Top Pop Singles Vol.1 (1955-89)

This book (1955-1989) contains every song that charted in 1989 (even if it peaked in 1990).

Yeah, I wish nothing but success & longevity to Joel & Paul, but for the first
time in 35 years, I'll have to pass.

Casey K taught me the fun of the Rock Era being one continuum and while I
ABSOLUTELY understand the logistics of now 2 volumes, the division fractures
too many artist / record histories. There are simply too many big artists who
are cleaved in two, with their chart accomplishments incomplete.

For Rock icons - particularly in this day of veteran artists charting every
Christmas - it's been rewarding to see where they wind up on an all-time list,
not relegated to a 'vinyl era'. But I hope it hits its target audiences and sells
well - great luck!

What are the criteria for the albums included/excluded
in this book? At first, I thought it was just Top 10
albums based on the sample page for the Beatles. But,
then the samples provided for David Bowie, the Hollies
and Buddy Holly include lower charting albums.

Is the All-Time ranking just for this volume's time
period or for the entire Pop era? If the latter,
which book(s) will contain the full ranking? I
suppose updating the All-Time ranking for each entry
in this volume will require someone to repurchase this
book each time the second volume is updated.

I agree this should have been an alphabetical split
(A-M, N-Z) than by year. An artist's entire chart
history would not be broken up between volumes and it
would better justify repurchasing both volumes when
updated in the future.

Paul, I remember the "Pop 100" was the big page for 2 or 3 issues. (Does anyone else remember this?) During those weeks, was the Hot 100 printed in a smaller font on another page? I didn't mean so much that it replaced the Hot 100. I meant that Billboard chose to make the dominant chart the "Pop 100" in a couple/few issues. I was able speaking to Billboard editor Geoff Mayfield at the time. (I was the one who gave him the idea to compile and print a "Pop 100" and luckily, he liked the idea.) But when he started its inclusion by alternating which chart seemed to be the most "present" chart in the magazine, I had commented that I felt this would seem confusing to readers. It wasn't much longer that they dropped printing the Pop 100 altogether.

I wish Joel & Paul would do a Pop Chart book based on the 'pop only charts', starting in the early 90s.

As you'll recall, at that point in time, many records began charting on the Hot 100 that had high sales but low airplay. Those being mostly rap and heavy metal, that Top 40/pop stations would not play. Stations that carried American Top 40 complained, so AT40 switched charts, from the Hot 100 to the Hot 100 Airplay chart (aka Top 40 Radio Monitor chart), then to the Top 40 Mainstream pop chart, and eventually to the Radio & Records CHR/Pop Top 50 chart.

Then on 12-5-98, Billboard changed the Hot 100 formula from a combo of singles sales + pop radio station airplay to an 'everything plus the kitchen sink' chart = singles sales + airplay from pop + R&B + rock + country. Thus 'pop' music on the Hot 100 became devalued. In my opinion, Billboard should have kept the pop Hot 100, and created a new separate 'everything' chart.

So I'm thinking it would be super kool if Joel/Paul would create a true pop chart book for 1990 and beyond, using the various Billboard pop airplay charts. It would especially fit in nicely now that they're splitting the Top Pop Singles book into 2 volumes, the 2nd covering 1990 and beyond.

Or they could produce volume 2 to include both the Hot 100 and the pop radio airplay charts. 2 sets of chart numbers per record. Now that would be sweet, and would be an extra incentive for more sales.

Who's with me?