R.I.P. Joel Whitburn
Printed From: Top 40 Music on CD
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
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URL: https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9812
Printed Date: 09 May 2025 at 4:14pm
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Topic: R.I.P. Joel Whitburn
Posted By: aaronk
Subject: R.I.P. Joel Whitburn
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 9:07am
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I received word that Joel Whitburn has passed away at age 82. I don't have any other details at this time, but please share if any other info becomes available. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Replies:
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 9:12am
Paul Haney posted this on the BSN chat board:
------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
My boss, dear friend and professional mentor Joel Whitburn passed away peacefully overnight at the age of 82. He had been in failing health in recent weeks, but we were not expecting him to go this quickly. I last saw him on Sunday and we had a nice visit. Arrangements are pending.Posted By: Underground Dub
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 9:23am
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So sad to read this.
Thank you for arming your fellow "chart geeks" with a library of incredible books, Mr. Whitburn. Rest in peace. |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 9:24am
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Thanks for posting, Aaron.
Yes, Joel passed away overnight. Obviously, all of us at Record Research are deeply saddened. We were hoping to have him around a little longer. In accordance with Joel's wishes, the business will continue. His legacy will live on! |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 9:53am
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So sorry to hear this, Paul. It's no exaggeration to say that his work played a significant role in why we're all here. Please pass my (and all of our) condolences on to the family. ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: cmmmbase
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 10:42am
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What Ron said! Sad news indeed. I can't begin to imagine
how much time I've spend poring through Record Research books over the years.... |
Posted By: NightAire
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 11:10am
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Oh, this hurts my heart! Still, I thank you for letting us know.
What a legacy he leaves behind... thank you, Joel, for all the work you've done for us. Our lives are richer for your efforts. RIP! Paul, I am so, so very sorry for your loss. Thank you for being there with him in his final days, and continuing his work. ------------- Gene Savage http://www.BlackLightRadio.com - http://www.BlackLightRadio.com http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage - http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage Tulsa, Oklahoma USA |
Posted By: Archives Guy
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 12:48pm
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Wow, this is a great loss. I have been purchasing Record
Research books since the mid-'70s. I'm glad to hear that his legacy will continue. Also to Paul Haney, thanks for your valuable work alongside Joel. |
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 12:48pm
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I still remember reading a column in Billboard magazine
that Joel would periodically write during the 70s. He really was a ground breaker for us chart geeks (me included). R.I.P. to the music lover and collector he always was. There will never be another like Mr. Whitburn. ------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 2:16pm
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I'm so sorry to hear this, Paul. May he rest in peace.
Joel is the whole reason I got into all this music collecting, and also the reason I got into Bing Crosby. I ran across a copy of "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits" in a bookstore around 1985 and was absolutely fascinated. I set out to collect all the top 40 songs for my favorite artists, and over the years my collecting goals certainly expanded. Then in the mid-'90s I was looking over "Pop Memories" at the library and ran across the Bing Crosby section... I couldn't believe it, it was like eight pages long. So I went out and bought the CD "Bing's Gold Records" and it grew from there to my current Crosby collection, which numbers around 150 CDs. All because of Joel Whitburn. And this all ultimately led, many years later, to my joining this website, where I've met several people I consider to be friends. So thank you, Joel, for giving us all so much pleasure and our own "pop memories." |
Posted By: kaqueno
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 3:09pm
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A person to whom we owe the love and passion for music, the
lists, their publications, etc. I wish that his legacy is not cut and reaches all corners of the world! R.I.P. ------------- Marcelo - Argentina https://www.mixcloud.com/marcelo-guzman4/ - https://www.discogs.com/user/kaqueno/collection |
Posted By: PopArchivist
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 4:46pm
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The man is singularly responsible for my passion for the Billboard charts.
As Brian W appropriately pointed out, Whitburn's love of the charts was infectious. My first collectible book was the top pop singles 1955-1986 book which I was able to find in a used bookstore in the very early 90's. Joel is the whole reason I got into all this music collecting. One of my first other books was the mid-90's yearbooks. I would match what he had listed to the singles of the time. Thanks to Joel I watched from afar as this website grew all those years. Even though I did not join until 2018 he is the main reason to this day I live to be a "pop archivist." May he rest in peace. Amen. ------------- Favorite two expressions to live by on this board: "You can't download vinyl" and "Not everything is available on CD." |
Posted By: Steve Carras
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 5:34pm
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:( I I've read about all afternoon and posted to my
facebook page (same name as mine) and my SJCarras witter account.. I still have POP MEMORIES,1986 ------------- You know you're really older when you think that younger singer Jesse McCartney's related in anyway to former Beatle Paul McCartney. |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 14 June 2022 at 7:25pm
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Paul,
I can't imagine the emptiness you feel with Joel's passing. We all are indebted to Joel and the staff of Record Research over the years. We, as kids, collected surveys and watched the charts. In my early commercial radio days, I remember going to a local cigar store to purchase a Billboard Magazine so the small town program director I worked for 35 miles away could analyze the charts and determine what the station would add, drop and play. ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth |
Posted By: kingofskiffle
Date Posted: 15 June 2022 at 12:29am
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Really saddened to hear this. I, like many of us, have a stack of his books at
home and can't fault their unparalleled accuracy and attention to detail. Joel was the chart books and Billboard. I don't have the right words, but condolences to all at Record Research and all who knew him personally. |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 15 June 2022 at 4:37am
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkqiEVWQB8s - R.I.P. Joel Whitburn |
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 15 June 2022 at 5:28am
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A touching and heartfelt tribute. Thank you Paul for
posting the link above. I'm listening to "Thank You For Being A Friend" by Andrew Gold right now and thinking of the legend (the one of a kind Mr. Whitburn). ------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 15 June 2022 at 7:41am
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Yes, I'm very sorry to hear Joel Whitburn has passed. I
do own a ton of Record Research books and I'm very glad to hear from Paul Haney that RR will continue to release new books. My very first Record Research Book was the hardcover edition of Top Pop Records 1955-1972 if I am remembering correctly. Does anyone have a picture of his first book (I think it was only published in softcover) 'Top Pop Records 1955- 1970'? I can't seem to find a photo of it online and I was curious to know what month it was first released. Andy |
Posted By: Archives Guy
Date Posted: 15 June 2022 at 7:54am
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To Paul Haney:
I just watched your very heartfelt video on the loss of Joel. I know how hard it will be for you and the Record Research family in the near future. May God bless you all!! |
Posted By: RoknRobnLoxley
Date Posted: 15 June 2022 at 12:23pm
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Deepest sympathies, Paul. We're all indebted to Joel (and you) for the decades of outstanding chart books. He turned us into the chart nuts that we are. I discovered Record Research in 1975, and have bought a ton of books ever since. Beaucoups of shelves of them, ha.
R.I.P. Joel, and thanks for helping us remember the music of our youth, and before and after. So glad to hear the company will continue... |
Posted By: AutumnAarilyn
Date Posted: 15 June 2022 at 3:25pm
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RIP Mr Whitburn!
He didn't create but he canonized the charts for future generations. He kept names and groups of the past on the tongues of many. Before Discogs, one of his books would be one of the only places you could reference someone's catalog and with a barometer of how well it did and when and how it was released. |
Posted By: jono
Date Posted: 15 June 2022 at 4:06pm
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Oh, no! So sad to hear this. I never met Joel but at one point or 2 I lived
fairly close by. I too have many of his books and they’ve always been something I would enjoy reading and organizing my collection to. I think I bought my first book in 1982. I know I bought the ‘86 version. Glad to hear RR will live on. Joel will be missed by not only those who knew him, but by those of us who were touched by his passion of music and statistics. Jon O. |
Posted By: ChicagoBill
Date Posted: 15 June 2022 at 6:04pm
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Sad news indeed. I remember in 1979 he came into my record store with a want list and I almost
had to twist his arm into autographing one of his books. -Bill. |
Posted By: davidclark
Date Posted: 16 June 2022 at 4:26am
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So sad to hear of Joel's passing. Add another collector who was influenced
immensely by Joel and his books. Being from Canada, it was a camping trip to northern NY state in 1985 where in a bookstore I came across my first Billboard Top 40 Hits book. From that moment on, I became a BB chart geek, later of course, finding the Top Pop Hits and Bubbling Under books. Lovely tribute from Paul, and happy to know RR will continue. ------------- dc1 |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 16 June 2022 at 11:19am
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Here is a link to Joel's "official" obituary:
https://www.schmidtandbartelt.com/obituaries/detail.aspx?id=16055 - Joel Whitburn - Obituary |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 16 June 2022 at 12:10pm
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Very nice obituary. Thanks for sharing, Paul. I wish I had the chance to meet Joel; he seemed like a great man. Like others have stated, he's the reason I became interested in historic chart data. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits was probably the first chart book I ever owned. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: Bellenger1981
Date Posted: 16 June 2022 at 6:14pm
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R.I.P., Joel Whitburn. His books are the only books that I
ever read. ------------- Jason Bellenger Byron Center, Michigan, USA |
Posted By: Kevin711
Date Posted: 17 June 2022 at 7:12am
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Sad news, indeed. Joel Whitburn's books were always well
written and informative. |
Posted By: 995wlol
Date Posted: 17 June 2022 at 9:14am
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I remember coming across Top Pop singles at my library in
1994. This was shortly after I got my first CD player and my eyes nearly popped out of my head at realization that I now had a resource to track down and identify nearly single I heard growing up during the 80s (which felt like a distant era from the perspective of an 18 year old). Without a doubt, that book catapulted me from buying only the "big hits" on CD to tracking down the long-forgotten obscure tunes. RIP, Mr. Whitburn. |
Posted By: Ringmaster_D
Date Posted: 18 June 2022 at 10:28am
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So very sad to hear this news. Like just about everyone here Joel’s books
sent me down the road of chart exploration that continues to this day. Along the way I’ve discovered obscure artists that I never would have heard otherwise, and sparked many friendships with other like-minded chart obsessives. I am truly grateful to Joel for enriching my life. |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 19 June 2022 at 9:38am
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Had a nice chat with our own Ron Gerber about the legacy of Joel Whitburn...
https://www.kfai.org/episode/06-17-2022-crap-from-the-past/ - Joel Whitburn Tribute - Crap From The Past |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 19 June 2022 at 9:43am
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Indeed! I've already gotten a few positive comments from some chart-obsessed listeners! Joel and Casey Kasem were largely responsible for getting me to where I am in the radio world.
The link that Paul posted will expire in two weeks; here's a permanent https://archive.org/details/cftp-2022-06-17 - link to the same interview. ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: LunarLaugh
Date Posted: 20 June 2022 at 2:19pm
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I don't think the impact of Mr. Whitburn's contribution to
the world of music history can begin to be charted (pun intended). I know that once upon a time when I was just a kid looking through the CD bins, I was amazed to see all those Rhino Billboard CDs that Joel helped put together. At the time it was rather astonishing to me that one guy was responsible for all those collections. I later got into his books and the knowledge and insight I gained from them has definitely helped shape my musical upbringing. What a legacy! RIP Joel. ------------- https://thelunarlaugh.bandcamp.com/ - Listen to The Lunar Laugh! |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 24 June 2022 at 5:06am
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I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all of the kind words about Joel. The funeral
is later today. I have the honor of delivering the eulogy. Tomorrow is the private burial service near his lake home in Waupaca, WI. Then next week, we can hopefully get back to a somewhat "normal" schedule at Record Research. |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 30 November 2022 at 11:36am
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Some more sad news to report from the Record Research family. Joel's wife, Fran Whitburn, passed away peacefully this
morning after a brief illness. She was 85. One of the kindest, sweetest souls I've ever known. She will be missed. |
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 30 November 2022 at 6:24pm
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Fran and Joel are back together again in heaven now. My
condolences to the Whitburn family. 2022 has been a tough one. Thanks for sharing the sad news with us Paul. ------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Posted By: AdvprosD
Date Posted: 30 November 2022 at 8:39pm
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I suppose it really is true that there are some folks who just can't live without one-another. Yes, very sad news, though I can't help but think they were one of those really
special couples. Thanks Paul. All my best wishes to the family. Dave ------------- <Dave> Someone please tell I-Heart Radio that St. Louis is not known as The Loo! |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 02 December 2022 at 3:45am
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I’m so sorry to hear that. What a difficult time this must be for their family
and friends. My condolences. |
Posted By: Archives Guy
Date Posted: 02 December 2022 at 9:41am
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What a difficult year for the Record Research family. Paul,
thanks for sharing the news of Fran's passing. May Fran and Joel spend their eternity together. God's blessings to the RR family. |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 02 December 2022 at 10:38am
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Fran and Joel are hand in hand again. Followed each other
to heaven. Condolences to the Record Research family. ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth |