Joel Whitburn Presents a Century of Pop Music: Year-By-Year Top 40 Rankings of the Songs & Artists That Shaped a Century (Paperback)

by Joel Whitburn (Editor) "This section lists the Top 40 hits of each year of the 20th century..." (more)
Key Phrases: pop singles charts, total weeks, sheet music sales, Bing Crosby, Billy Murray, Paul Whiteman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Pop into the new millennium with 100 separate rankings of the Top 40 songs of every year from 1900 through 1999! Whatever your generation, A Century of Pop Hits holds the soundtrack of your life. This chronological tour through the prime of pop musicÕs past takes you from ragtime to rap, from crooners to country, from big bands to R&B, from the cylinder to the CD. Each of the 100 yearly rankings are based on AmericaÕs weekly popular music charts and include chart data on every hit! All artists appearing within the yearly rankings are listed alphabetically in the artist section. The title section shows all 4,000 hits alphabetically with each titleÕs peak position and peak year. Ten fascinating articles highlight the events, moods, and music trends of each decade. Sprinkled throughout the book are pictures of the top artists and rankings of each decadeÕs top hits and top artists. A Century of Pop Hits is sure to spark hours of fun and great musical memories, and provide countless trivia challenges.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Record Research Inc. (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898201357
• ISBN-13: 978-0898201352
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #660,299 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mother of all Top 40 Charts, January 14, 2005

By	T. Sparfeld (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This reference book doesn't contain any text or discussion, but is simply a year-by-year Top 40 ranking for U.S. Music in the 20th century.

There are several great things about this book. First, unlike other books which start in the 50s, this book starts at 1900(!) and goes all the way through 1999. Wow.

Second, the book has a bunch of other lists that help spice it up. It lists the top artists of each decade, as well as the top songs of each decade. There are also 1-page historical blurbs on each decade before the lists so readers can get a quick sense of what the lists signify.

Thirdly, the back of the book includes an index both by artist and song title (you can see which songs are reissued), which is also helpful.

There will always be a question as to the accuracy of Whitburn's lists early in the century. Without radio airplay being a factor, it is difficult to take information from various surveys and sheet music/recording sales from that time and have a definitive Top 40 list with no errors. Another problem with the book is that, well, there's a lot to look at, but little to read. To the average reader, the novelty of this book might wear off quickly.

Popular music fans and musical chart fans will love this book, however, and it is great to generate discussion as well as for reference use. I don't think it's a "must-have," as a good deal of this information can be found for free right on the good old "Internet," but it does have its purpose in some instances.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, November 12, 2000

By	KEVIN M. BRADLEY (PHILADELPHIA, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This book is one to put on a coffee table and also a great gift for any music fan. It lists the top 40 songs of each year from the 1900s right thru 1999, as well as the decade charts. There are some interesting charts comparing the chart history of the top artists from 1900-1950 and 1950-1999 based on their top hits. I highly suggest this book to everyone a great price for a great book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Greatest Hits Of The 20th Century, October 17, 2001

By	Scott N. Burton (Bridgeport,CT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased this book a year ago-It lists every single pre rock & rock era song that topped the charts-Readers will also enjoy the short articles by Whitburn that chronicle what was going on in the world during the 20th century-This book is a must have.