Greatest Hits of the '60s

Performer: Tony Bennett
Producer: Ernie Altschuler; Jack Gold; Mitch Miller
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Tony Bennett (vocals). A companion piece to the excellent TONY BENNETT'S GREATEST HITS OF THE '50s, this 16-track collection gathers the jazz-pop singer's biggest and best from one of his most fruitful periods. Alongside such timeless classics as "The Best is Yet To Come" and "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," this set includes comparative rarities from the Anthony Newley and Johnny Mercer catalogues, as well as one of Bennett's few rock covers, an excellent jazzy interpretation of George Harrison's "Something." Released the month that Tony Bennett turned 80, this LP-length compilation of his 1960s records gives a good account of his second decade of recording, even if it doesn't quite live up to the "greatest hits" claim of its title. All of Bennett's Top 40 pop hits of the '60s are included, among them the Top 20 entries "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," "I Wanna Be Around," and "The Good Life." But the compilers were more concerned with presenting 48 minutes of highlights of the '60s tracks than with following the singles charts slavishly. They signal this right at the beginning by starting with the non-hit tracks "Put on a Happy Face," "The Best Is Yet to Come," and "Once Upon a Time." Proceeding in chronological order by recording date, they then select from among the modest hits Bennett enjoyed in the wake of his comeback with the Grammy-winning "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in 1962, adding in the non-hit songs "Speak Low" and "My Favorite Things" as they make their way to the end of the decade, when Bennett was recording more contemporary fare, such as the Beatles' "Something." The '60s was arguably Bennett's most accomplished decade artistically, even while it became commercially problematic as the impact of the British Invasion increased from 1964 on. Bennett was not primarily a singles artist by this point, and the compilers have balanced the biggest hits with other worthy material. Given its length, this album is no more than a sampling of Bennett's '60s work. But it does arguably feature the best three-quarters of an hour of his recorded work in the decade. ~ William Ruhlmann

One of the finest voices of 20th century American pop, Tony Bennett began his career in the '50s, under the watchful eye of producer Mitch Miller, recording huge hits such as "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," and "Because of You." In 1958, his album BASIE SWINGS-BENNETT SINGS was a precursor to later jazz-based work. That same year, "Firefly" was Bennett's last US Top 40 entry until 1962, when he made a major comeback with the Grammy-winning "I Left My Heart In San Francisco." In '93 and '94 he was awarded Grammys for his albums PERFECTLY FRANK and STEPPIN' OUT.

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