Various Artists - America's Greatest Hits 1948 (Various Artists) (CD)

We complete our popular and successful series devoted to the biggest chart records of each calendar year in the early chart era as we focus on 1948, the eighth full calendar year of the Billboard Best Sellers chart which was launched in July 1940. Acrobat now boasts a complete series of these collections from 1940 through to 1962. This great value 103-track 4-CD set comprises just about every record which peaked in the Top 15 of the Billboard Best Sellers chart or in the Top 15 of the Cash Box chart during the year. For reasons of space, it excludes those records were still in the chart at the start of the year, but which peaked in the Top 10 in 1947, and so are included in our existing 1947 collection. It was a big year for solo vocalists, who were starting to dominate as the big swing bands declined in the era of post-war austerity and the burgeoning medium of television offered new promotional opportunities, although the "sweet" orchestras with their featured singers continued to hold sway, and the year had it's customary smattering of novelty songs, often in jazzy R&B or country styles. Eight different records made No. 1 in the Best Sellers, with some having lengthy chart runs. As usual, there were also quite a number of highly collectable records by some artists we don't hear too much about these days. It makes for an intriguing and very entertaining musical snapshot of the music scene during a period of creative transition as the world finally settled down after the turbulent years of conflict. It includes a 15,000+ word booklet with a commentary on every record as well as full discographical and chart information.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. Ray Noble ; His Orchestra with Buddy Clark - I'll Dance at Your Wedding
2. Jack Smith with the Clark Sisters - Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)
3. Peggy Lee - Golden Earrings
4. Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro - How Soon
5. Buddy Clark - Ballerina
6. Doris Day - Papa, Won't You Dance with Me?
7. Vaughn Monroe ; His Orchestra - How Soon
8. Margaret Whiting - Pass That Peace Pipe
9. Bing Crosby - Ballerina
10. Francis Craig ; His Orchestra - Beg Your Pardon
11. Frank Sinatra - a Fellow Needs a Girl
12. Art Mooney and His Orchestra - I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover
13. Bing Crosby - Now Is the Hour
14. Peggy Lee - Manana
15. Guy Lombardo ; His Royal Canadians - I'm My Own Grandpaw
16. Buddy Clark ; Ray Noble - Two Loves Have I (J'ai Deux Amours)
17. Gracie Fields - Now Is the Hour
18. Frankie Carle Orchestra - (I'm A-Comin' A-Courtin') Corabelle
19. Ray Noble ; His Orchestra with Buddy Clark - (The Treasure of) Sierra Madre
20. Ray McKinley ; Orchestra - Your Red Wagon
21. Frankie Carle ; His Orchestra - Beg Your Pardon
22. Eddy Howard ; His Orchestra - Now Is the Hour
23. Dinah Shore - in a Little Book Shop
24. Russ Morgan ; His Orchestra - I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover
25. Uptown String Band - I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover

Disc: 2

1. Arthur Godfrey ; the Too Fat Trio - Slap 'Er Down Again, Paw
2. Margaret Whiting - Now Is the Hour
3. Perry Como - Pianissimo
4. The Three Suns ; Artie Dunn - I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover
5. Larry Green ; His Orchestra - Beg Your Pardon
6. Perry Como - Because
7. Frank Sinatra - But Beautiful
8. Vic Damone - Thoughtless
9. Frankie Laine - Shine
10. Arthur Godfrey ; the Too Fat Trio - the Thousand Islands Song
11. Art Mooney and His Orchestra - Baby Face
12. Woody Herman ; His Orchestra - Sabre Dance
13. Freddy Martin ; His Orchestra - Sabre Dance Boogie
14. Ken Griffin at the Organ - You Can't Be True, Dear
15. Dick Haymes - Little White Lies
16. Perry Como - Haunted Heart
17. Tex Beneke ; His Orchestra - St. Louis Blues March
18. Nat King Cole - Nature Boy
19. Vaughn Monroe ; His Orchestra - Matinee
20. Andrews Sisters - Toolie Oolie Doolie (The Yodel Polka)
21. Peggy Lee - Laroo Laroo Lili Bolero
22. Freddy Martin ; His Orchestra - the Dickie Bird Song
23. Vaughn Horton ; His Polka Debs - Toolie Oolie Doolie (The Yodel Polka)
24. Jon and Sondra Steele - My Happiness
25. Swing ; Sway with Sammy Kaye - Tell Me a Story
26. Frankie Yankovic ; His Yanks - Just Because

Disc: 3

1. Stan Kenton and His Orchestra - the Peanut Vendor
2. Kay Kyser ; His Orchestra - Woody Woodpecker
3. Buddy Clark ; Doris Day - Love Somebody
4. Dick Haymes ; the Song Spinners - You Can't Be True, Dear
5. "T". Texas Tyler - Deck of Cards
6. Spike Jones ; His City Slickers - William Tell Overture
7. The Sportsmen - You Can't Be True, Dear
8. Pied Pipers - My Happiness
9. Bing Crosby - a Fella with An Umbrella
10. Andrews Sisters - Heartbreaker
11. Al Trace ; His New Orchestra, Vocal Bob Vincent - You Call Everybody Darlin'
12. Pee Wee Hunt - Twelfth Street Rag
13. Ella Fitzgerald with the Song Spinners - My Happiness
14. Ken Griffin at the Organ - You Can't Be True, Dear
15. Jack Smith with the Clark Sisters - Tea Leaves
16. The Sportsmen ; Mel Blanc - Woody Woodpecker
17. Perry Como - Better Luck Next Time
18. Doris Day ; Buddy Clark - Confess
19. Gordon Jenkins ; His Orchestracharles Lavere Chorus - Maybe You'll Be There
20. Vaughn Monroe ; His Orchestra - the Majarajah of Magador
21. Doris Day - It 's Magic
22. Margaret Whiting - a Tree in the Meadow
23. Perry Como - Rambling Rose
24. Primo Scala's Banjo ; Accordion Orchestra - Underneath the Arches
25. Art Mooney and His Orchestra - Bluebird of Happiness
26. Dick Haymes - It's Magic

Disc: 4

1. Anne Vincent - You Call Everybody Darlin'
2. Vaughn Monroe ; His Orchestra - Cool Water
3. Jack Smith with the Clark Sisters - You Call Everybody Darlin'
4. Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra - Until
5. Tony Martin - It's Magic
6. Ray McKinley ; Some of the Boys - You Came a Long Way (From St. Louis)
7. Andrews Sisters - Underneath the Arches
8. Dick Haymes - Every Day I Love You
9. Dinah Shore ; Her Happy Valley Boys - Buttons and Bows
10. Gordon MacRae - Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue
11. Vic Damone - Lillette
12. The Blue Barron Orchestra - You Were Only Fooling
13. Jo Stafford ; Gordon MacRae (W/The Starlighters) - Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart
14. Benny Strong ; His Orchestra - That Certain Party
15. Kay Kyser ; His Orchestra - on a Slow Boat to China
16. The Dinning Sisters - Buttons and Bows
17. Carmen Miranda ; the Andrews Sisters - Cuanto la Gusta
18. Carson Robison ; Pleasant Valley Boys - Life Gits Tee-Jus Don't It
19. Freddy Martin ; His Orchestra - on a Slow Boat to China
20. Jo Stafford ; Gordon MacRae - My Darling, My Darling
21. Benny Goodman ; His Orchestra - on a Slow Boat to China
22. Eddy Howard ; His Orchestra - (I'd Love to Get You) on a Slow Boat to China
23. Doris Day ; Buiddy Clark - My Darling, My Darling
24. Spike Jones ; His City Slickers - All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
25. Paula Watson - a Little Bird Told Me
26. Swing ; Sway with Sammy Kaye - Down Among the Sheltering Palms