Customer Reviews

Billboard Top Hits: 1963

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Billboard Top Rock & Roll Hits: 1963 offers ten great rock and roll hits that made the radio waves sizzle in 1963. Many of you who heard these tunes first on the radio will love this CD; and it makes a great introduction to this style of music for younger people as well. The sound quality is very good and the artwork reflects good judgment.

Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs start this CD off with what in retrospect almost sounds like a bubblegum pop hit entitled "Sugar Shack." The beat is quite good and they sing and play this to perfection. Jimmy's diction is excellent and it bolsters his performance as he sings this one out strong! "Sugar Shack" is a peppy little number that you may just like more than you think you will.

Jan & Dean weigh in with an awesome hit, "Surf City." Jan & Dean can sometimes sound like The Beach Boys but as always they hold their own very well; the beat is awesome and the background harmonizing is terrific! Listen also for The Chiffons singing their hearts out on "He's So Fine." The Chiffons sing of the men they love and how much they want to start a romantic relationship with their men.

The Kingsmen turn in a solid hit with "Louie, Louie;" and there's also a major highlight of this album in The Essex as they do "Easier Said Than Done." "Easier Said Than Done" rocks very well for an early rock hit and this impresses me a lot.

Nino Tempo & April Stevens perform what is probably my very favorite song on this album, "Deep Purple." "Deep Purple" has major and minor modulations that are brilliantly done and Nino Tempo & April Stevens never miss a beat! I love that percussion on "Deep Purple," too.

The Beach Boys end the album strong with "Surfin' U.S.A." They harmonize and sing this without a superfluous note; and the beat is awesome! The musical arrangement uses the guitars, drums and percussion very well.

Overall, you just have to have this CD if you love early American rock and roll. The CD is chock full of hits.

In 1988/9 Rhino introduced its superb "Top Rock'n'Roll Hits" (1955-1974) series featuring 20 years of music on 20 CDs at 10 songs per year / per disc. (Hey, neat-o!)

Then in 1993 Rhino reissued the discs in the subset spanning 1960-1969 thus creating two different versions of each in the process. Because these discs are available via Amazon Marketplace, who knows which ones you'll get if you buy them used! If this is important to you, be sure to ask the seller(s) before placing your order(s).

The most obvious visual differences between the two editions are the song titles on both the front covers and the actual CDs. The 1988/9 editions feature mixed-case titles. The 1993 editions feature uppercase titles.

The 1993 editions also have the songs listed on the covers in the same order in which they appear on the discs. The 1988/9 editions list the songs in an almost random order which can be very frustrating while the disc is being played.

The song selections are also different; some moreso than others. For 1963 tracks 5 and 8 were changed.

1988 (5) Little Stevie Wonder, "Fingertips, Pt. 2"
1993 (5) Jimmy Soul, "If You Wanna Be Happy"

1988 (8) The 4 Seasons, "Walk Like A Man"
1993 (8) Nino Tempo & April Stevens, "Deep Purple"

In this case, I definitely prefer the 1993 edition because even though both songs are poorly recorded, the lyrics to Jimmy Soul's contribution are shamelessly entertaining while Little Stevie's "Everybody say yeah! Yeah... Yeah..." accompanied by that painfully screechy harmonica only irritates the listener beyond belief. (You definitely don't want to play that one very loud unless you're using it is as a method of torture.)

[Note: To my knowledge, the CDs spanning 1955-1959 and 1970-1974 have not been revised. One may also surmise that Rhino believes rock-n-roll died with the advent of disco since the title used for the discs spanning 1975-on-up is simply "Top Hits" - not to be confused, of course, with Rhino's other, similar series, "Top Pop Hits".]

This CD has only 10 songs on it, a mild drag. Nonetheless, what's here is aces! 1963 featured some fine songs, a number of which are included on this CD.

I'll begin with a classic--The Kingsmen singing "Louie, Louie." I was in college at the time, and it was enjoyable to see how many people would try to make out the "dirty lyrics." I had people give me their written version of what they thought that they had heard. It was fun getting differing views on what the group's lyrics actually were! Beyond that, though, what a rock and roll classic. Raw instrumentals and even more raw vocals!

Other fine tunes from the era--The Angels singing "My Boyfriend's Back" in infectious manner. Hardly great art, the song is great pop music. The beat and the lyrics can't help but bring a smile to the listener. Two of the great surf songs are on this CD. For one, Jan and Dean's "Surf City." And, not to be outdone, the Beach Boys' wonderful "Surfin' U. S. A." Then, there is the goofy fluff song "Sugar Shack" (by Jimmy Gilmore & the Fireballs). At that, it gets one's toes to tapping.

Other cuts? The Chiffons sing "He's So Fine"; Lesley Gore gives us "It's My Party"; etc.

I wish there more songs on this CD, but what is here is pretty cool.

Ten big pop hits, eight of them #1s. You can't beat it. All original versions.

Like another reviewer asks, where's "So Much In Love"? And how about "Our Day Will Come", "Fingertips, Part 2","Baby Workout", "Candy Girl". "Hey Paula", "I Will Follow Him"? We couldn't seem to get rid of "Walk Right In", so where is IT? Are we supposed to just wet our beaks with this stingy compilation? The songs herein are authentic but where's the REST? Time-Life this packager is not. (I could add other hits, but you get the picture).

I was doing a birthday CD for a friend and only needed one song. The other songs on the CD are ones I will be ablre to use. It was a good buy. I am pleased with the condition of the CD, artwork and jewel box.

great cd - I played it at my parents 50th wedding anniversary party and everyone loved it.

well these are all the big hits that year and they still play them all on oldies stations today.
they are just catchy pop songs that stay with you and give a happy upbeat sound that todays pop songs don't have
Louie,Louie the frat song of all time
It's my party, Easier said than done -like a typewriter beat
Surf City the original surf sound listen for the various edits throughout the song & Surfin USA (which sounds like a copy of the chuck berry song of sweet little sixteen,which ended up in a lawsuit)
Sugar Shack (before there was a love shack B52s)has a great bass line for an early '60's sound,backup band the Fireballs who had great guitar instrumental hits
Walk Like a Man-great Frankie Vallie & Four Seasons falsetto harmony

My Boyfriends Back -girl group sound
Fingertips-stevie wonder made himself known

Terrible album without the best hit of 1963. "So Much in Love " by the tymes. A terrible error to leave this out. I wish Amazon would include all hits on their discs so that one could examine them before buying.