and Dolls

Frank Loesser (music & lyrics)

Cast Album

Stage Debut: November 24, 1950

Recorded: December 3, 1950

Released: January 8, 1951

Peak: 11 US

Sales (in millions): --

Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Released: November 3, 1955

Peak: --

Sales (in millions): --

Genre: show tunes

Songs on Cast Album:

  1. Runyonland Music/ Fugue for Tinhorns/ Follow the Fold
  2. The Oldest Established
  3. I’ll Know
  4. A Bushel and a Peck
  5. Adelaide’s Lament
  6. Guys and Dolls
  7. If I Were a Bell
  8. My Time of Day
  9. I’ve Never Been in Love Before
  10. Take Back Your Mink
  11. More I Cannot Wish You
  12. Luck Be a Lady
  13. Sue Me
  14. Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat
  15. Reprise: Guys and Dolls

Songs on Soundtrack:

Song Title (Performers)

  1. Overture (JACK BLACKTON)
  2. Fugue for Tinhorns (STUBBY KAYE / FRANK SINATRA)
  3. Follow the Fold (JEAN SIMMONS)
  4. The Oldest Established Floating Crap Game in New York (STUBBY KAYE / JOHNNY SILVER / FRANK SINATRA)
  5. I’ll Know (MARLON BRANDO / JEAN SIMMONS)
  6. Pet Me Poppa (VIVIAN BLAINE)
  7. Adelaide’s Lament (VIVIAN BLAINE)
  8. Guys and Dolls (STUBBY KAYE / JOHNNY SILVER / FRANK SINATRA)
  9. Adelaide (FRANK SINATRA)
  10. If I Were a Bell (MARLON BRANDO / JEAN SIMMONS)
  11. A Woman in Love (MARLON BRANDO / JEAN SIMMONS)
  12. Take Back Your Mink (VIVIAN BLAINE)
  13. Luck Be a Lady (MARLON BRANDO)
  14. Sue Me (VIVIAN BLAINE / FRANK SINATRA)
  15. Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat (STUBBY KAYE)
  16. Guys and Dolls Finale (JACK BLACKTON)

Singles/Hit Songs:

As was common in the pre-rock era, songs from musicals were often recorded by artists not associated with the musical and released as singles. Here are some of the most notable hit singles resulting from the show:

  • ”A Bushel and a Peck” – Perry Como & Betty Hutton (#3, 1950), Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely (#6, 1950), Doris Day (#16, 1950), the Andrews Sisters (#22, 1950), Johnny Desmond (#29, 1950)
  • ”If I Were a Bell” – Frankie Laine (#30, 1950)
  • ”Luck Be a Lady” – Frank Sinatra (--, 1965)

Rating:

4.428 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings for cast album and soundtrack combined)

Awards (Cast Album and Soundtrack): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Show:

“Guys and Dolls, based on the stories of Damon Runyon about New York gamblers, became a stunning success upon its Broadway opening in 1950. While Abe Burrows’ libretto was much praised, the show's main asset is Frank Loesser’s songs, which are unfailingly tuneful and which accurately represent the vernacular of Runyon’s characters, from Fugue for Tinhorns, a trio song full of horse racing slang, to Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat, a revival meeting pastiche in which a gambler claims to have found salvation. Luck Be a Lady, a gambler’s ode to good fortune, became a standard.” WR

“Winning as these are, love songs such as I’ll Know and I’ve Never Been in Love Before are equally affecting. And that isn’t even to mention the songs that became contemporary hits, If I Were a Bell and A Bushel and a Peck.” WR

The show premiered on Broadway on November 24, 1950 and ran for 1200 performances. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical. It was selected as the winner of the 1951 Pulitzer Prize, but got vetoed because Abe Burrows had problems with the House Un-American Activities Committee. WK-C WR

The 1955 film adaptation starred Blaine along with Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and Jean Simmons. Five songs from the stage musical were omitted from the movie and Loesser wrote three new songs for the film: Pet Me Poppa, Your Eyes Are the Eyes of a Woman in Love, and Adelaide. The last was written specifically with Sinatra in mind. WK-S

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First posted 8/11/2008; last updated 12/22/2021.

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Tuesday, November 21, 2000

Eminem charted with “Stan”

Stan

Eminem with Dido

Writer(s): Eminem, Dido, Paul Herman (see lyrics here)

Released: November 21, 2000

First Charted: October 7, 2000

Peak: 51 US, 31 GR, 31 RR, 36 RB, 11 UK, 27 CN, 11 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 1.47 UK, 5.0 world (includes US + UK)

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 412.4 video, 710.03 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

“There are few songs as blindly fascinating and striking as this” SY “compelling look at the pitfalls of fame” PD and “obsessive fandom.” TB “Rapper Eminem cemented his artistic standing” AB’00 with this “fictional…but frighteningly real” PD story of a deranged fan who sends “a series of unhinged letters.” RS’09

This “creepy hit… encapsulated the dramatic flair that made Eminem so impossible to ignore in 2000.” RS’09 “Even now…[it is] funnier and more shocking than 99 percent of mainstream hip-hop.” MX It is a “raw, beautiful…tragedy without melodrama.” SY It was “instantly fascinating…on first listen [in] how it could take such a cute, pedestrian verse to symbolize an obsessive fan’s descent into madness and self-destruction [and] how Eminem’s rap could sound so realistic, like he’s a friend telling you this story.” SY

Malcolm McLaren’s 1984 song “Fans” appears to be the basis of “Stan” in both its structure and story, complete with an opera aria excerpt along with samples from “Thank You,” a song by “hippy-dippy English songbird” TB Dido which became a hit in its own right. SF Em also references his own work when Stan says, “I drank a fifth of vodka, dare me to drive?,” a line from “My Name Is.” Stan also references an untrue rumor that Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” was written by Collins when he witnessed a man stand by and do nothing while someone drowned. The legend says Collins invited the man to one of his concerts and sang it to him. SF

Eminem had to deal with charges of being anti-gay because in one of Stan’s letters, he writes about wanting to be with Eminem, who replies that it makes him not want to meet Stan. In response, Eminem enlisted the openly gay Elton John to play piano and sing Dido’s part at the 2001 Grammys. SF

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Last updated 3/31/2023.

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Friday, November 17, 2000

The Gavin Report: Top 100 Songs

The Gavin Report, 1958-2000:

Top 100 Songs

Bill Gavin was a radio host who launched a countdown based on local airplay. It evolved into a national chart which rank from May 20, 1958 to November 17, 2000.

Check other lists based on charts, sales, and airplay here.

12 weeks:

1. Natalie Imbruglia “Torn” (1998)
11 weeks:

2. Donna Lewis “I Love You Always Forever” (1996)
3. Mariah Carey with Boyz II Men “One Sweet Day” (1995)
10 weeks:

4. No Doubt “Don’t Speak” (1995)
5. N Sync “Bye Bye Bye” (2000)
9 weeks:

6. Santana with Rob Thomas “Smooth” (1999)
7. The Cardigans “Lovefool” (1997)
8. Mariah Carey “Fantasy” (1995)
9. Shawn Mullins “Lullaby” (1998)
10. Boyz II Men “I’ll Make Love to You” (1994)
11. Celine Dion “My Heart Will Go On” (1997)
8 weeks:

12. Dionne Farris “I Know” (1995)
13. Seal “Kiss from a Rose” (1994)
14. Chumbawamba “Tubthumping” (1997)
15. Boyz II Men “On Bended Knee” (1994)
16. Ricky Martn “Livin’ La Vida Loca” (1999)
17. The Police “Every Breath You Take” (1983)
7 weeks:

18. Savage Garden “I Knew I Loved You” (2000)
19. Sugar Ray with Super Cat “Fly” (1997)
20. Domenico Modugno “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blue)” (#1, 1958)

21. Hanson “Mmmbop” (1997)
22. Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (1977)
23. Bee Gees “Night Fever” (1977)
24. Mariah Carey “Dreamlover” (1993)
25. Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (1992)
26. Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (1991)
27. Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra “Love Is Blue” (1968)

6 weeks:

28. Aerosmith “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (1998)
29. Sugar Ray “Every Morning” (1999)
30. Celine Dion “Because You Loved Me” (1996)

31. Barenaked Ladies “One Week” (1998)
32. Alanis Morissette “You Learn” (1996)
33. Madonna “Take a Bow” (1994)
34. The Rembrandts “I’ll Be There for You” (1995)
35. Brandy & Monica “The Boy Is Mine” (1998)
36. Mariah Carey “Hero” (1993)
37. Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” (1977)
38. Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson “Say, Say, Say” (1983)
39. Journey “Open Arms” (1981)
40. Starland Vocal Band “Afternoon Delight” (1976)

41. Rod Stewart “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” (1978)
42. Commodores “Three Times a Lady” (1978)
43. Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder “Ebony and Ivory” (1982)
44. Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” (1982)
45. Patty Smyth with Don Henley “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough” (1992)
46. Lionel Richie “Say You Say Me” (1985)
47. Terry Jacks “Seasons in the Sun” (1974)
48. Elton John & Kiki Dee “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (1976)
49. Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” (1978)
50. Three Dog Night “Joy to the World” (1971)

5 weeks:

51. Goo Goo Dolls “Slide” (1999)
52. Smash Mouth “All Star” (1999)
53. Christina Aguilera “Genie in a Bottle” (1999)
54. Lou Bega “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of…)” (1999)
55. Savage Garden “I Want You” (1997)
56. Ace of Base “Don’t Turn Around” (1994)
57. 3 Doors Down “Kryptonite” (2000)
58. N Sync “It’s Gonna Be Me” (2000)
59. All-4-One “I Swear” (1994)
60. Foreigner “Waiting for a Girl Like You” (1981)

61. Rod Stewart “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” (1976)
62. Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, & Sting “All for Love” (1994)
63. Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983)
64. John Cougar Mellencamp “Jack and Diane” (1982)
65. Phil Collins “Another Day in Paradise” (1989)
66. Richard Marx “Keep Coming Back” (1991)
67. Daryl Hall & John Oates “Maneater” (1982)
68. Chicago “If You Leave Me Now” (1976)
69. Blondie “Call Me” (1980)
70. Roberta Flack “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1969)

71. Carl Douglas “Kung Fu Fighting” (1974)
72. The Emotions “Best of My Love” (1977)
73. George Michael “Faith” (1987)
74. Don McLean “American Pie” (1971)
75. Madonna “Like a Virgin” (1984)
76. Captain & Tennille “Love Will Keep Us Together” (1975)
77. The Heights “How Do You Talk to an Angel?” (1992)
78. Tony Orlando & Dawn “Knock Three Times” (1970)
79. Duran Duran “Ordinary World” (1993)
80. The Rolling Stones “Angie” (1973)

81. The Shirelles “Soldier Boy” (1962)
82. The Knack “My Sharona” (1979)
83. Olivia Newton-John “Have You Never Been Mellow?” (1975)
84. Elvis Presley “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” (1960)
85. The Young Rascals “Groovin’” (1967)

4 weeks:

86. The Tony Rich Project “Nobody Knows” (1996)
87. Destiny’s Child “Jumpin’ Jumpin’” (2000)
88. Robyn “Do You Know What It Takes” (1997)
89. Madonna “Secret” (1994)
90. Men at Work “Down Under” (1981)

91. Exile “Kiss You All Over” (1978)
92. Daryl Hall & John Oates “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” (1982)
93. Stevie Nicks & Don Henley “Leather and Lace” (1981)
94. Van Halen “Jump” (1984)
95. Shellye Fabares “Johnny Angel” (1962)
96. Tommy Edwards “It’s All in the Game” (1951/1958)
97. Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981)
98. Lionel Richie “All Night Long (All Night)” (1983)
99. Irene Cara “Flashdance...What a Feelin’” (1983)
100. Leo Sayer “When I Need You” (1977)

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First posted 11/17/2022.

 
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Tuesday, November 14, 2000

A Beatles Retrospective: 1962-1970

The Beatles

A Retrospective: 1962-1970

A Brief History:

They were the greatest and most influential act of the rock era, and introduced more innovations into popular music than any other rock band of the 20th century. The group’s beginnings go back to 1957 when Lennon formed the Quarrymen, which McCartney and George Harrison later joined. After some fluctuation in names and lineups, they settled in with Ringo Starr as their drummer in 1962.

They established the prototype for the self-contained rock group that wrote, mostly by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and performed their own material. They were the first British rock group to achieve worldwide prominence, launching a British Invasion that made rock truly an international phenomenon. When they gave up touring, they became instrumental in pioneering advanced techniques and multi-layered arrangements.

The group officially broke up in 1970 when McCartney announced his departure in a press release for his first album. The group continued to be a major seller over the years with the 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 compilations in 1973, CD reissues in the late ‘80s, the anthology series in the ‘90s, and the 1 collection in 2000.

This page covers the span of the Beatles’ recording history from 1962 to 1970, which comprises a dozen studio albums. Each of these has a dedicated DMDB page, but are covered in snapshots here.

The Players:

  • John Lennon (vocals, guitar)
  • Paul McCartney (vocals, bass)
  • George Harrison (guitar, vocals)
  • Ringo Starr (drums, vocals)

On the Web:

Lists:

Awards:

The Studio Albums:

Hover over an album cover to see its title and year of release. Click on the album to go to its dedicated DMDB page.

Compilations:

Under each album snapshot, songs featured on the anthologies are noted. If the song charted, the date of the song’s release or first chart appearance and its chart peaks are noted in parentheses. Click for codes to singles charts.

Please Please Me (1963):

The Beatles’ first UK album spent a whopping 30 weeks atop the chart. Variations of the album were released twice in the United States – first as Vee-Jay Records’ Introducing the Beatles and later as Capitol Records’ The Early Beatles. There are several notably absent songs from the collections cited on this page – “Twist and Shout” (a #2 hit in the U.S.), “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” (another #2 in the U.S.), and “I Saw Her Standing There” (a #1 in Canada and Australia).

  • Love Me Do [2:21] (10/5/62, 1 US, 17 UK, 8 CN, 1 AU) 66, 1, PM1
  • Please Please Me [1:59] (1/11/63, 3 US, 2 UK, 5 CN, 36 AU) 66
  • I Saw Her Standing There [2:55] (1/13/64, 14 US, 1 CN, 1 AU) 66-23
  • Twist and Shout (Phil Medley/Bert Russell) [2:32] (3/14/62, 2 US, 5 CN, 5 AU) 66-23

With the Beatles (1963):

The Beatles’ second UK album didn’t sport as many chart-ready hits, but in the U.S. most of the songs were released on Meet the Beatles!, the album that introduced Beatlemania in the states. It included the huge #1 hit “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” which had only been released as a single in the UK. The next U.S. release, The Beatles’ Second Album, would round up the rest of the songs from With the Beatles as well as a few leftover songs, most notably the #1 hit “She Loves You,” also previously available only as a single in the UK.

  • All My Loving [2:07] (3/28/64, 45 US, 1 CN, 1 AU) 66
  • Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry) [2:45] (3/21/64, 68 US) 66-23
  • You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me (Smokey Robinson) [3:01] 66-23
  • You Can’t Do That [2:39] (3/16/64, B-side of “Can’t Buy Me Love,” 48 US) 66-23

A Hard Day’s Night (1964):

The soundtrack for the Beatles’ first film sported two chart-topping songs in the UK and U.S. with the title cut and Can’t Buy Me Love. In the UK, it was fleshed out as a full studio album, while only about half the cuts appeared on the U.S. soundtrack alongside instrumentals.

  • Can’t Buy Me Love [2:12] (3/26/64, 1 US, 1 UK, 3 CN, 1 AU, 3x platinum single) 66, 1
  • A Hard Day’s Night [2:34] (7/16/64, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, gold single) 66, 1
  • And I Love Her [2:30] (7/20/64, 12 US, 15 CN) 66

Beatles for Sale (1964):

Once again, the original UK album was chopped up and spread out over two American releases, Beatles ‘65 and Beatles VI. The former album included the #1 single “I Feel Fine” and its B-side “She’s a Woman.”

  • Eight Days a Week [2:43] (2/15/65, 1 US, 1 CN, gold single) 66, 1

Help! (1965):

Like A Hard Day’s Night, this was released in the UK as a full-fledged studio album and in the U.S. as a soundtrack with instrumentals alongside about half the songs from the UK release. Both albums, however, included the #1 songs Ticket to Ride and Help! The UK release also included the U.S. #1 hit Yesterday, but that song wouldn’t appear on an American album until 1966’s Yesterday…and Today.

  • Ticket to Ride [3:12] (4/15/65, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU) 66, 1
  • Help! [2:21] (7/29/65, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, gold single) 66, 1
  • Yesterday [2:07] (9/25/65, 1 US, 8 UK, 4 CN, 2 AU, gold single) 66, 1
  • You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away [2:11] 66

Past Masters 1

The Beatles

Released: March 7, 1988

Recorded: 1962-1965

Peak: 149 US, 49 UK, 79 AU

Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.1 UK, 2.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: pop/classic rock

Tracks: (1) Love Me Do (2) From Me to You (3) Thank You Girl (4) She Loves You (5) I’ll Get You (6) I Want to Hold Your Hand (7) This Boy (8) Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand (9) Sie Liebt Dich (10) Long Tall Sally (11) I Call Your Name (12) Slow Down (13) Matchbox (14) I Feel Fine (15) She’s a Woman (16) Bad Boy (17) Yes It Is (18) I’m Down

Total Running Time: 42:28

Rating:

4.290 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

About Past Masters 1:

When the Beatles’ albums were released on CD in the late ‘80s, the decision was made to follow the original UK releases. This left most of their successful singles without a home so the two-disc collection, Past Masters, was assembled to gather up those songs which hadn’t been featured on any of the original UK albums.

Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

  • Thank You Girl (4/11/63, B-side of “From Me to You,” 35 US, 38 CB, 39 HR, 27 CL) PM1
  • I’ll Get You (8/23/63, B-side of “She Loves You,” 48 CL) PM1
  • This Boy (11/29/63, B-side of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” 92 US, 86 CB, 97 HR, 46 CL, 15 CN) PM1, 66-23
  • Komm, Gibb Mir Deine Hand (3/5/1964, German single) PM1
  • Long Tall Sally (6/19/64, Long Tall Sally EP, 32 CL, 11 AU) PM1
  • I Call Your Name (6/19/64, Long Tall Sally EP, 41 CL, 11) PM1
  • Slow Down (6/19/64, Long Tall Sally EP, 25 US, 34 CB, 23 HR, 16 CL, 1 AU) PM1
  • Matchbox (6/19/64, Long Tall Sally EP, 17 US, 17 CB, 22 HR, 26 CL, 11 AU) PM1
  • She’s a Woman (11/27/64, B-side of “I Feel Fine,” 4 US, 8 CB, 7 HR, 4 CL) PM1
  • Bad Boy (6/14/65 US album Beatles VI, 12/10/66 UK album A Collection of Beatles Oldies, 25 CL) PM1
  • Yes It Is (4/9/65, B-side of “Ticket to Ride,” 46 US, 65 HR, 37 CL) PM1
  • I’m Down (7/23/65, B-side of “Help!,” 17 CL) PM1

Rubber Soul (1965):

The UK release may have had only one hit single with Nowhere Man, but a healthy chunk of the songs have become as well known as many of the band’s hits. The U.S. album excised “Nowhere Man,” Drive My Car, and others, later collecting them on the Yesterday…and Today album.

  • Nowhere Man [2:44] (3/5/66, 3 US, 1 CN, 1 AU, gold single) 66
  • Drive My Car [2:30] 66
  • Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) [2:05] 66
  • Michelle [2:42] 66
  • In My Life [2:27] 66
  • Girl [2:33] 66
  • If I Needed Someone (Harrison) [2:23] 66-23

Revolver (1966):

For an album some rave about as the best Beatles’ album and, in some cases the best album of all time, it gets little representation on the compilations highlighted on this page. In addition to the double-sided Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby single, the album featured “Here, There and Everywhere,” a song which garnered 3 million radio airplays despite never being released as a single, and “Got to Get You into My Life,” a song released a decade later which hit the top 10 in the U.S. and went to #1 in Canada.

  • Yellow Submarine [2:40] (8/11/66, 2 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, gold single, airplay: 1 million) 66, 1
  • Eleanor Rigby [2:11] (8/11/66, B-side of “Yellow Submarine,” 11 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, gold single, airplay: 2 million) 66, 1
  • Taxman (George Harrison) [2:36] 66-23
  • Got to Get You into My Life [2:31] (6/12/76, 7 US, 9 AC, 1 CN, 93 AU, sales: 1 million, airplay: 2 million) 66-23
  • I’m Only Sleeping [2:58] 66-23
  • Here, There and Everywhere [2:29] (airplay: 3 million) 66-23
  • Tomorrow Never Knows [3:00] 66-23

The Beatles 1962-1966 (aka “The Red Album”)

The Beatles

Released: April 2, 1973

Recorded: 1962-1966

Peak: 3 US, 3 UK, 4 CN, 9 AU

Sales (in millions): 15.0 US, 0.6 UK, 30.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: pop/classic rock

Tracks, Disc 1: (1) Love Me Do (2) Please Please Me (3) I Saw Her Standing There * (4) Twist and Shout * (5) From Me to You (6) She Loves You (7) I Want to Hold Your Hand (8) This Boy * (9) All My Loving (10) Roll Over Beethoven * (11) You Really Got a Hold on Me * (12) Can’t Buy Me Love (13) You Can’ Do That * (14) A Hard Day’s Night (15) And I Love Her (16) Eight Days a Week (17) I Feel Fine (18) Ticket to Ride (19) Yesterday

Tracks, Disc 2: (1) Help! (2) You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away (3) We Can Work It Out (4) Day Tripper (5) Drive My Car (6) Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (7) Nowhere Man (8) Michelle (9) In My Life (10) If I Needed Someone * (11) Girl (12) Paperback Writer (13) Eleanor Rigby (14) Yellow Submarine (15) Taxman * (16) Got to Get You into My Life * (17) I’m Only Sleeping * (18) Here, There and Everywhere * (19) Tomorrow Never Knows *

* Tracks added to 2023 edition

Total Running Time: 62:34 (original version)

Rating:

4.621 out of 5.00 (average of 24 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the 1962-1966 Album:

“Assembling a compilation of the Beatles is a difficult task, not only because they had an enormous number of hits, but also because singles didn’t tell the full story; many of their album tracks were as important as the singles, if not more so.” E-R Of course, there’s also the matter that all of the Beatles individual albums are essential enough that once you’ve gathered them up, is there any need for a compilation?

Well, yes. Compilations are targeted at the more casual fan. Of course, when the Beatles released not one, but two double-album compilations on the same day in 1973, it was hard to guess who it was for. A four-album greatest hits is a bit hefty for a casual fan. However, at that time, many of these songs had not been released on any Beatles’ albums, so the two sets were pretty near must haves.

“The double-album 1962-1966, commonly called The Red Album, does…surprisingly well [at] hitting most of the group’s major early hits and adding important album tracks like You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away, Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, and In My Life. Naturally, there are many great songs missing from the 26-track 1962-1966, and perhaps it would have made more sense to include the Revolver cuts on its companion volume, 1967-1970, yet The Red Album captures the essence of the Beatles’ pre-Sgt. Pepper records.” E-R

Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

  • From Me to You (4/11/63, 41 US, 1 UK, 6 CN, 9 AU) 66, 1, PM1
  • She Loves You (8/23/63, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 3 AU) 66, 1, PM1
  • I Want to Hold Your Hand (11/29/63, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, sales: 4 million) 66, 1, PM1
  • I Feel Fine (12/3/64, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, gold single) 66, 1, PM1
  • We Can Work It Out (12/9/65, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, gold single) 66, 1, PM2
  • Day Tripper (12/9/65, 5 US, 1 UK, B-side of “We Can Work It Out”) 66, 1, PM2
  • Paperback Writer (6/11/66, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, gold single) 66, 1, PM2

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967):

Often called the best album of all time, Sgt. Pepper’s wasn’t supported by any singles at the time, although the title cut paired with With a Little Help from My Friends and A Day in the Life as a B-side, was released as a single more than a decade later.

Magical Mystery Tour (1967):

This wasn’t an official album release in the UK. In the U.S., however, the six songs comprising the Magical Mystery Tour EP in the UK were combined with a couple of singles and B-sides to make up an album. The set included three #1 hits in the U.S.: Penny Lane, All You Need Is Love, and Hello, Goodbye. In addition, Strawberry Fields Forever, the B-side of “Penny Lane,” is one of the most celebrated songs in the Beatles’ impressive catalog.

  • Strawberry Fields Forever [4:10] (2/23/67, B-side of “Penny Lane,” 8 US, 1 CN, 2 UK) 70
  • Penny Lane [3:03] (2/23/67, 1 US, 2 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, gold single) 70, 1
  • All You Need Is Love [3:48] (7/12/67, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, gold single) 70, 1
  • Hello, Goodbye [3:31] (11/29/67, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, gold single) 70, 1
  • I Am the Walrus [4:37] (11/29/67, B-side of “Hello, Goodbye,” 56 US, 2 UK - EP) 70
  • Magical Mystery Tour [2:51] (12/13/67, 2 UK - EP) 70
  • The Fool on the Hill [3:00] (12/13/67, 2 UK - EP) 70

The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (1968):

The Beatles’ self-titled double album wasn’t supported by any singles at the time, but did introduce some radio staples, well-known fare like “Birthday,” “Blackbird,” and “Rocky Raccoon” that are not included on any of the compilations on this page.

  • Back in the U.S.S.R. [2:43] (7/10/76, 19 UK) 70
  • Dear Prudence [3:56] 70-23
  • Glass Onion [2:17] 70-23
  • Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (11/20/76, 49 US, 39 AC, 19 CN, 1 AU) 70
  • While My Guitar Gently Weeps 70
  • Blackbird [2:18] (10/20/90: solo live version by Paul McCartney, 90 UK, #35 AR) 70-23

Abbey Road (1969):

Come Together and Something was a double-sided single in which both songs hit #1 in different markets. While Here Comes the Sun wasn’t a single, its 3 million radio airplays lift it up amongst some of the Beatles’ best-known songs.

  • Come Together [4:20] (10/18/69, 1 US, 4 UK, 25 AR. 2x platinum single) 70, 1
  • Something (Harrison) [3:03] (10/18/69, B-side of “Come Together,” 3 US, 17 AC, 4 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, 2x platinum single) 70, 1
  • Here Comes the Sun (Harrison) [3:05] (airplay: 3 million) 70
  • Octopus’s Garden (Starr) [2:51] 70 70, 1
  • Oh! Darling [3:26] 70-23
  • I Want You (She’s So Heavy) [7:47] 70-23

Let It Be (1970):

It was the Beatles’ last official album, although it was recorded before Abbey Road. Get Back, Let It Be, and The Long and Winding Road were all #1 hits in the U.S., making for a pretty decent swan song for the most celebrated group in rock and roll history.

  • Get Back [3:07] (4/23/69, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, 2x platinum single) 70, 1, PM2
  • Let It Be [4:03] (3/14/70, 1 US, 1 AC, 2 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, 2x platinum single) 70, 1, PM2
  • The Long and Winding Road [3:37] (5/23/70, 1 US, 2 AC, 1 CN, 7 AU, platinum single) 70, 1
  • Across the Universe 70, PM2
  • I Me Mine (Harrison) [2:25] 70-23

The Beatles 1967-1970 (aka “The Blue Album”)

The Beatles

Released: April 2, 1973

Recorded: 1967-1970

Peak: 11 US, 2 UK, 3 CN, 8 AU

Sales (in millions): 16.0 US, 0.6 UK, 29.8 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: pop/classic rock

Tracks, Disc 1: (1) Strawberry Fields Forever (2) Penny Lane (3) Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (4) With a Little Help from My Friends (5) Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (6) Within You Without You * (7) A Day in the Life (8) All You Need Is Love (9) I Am the Walrus (10) Hello Goodbye (11) The Fool on the Hill (12) Magical Mystery Tour (13) Lady Madonna (14) Hey Jude (15) Revolution

Tracks, Disc 2: (1) Back in the U.S.S.R. (2) Dear Prudence * (3) While My Guitar Gently Weeps (4) Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (5) Glass Onion * (6) Blackbird * (7) Hey Bulldog * (8) Get Back (9) Don’t Let Me Down (10) The Ballad of John and Yoko (11) Old Brown Shoe (12) Here Comes the Sun (13) Come Together (14) Something (15) Octopus’s Garden (16) Oh! Darling * (17) I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (18) Let It Be (19) Across the Universe (20) I Me Mine * (21) The Long and Winding Road (22) Now and Then *

* Tracks added to 2023 edition

Total Running Time: 99:40 (original version)

Rating:

4.680 out of 5.00 (average of 24 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About 1967-1970:

“Picking up where 1962-1966 left off, the double-album compilation 1967-1970, commonly called The Blue Album, covers the Beatles’ later records, from Sgt. Pepper through Let It Be. Like The Red Album, The Blue Album contains a mixture of hits, including singles like Lady Madonna, Hey Jude, and Revolution that were never included on an LP, plus important album tracks like Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, A Day in the Life, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and Come Together. Like its predecessor, 1967-1970 misses several great songs, but the compilation nevertheless does capture the essence of the Beatles’ later recordings.” E-B

Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

  • Lady Madonna (3/20/68, 4 US, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, platinum single) 70, 1, PM2
  • Hey Jude (9/4/68, 1 US, 41 AR, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU, 4x platinum single) 70, 1, PM2
  • Revolution (9/4/68, B-side of “Hey Jude,” 12 US, 1 CN) 70, PM2
  • Hey Bulldog (1/13/1969, cut on Yellow Submarine soundtrack) 70-23
  • Don’t Let Me Down (5/10/69, B-side of “Get Back,” 35 US, 2x platinum single) 70, PM2
  • The Ballad of John and Yoko (6/4/69, 8 US, 1 UK, 1 AU, gold single) 70, 1, PM2
  • Old Brown Shoe (6/4/1969, B-side of “The Ballad of John and Yoko”) 70, PM2
  • Now and Then (11/2/23, 7 US, 1 DG, 1 AA, 1 UK, 10 CN, 6 AU) 70-23

Past Masters 2

The Beatles

Released: March 7, 1988

Recorded: 1966-1970

Peak: 121 US, 46 UK, 75 AU

Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.1 UK, 2.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: pop/classic rock

Tracks: (1) Day Tripper (2) We Can Work It Out (3) Paperback Writer (4) Rain (5) Lady Madonna (6) The Inner Light (7) Hey Jude (8) Revolution (9) Get Back (10) Don’t Let Me Down (11) The Ballad of John and Yoko (12) Old Brown Shoe (13) Across the Universe (14) Let It Be (15) You Know My Name, Look Up the Number

Total Running Time: 51:01

Rating:

4.526 out of 5.00 (average of 22 ratings)

About Past Masters 2:

When the Beatles’ albums were released on CD in the late ‘80s, the decision was made to follow the original UK releases. This left most of their successful singles without a home so the two-disc collection, Past Masters, was assembled to gather up those songs which hadn’t been featured on any of the original UK albums.

Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

  • Rain (6/10/66, B-side of “Paperback Writer,” 23 US, 31 CB, 28 HR, 5 CL) PM2
  • The Inner Light (3/14/68, B-side of “Lady Madonna,” 96 US, 46 CL) PM2
  • You Know My Name, Look Up the Number (3/6/70, B-side of “Let It Be,” 48 CL) PM2

1

The Beatles

Released: November 14, 2000

Recorded: 1962-1970

Peak: 18 US, 19 UK, 15 CN, 19 AU

Sales (in millions): 12.41 US, 3.23 UK, 31.5 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: pop/classic rock

Tracks: (1) Love Me Do (2) From Me to You (3) She Loves You (4) I Want to Hold Your Hand (5) Can’t Buy Me Love (6) A Hard Day’s Night (7) I Feel Fine (8) Eight Days a Week (9) Ticket to Ride (10) Help! (11) Yesterday (12) Day Tripper (13) We Can Work It Out (14) Paperback Writer (15) Yellow Submarine (16) Eleanor Rigby (17) Penny Lane (18) All You Need Is Love (19) Hello Goodbye (20) Lady Madonna (21) Hey Jude (22) Get Back (23) The Ballad of John and Yoko (24) Something (25) Come Together (26) Let It Be (27) The Long and Winding Road

Total Running Time: 78:39

Rating:

4.687 out of 5.00 (average of 23 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About 1:

1962-1966 and 1967-1970 effectively serve as the Beatles’ box set, albeit focusing on the big hits and single-only releases and not rarities or alternate recordings (that would come on the three-volume, six-disc Anthology series). However, “there was [still] a gap in the Beatles’ catalog…all the big hits weren’t on one tidy, single-disc compilation. It’s not the kind of gap you’d necessarily notice – it’s kind of like realizing you don’t have a pair of navy blue dress socks – but it was a gap all the same, so the group released The Beatles 1 late in 2000, coinciding with the publication of their official autobiography, the puzzlingly titled Anthology.” E-1

“The idea behind this compilation is to have all the number one singles the Beatles had, either in the U.K. or U.S., on one disc, and that's pretty much what this generous 27-track collection is.” E-1 Of course, one can’t help but notice that 27 cuts makes for exactly half of the output on the 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 compilations – and yet those collections were spread out over a total of four discs.

“It’s easy, nay, necessary, to quibble with a couple of the judgment calls” E-1 not only in how the Beatles compilations were packaged, but what songs made it and what didn’t. “Please Please Me should be here…and it’s unforgivable to bypass Strawberry Fields Forever.” E-1 Besides, there’s been a long standing debate about whether or not “Please Please Me” may have, in fact, deserved #1 status in the U.K. and “Strawberry Fields Forever” was the B-side of a #1 hit (Penny Lane) and this collection included other B-sides of #1 hits (Something and Eleanor Rigby) that technically were B-sides and didn’t achieve #1 status on their own. Still, “there’s still no question that this is all great music.” E-1

After all, “there is a bit of a rush hearing all these dazzling songs follow one after another. If there’s any complaint, it’s that even if it’s nice to have something like this, it’s not really essential. There’s really no reason for anyone who owns all the records to get this too – if you’ve lived happily without the red or blue albums, you’ll live without this. But, if you give this to any six or seven year old, they’ll be a pop fan, even fanatic, for life. And that’s reason enough for it to exist.” E-1

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First posted 3/27/2008; last updated 5/6/2024.

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