Pure 60's: The #1 Hits

Performer: Various Artists
Producer: Jeff Moskow (Compilation)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Recorded between 1961 & 1969. This compilation is just what it says: number one hits on the American charts from the 1960s. It has a leg up on some similar anthologies, though, by virtue of its sheer quantity: 26 songs spanning the entire decade, which is pretty good value for a single CD. While it's true the selection is a little arbitrary, on the whole it's really good, and whether you care about chart statistics or not, it's an excellent disc if you're looking for an all-purpose collection of 1960s pop/rock classics. There are many core classics here, spanning rock, soul, pop, and the British Invasion: the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations," Del Shannon's "Runaway," the Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman," Martha & the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave," Manfred Mann's "Do Wah Diddy Diddy," the Mamas & the Papas' "Monday, Monday," the Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer in the City," the Box Tops' "The Letter," the Troggs' "Wild Thing," the Temptations' "My Girl," and Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." Actually, if there's one complaint, it's that British artists are only represented by those Manfred Mann and Troggs cuts. But even the less-critically canonized, poppy hits here are for the most part indisputable classics: the Turtles' "Happy Together," Tommy James & the Shondells' "Crimson and Clover," the Monkees' "I'm a Believer," the Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Incense and Peppermints," the Association's "Windy," Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe," and more. It's like a double-dozen dose of number one hits from oldies stations without the commercials or any of the clunkers that happened to reach number one by chance. ~ Richie Unterberger

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