Telstar Hot 100 December 22nd 1962 (Various Artists)

• Track Listing

As adjuncts to our highly popular "America's Greatest Hits" series of collections for each calendar year in the 50s and early '60s, we have already produced collections based on landmark moments in the Billboard charts - "The First Top 100 Nov. 1955" (ACQCD7062), "The First Hot 100 Aug. 1958" (ACQCD7083), "The First Hot 100 of the '60s" (ACQCD7097), "The 'Heartbreak Hotel' Top 100" (ACQCD7122)and "The Day The Music Died - Feb 3rd 1959 Hot 100" (ACQCD7134) each comprising all the records in the Top 100 for the date in question. This collection celebrates a landmark event of 1962, the launching of the first telecommunications satellite Telstar on July 10th, a multinational project involving the USA, UK and France, which revolutionised transatlantic TV broadcasting as well as telephone and other communications, and helped bring the world closer together. Within weeks the event had inspired the British band The Tornados to record Joe Meek's iconic instrumental composition and production " "Telstar" which made No. 1 in the UK in September and stayed there for five weeks. It entered the US Hot 100 while it was at No. 1 in the UK, and rose to make No. 1 in Christmas week. This collection comprises just about all the records in the Billboard Hot 100 of that week (a couple of records are unavailable for copyright reasons) and it provides a fascinating and evocative snapshot of the music scene at the end of an important and optimistic year. It's a window onto a dynamic and exciting musical environment, and includes a number of unfamiliar names and recordings of which even pop enthusiasts may not be too aware, and which will be welcome additions to their collections. It contains a 12,000+ word booklet featuring background notes on every record.