Acrobat Music's series of British Hit Parade collections has become an essential annual purchase for a significant number of collectors and enthusiasts who wish to hear and own every record that entered the British record charts during each year. As the collections move into the 60s, the steady but inexorable shift in the balance of the music styles represented in the charts continues. As with 1960, when the New Musical Express and Record Retailer charts were extended to a Top 50, and including all the records which only charted in Melody Maker, Disc or Record Mirror, the number of titles in the complete anthology is well over 300 this case 327, to be exact.
Part two includes the original versions of every record that entered the charts mentioned between 28th April and 7th September (one 7th September entry starts Part 3) in chronological order of chart entry, with nearly four hours of eclectic and fascinating entertainment. Part Three includes the original versions of every record that entered the charts mentioned between 7th September and 30th December in chronological order of chart entry, with nearly four hours of eclectic and fascinating entertainment. Part One includes the original versions of every record that entered the charts mentioned between 1st January and the 27th April (one 28th April entry starts Part 2) in chronological order of chart entry, with nearly four hours of eclectic and fascinating entertainment.
The charts of 1961 saw several important new names making their debut alongside the big names of rock n roll who had managed to achieve commercial longevity which the Tin Pan Alley pundits said they would never do. There were still the inevitable lightweight novelty hits, and a strong showing from the trad jazz fraternity, while the popularity of instrumental hits of all kinds continued. Some excellent soul-flavoured American hits made their impact this year, while many 50s-era crooners maintained a solid chart presence. With the extended chart, there are also a healthy helping of obscure and collectable one-hit wonders.
| Disc 1 |
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| Track |
Artist |
Title |
| 1 |
Jealousy |
Billy Fury |
| 2 |
You Don't Know What You've Got |
Ral Donner |
| 3 |
Together |
Connie Francis |
| 4 |
Hats Off To Larry |
Del Shannon |
| 5 |
Get Lost |
Eden Kane |
| 6 |
Who Put The Bomp |
The Viscounts |
| 7 |
Drivin' Home |
Duane Eddy |
| 8 |
Don't Bet Money Honey |
Linda Scott |
| 9 |
You'll Answer To Me |
Cleo Laine |
| 10 |
Cryin' |
Roy Orbison |
| 11 |
Hole In The Bucket |
Harry Belafonte & Odetta |
| 12 |
Lonely Street |
Clarence 'Frogman' Henry |
| 13 |
Why Can't You |
Clarence 'Frogman' Henry |
| 14 |
Frankie & Johnny |
Brook Benton |
| 15 |
Sucu Sucu |
Laurie Johnson |
| 16 |
Walkin' Back To Happiness |
Helen Shapiro |
| 17 |
Granada |
Frank Sinatra |
| 18 |
Hard Hearted Hannah |
The Temperance Seven |
| 19 |
Chili Bom Bom |
The Temperance Seven |
| 20 |
I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door |
Eddie Hodges |
| 21 |
Sucu Sucu |
Ping Ping & Al Verlaine |
| 22 |
Longtime Boy |
Nina & Frederick |
| 23 |
Gonna Build A Mountain |
Matt Monro |
| 24 |
Wild Wind |
John Leyton |
| 25 |
Bless You |
Tony Orlando |
| 26 |
My Boomerang Won't Come Back |
Charlie Drake |
| 27 |
Sucu Sucu |
Nina & Frederick |
| 28 |
Muskrat |
Everly Brothers |
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| Disc 2 |
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| Track |
Title |
Artist |
| 1 |
Don't Blame Me |
Everly Brothers |
| 2 |
Amor Amor |
Ben E. King |
| 3 |
Caravan |
Duane Eddy |
| 4 |
Sucu Sucu |
Ted Heath |
| 5 |
You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby |
Bobby Darin |
| 6 |
Tribute To Buddy Holly |
Mike Berry |
| 7 |
When The Girl In Your Arms Is The Girl In Your Heart |
Cliff Richard |
| 8 |
Hit The Road Jack |
Ray Charles |
| 9 |
Mexicali Rose |
Karl Denver |
| 10 |
Let's Get Together |
Hayley Mills |
| 11 |
Sucu Sucu |
Joe Loss |
| 12 |
Got A Funny Feeling |
Cliff Richard |
| 13 |
Big Bad John |
Jimmy Dean |
| 14 |
Take Good Care Of My Baby |
Bobby Vee |
| 15 |
The Time Has Come |
Adam Faith |
| 16 |
Take Five |
Dave Brubeck Quartet |
| 17 |
I'm A Moody Guy |
Shane Fenton and the Fentones |
| 18 |
The Mountan's High |
Dick & Deedee |
| 19 |
Sad Movies |
Carol Deene |
| 20 |
Come September |
Bobby Darin |
| 21 |
Moon River |
Danny Williams |
| 22 |
His Latest Flame |
Elvis Presley |
| 23 |
Little Sister |
Elvis Presley |
| 24 |
More Money For You And Me (Medley) |
Four Preps |
| 25 |
Stars And Stripes Forever |
Mr. Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band |
| 26 |
Creole Jazz |
Mr. Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band |
| 27 |
This Time |
Troy Shondell |
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| Disc 3 |
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| Track |
Title |
Artist |
| 1 |
Runaround Sue |
Dion |
| 2 |
Sad Movies |
Sue Thompson |
| 3 |
Night Of The Vampire |
Moontrekkers |
| 4 |
Tower Of Strength |
Frankie Vaughan |
| 5 |
Midnight In Moscow |
Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen |
| 6 |
Tomorrow's Clown |
Marty Wilde |
| 7 |
Runaround Sue |
Doug Sheldon |
| 8 |
Hey Look Me Over |
Ronnie Hilton |
| 9 |
My Friend The Sea |
Petula Clark |
| 10 |
The Savage |
The Shadows |
| 11 |
Bambino |
The Springfields |
| 12 |
I Love How You Love Me |
Jimmy Crawford |
| 13 |
Everlovin' |
Ricky Nelson |
| 14 |
Let True Love Begin |
Nat King Cole |
| 15 |
Fool Number One |
Brenda Lee |
| 16 |
Tower Of Strength |
Gene McDaniels |
| 17 |
Married |
Brook Brothers |
| 18 |
I'll Get By |
Shirley Bassey |
| 19 |
You're The Only Good Thing |
Jim Reeves |
| 20 |
King Kong |
Terry Lightfoot & His New Orleans Jazzmen |
| 21 |
My Sunday Baby |
Dale Sisters |
| 22 |
The Way You Look Tonight |
The Lettermen |
| 23 |
The Coffee Song |
Frank Sinatra |
| 24 |
Stranger On The Shore |
Mr. Acker Bilk with the Leon Young String Chorale |
| 25 |
Toy Balloons |
Russ Conway |
| 26 |
I Understand |
G-Clefs |
| 27 |
Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie |
Eddie Cochran |
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| Disc 4 |
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|
| Track |
Title |
Artist |
| 1 |
September In The Rain |
Dinah Washington |
| 2 |
What A Party |
Fats Domino |
| 3 |
Helen (EP) |
Helen Shapiro |
| 4 |
Johnny Will |
Pat Boone |
| 5 |
So Long Baby |
Del Shannon |
| 6 |
Don't Bring Lulu |
Dorothy Provine |
| 7 |
Charleston |
The Temperance Seven |
| 8 |
Tall Dark Stranger |
Rose Brennan |
| 9 |
Gypsy Rover |
The Highwaymen |
| 10 |
Moon River |
Henry Mancini |
| 11 |
Let There Be Drums |
Sandy Nelson |
| 12 |
I'd Never Find Another You |
Billy Fury |
| 13 |
Mrs. Mills' Medley |
Mrs. Mills |
| 14 |
Goodbye Cruel World |
James Darren |
| 15 |
Baby's First Christmas |
Connie Francis |
| 16 |
I Cried For You |
Ricky Stevens |
| 17 |
Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen |
Neil Sedaka |
| 18 |
Multiplication |
Bobby Darin |
| 19 |
Run To Him |
Bobby Vee |
| 20 |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
The Tokens |
| 21 |
There Goes That Song Again |
Gary Miller |
| 22 |
The Night Is Young |
Gary Miller |
| 23 |
Image |
Hank Levine |
| 24 |
Give Us A Kiss For Christmas |
Lionel Bart |
| 25 |
Son This Is She |
John Leyton |
| 26 |
Cong Along Please |
Bob Wallis & His Storyville Jazz Band |
| 27 |
The Language Of Love |
John D. Loudermilk |