As with all these collections, it provides a window onto a dynamic and exciting musical environment

This release fills in another of the gaps in our strand of R&B and country collections associated with Acrobat's popular 'America's Greatest Hits' series, this one focusing on the top R&B records in the US Billboard charts during 1953. This great value 91-track 4-CD anthology includes, with the exception of certain records which are unavailable for inclusion due to copyright restrictions, just about every record which appeared during the year in the published Top 10 'Best Selling Retail Rhythm & Blues Records' and 'Most Played Juke Box Rhythm & Blues' charts. It was a fascinating time in R&B, with different elements of the genre creating the musical landscape from which rock 'n' roll was would soon emerge - Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, Ruth Brown and Big Joe Turner had hits during the year, not to mention Big Mama Thornton's original version of 'Hound Dog' - and the collection sees doowop groups like The Clovers and The Orioles jostling for elbow room with electric blues artists like B.B. King, Little Walter and Muddy Waters, and old school jump blues bands like Buddy Johnson, alongside solo singers like Big Maybelle, Chuck Willis and Varetta Dillard. As with all these collections, it provides a window onto a dynamic and exciting musical environment, and includes a number of unfamiliar names and recordings of which even enthusiasts of the genre 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 as well as full discographical and chart information.

Track Listing

Disc 1:

• Willie Mabon - I Don't Know
• Tommy Dorsey & His Orch - Once In A While
• Eddie Boyd - Five Long Years
• Little Walter & His Night Cats - Sad Hours
• The Clovers - I Played The Fool
• Shirley & Lee - I'm Gone
• Little Walter - Juke
• Lloyd Price - Oooh, Oooh, Oooh
• Chuck Willis - My Story
• Little Walter & His Night Cats - Mean Old World
• Johnny Ace - My Song
• The Clovers - Hey Miss Fannie
• Big Maybelle - Gabbin' Blues
• B.B. King - You Know I Love You
• Illinois Jacquet - Port Of Rico
• The Five Royales - Baby Don't Do It
• Jesse & Marvin - Dream Girl
• Johnny Ace - Cross My Heart
• Lloyd Price - Tell Me Pretty Baby
• Jimmy Forrest - Hey Mrs Jones
• Lloyd Price - Ain't It A Shame
• Linda Hayes - Yes I Know (What You're Putting Down)
• Ruth Brown - Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean
• Elmore James - I Believe

Disc 2:

• Nat King Cole - Pretend
• Amos Milburn - Let Me Go Home Whiskey
• Danny Overbea - Train, Train
• The Clovers - Crawlin'
• Earl Forest - Whoopin' And Hollerin'
• Emitt Slay Trio - My Kind Of Woman
• Eddie Boyd - 24 Hours
• B.B. King - Woke Up This Morning
• Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton - Hound Dog
• King Pleasure - Red Top
• Sax Kari & Gloria irving - Daughter, That's Your Red Wagon
• Rufus Thomas - Bear Cat
• Du Droppers - I Wanna Know
• Fats Domino - Goin' To The River
• Little Walter and the Night Cats - Tell Me, Mama
• Willie Mabon - I'm Mad
• Chuck Willis - Goin' To The River
• The 5 Royales - Help Me Somebody
• Little Walter - Off The Wall
• The 5 Royales - Crazy, Crazy,Cray
• The Vocaleers - Is It A Dream
• Mitzi Mars - I'm Glad
• Mercy Dee - One Room Country Shack

Disc 3:

• Big Maybelle - Way Back Home
• Ruth Brown - Wild, Wild Young Men
• Buddy Johnson - Hittin' On Me
• B.B. King - Please Love Me
• The Du Droppers - I Found Out
• Nat King Cole - Can't I
• Eddie Boyd And His Chess Men - Third Degree
• Johnny Ace - The Clock
• Roy Milton - Early In The Morning
• The Crickets - You're Mine
• Jimmy Wilson - Tin Pan Alley
• Varetta Dillard - Mercy Mr. Percy
• Ruth Brown - Mend Your Ways
• The Clovers - Good Lovin'
• Fats Domino - Please Don't Leave Me
• Chuck Willis - Don't Deceive Me
• Sonny Til & The Orioles - Cryin' In The Chapel
• The 5 Royales - Too Much Lovin'
• Faye Adams - Shake A Hand
• Johnny Moore - Dragnet Blues
• The Spaniels - Baby It's You
• Amos Milburn - One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer

Disc 4:

• Joe Turner - Honey Hush
• The Coronets - Nadine
• Little Junior's Blue Flames - Feelin' Good
• B.B. KIng - Please Hurry Home
• Fats Domino - Rosemary
• The Orioles - In The Mission Of St. Augustine
• Little Walter and the Jukes - Blues With A Feeling
• Dinah Washington - TV Is The Thing
• Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters - Money Honey
• Memphis Slim - The Come Back
• Joe Morris - I Had A Notion
• Jimmy Liggins - Drunk
• Dinah Washington - Fat Daddy
• Kid King's Combo - Banana Split
• Muddy Waters - Mad Love
• Four Tunes - Marie
• Four Blazes - Perfect Woman
• Big Maybelle - My Country Man
• The Clovers - Comin' On
• Marvin & Johnny - Baby Doll
• Faye Adams - I'll Be True
• Fats Domino - Something Wrong
• Johnny Ace - Saving My Love For You

Additional Details

Label: Acrobat

Genre: Rap/Hip Hop

Language: English

Run Time: 288 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 02/06/26

UPC: 824046719524