Twist Hot 100 25th January 1962 (Various Artists)

• Track Listing

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) and "The 'Telstar' Hot 100 December 22nd 1962" (ACQCD7144) each comprising the records in the Top 100 for the date in question. This collection celebrates a notable chart event of January 1962, namely when Chubby Checker's record "The Twist" topped the US pop charts for the second time, signalling the approaching peak of the worldwide Twist dance craze - he had first made No.1 well over a year earlier, in September 1960, since which time the dance had started to catch on all round the world. 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 already a dynamic and transitional time, with The Beatles' first UK hit only nine months away. It includes seven Twist hits which underline the popularity of the dance. 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.