VA - The R&B Hits Collection 1955 (2025)

This fills in another of the gaps on our strand of R&B and country collections associated with Acrobat's highly popular 'America's Greatest Hits' series, this one focusing on the top R&B records in the US Billboard charts during 1955. This great value 104-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 peaked 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 strands of the genre creating the musical landscape from which rock 'n' roll was already emerging - Bill Haley's 'Rock Around The Clock', Little Richard's 'Tutti Frutti'and Chuck Berry's 'Maybelline' were hits during this year along with hits by the likes of Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley and Ruth Brown that were rock 'n' roll in all but name. There are numerous doowop groups like The Platters, The Penguins, the and The Clovers, sophisticated vocalists like Dinah Washington and Roy Hamilton, the electric Chicago guitar blues of B.B. King, Muddy Waters, ,Jimmy Reed and Little Walter and even a pop interloper in Pat Boone, doing one of his covers of R&B hits. 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 List:
Disc 1
01 The Charms - Hearts of Stone
02 The Penguins - Earth Angel
03 The Drifters feat. Clyde McPhatter and Bill Pinkney - White Christmas
04 The Moonglows - Sincerely
05 Dinah Washington - Teach Me Tonight
06 B. B. "Blues Boy" King And His Orchestra - You Upset Me Baby
07 Lowell Fulson - Reconsider Baby
08 The Five Keys - Ling, Ting, Tong
09 Joe Turner & His Blues Kings - Shake, Rattle And Roll
10 Roy Hamilton - Hurt
11 Ruth Brown - Mambo Baby
12 Little Walter and the Jukes - Last Night
13 Willie Mabon - Poison Ivy
14 Spiders - Twenty One (21)
15 LaVern Baker & The Gliders with Orchestra - Tweedle Dee
16 Faye Adams - Hurts Me To My Heart
17 The Charms - Ling, Ting, Tong (Version 2)
18 Johnny Ace - Pledging My Love
19 Ray Charles and his Band - I've Got A Woman
20 B. B. "Blues Boy" King And His Orchestra - Every Day I Have The Blues
21 Gene & Eunice - Ko Ko Mo
22 Bill Haley & The Comets - Dim Dim The Lights
23 B. B. "Blues Boy" King and "The Kingsmen" - Sneakin' Around
24 Ray Charles and his Band - Come Back
25 Etta James And The Peaches - The Wallflower (Dance With Me Henry)

Disc 2
01 Dinah Washington - That's All I Want From You
02 Varetta Dillard - Johnny Has Gone
03 Buddy Johnson - Gotta Go (Upside Your Head)
04 Jimmy Reed - You Don't Have To Go
05 Charms - Two Hearts
06 Little Walter and the Jukes - My Babe
07 The Five Keys - Close Your Eyes
08 Fats Domino - Don't You Know
09 Joe Turner & His Blues Kings - Flip, Flop And Fly
10 Hearts - Lonely Nights
11 Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters - What 'Cha Gonna Do
12 The Clovers - Blue Velvet
13 The Moonglows - Most of All
14 Nappy Brown - Don't Be Angry
15 Al Hibbler - Unchained Melody
16 Danderliers - Chop Chop Boom
17 Cardinals - Door Is Still Open
18 Roy Hamilton - Unchained Melody (Version 2)
19 LaVern Baker and the Gliders - Bop Ting-A-Ling
20 LaVern Baker and the Gliders - That's All I Need
21 Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
22 Bo Diddley - I'm A Man
23 Fats Domino - Ain't It A Shame
24 Gene & Eunice - This Is My Story
25 Dinah Washington - If It's The Last Thing I Do
26 Dinah Washington - I Diddie

Disc 3
01 The Nutmegs - Story Untold
02 Marigolds - Rollin' Stone
03 Ruth Brown and Her Rhythmakers - I Can See Everybody's Baby
04 Ruth Brown and Her Rhythmakers - As Long As I'm Moving
05 Bill Haley & his Comets - Rock Around The Clock
06 Ray Charles - Fool For You
07 Four Fellows - Soldier Boy
08 Count Basie - Every Day
09 Ray Charles - This Little Girl Of Mine
10 Louis Brooks & The Hi-Toppers - It's Love Baby (24 Hours A Day)
11 Bo Diddley - Diddley Daddy
12 Nappy Brown - Piddley Patter Patter
13 J.B. Lenore - Mama Talk To Your Daughter
14 Muddy Waters - Manish Boy
15 The Platters - Only You
16 Roy Hamilton - Forgive This Fool
17 Chuck Berry - Maybelline
18 Johnny Ace - Anymore
19 The Jacks - Why Don't You Write Me
20 Shirley & Lee - Feel So Good
21 Rollee McGill - There Goes That Train
22 Smiley Lewis - I Hear You Knockin'
23 Joe Turner & His Blues Kings - Hide And Seek
24 Chuck Berry - Wee Wee Hours
25 Fats Domino - All By Myself
26 Ruth Brown - It's Love Baby (24 Hours A Day) (Version 2)

Disc 4
01 The Clovers - Nip Sip
02 Earl King - Those Lonely, Lonely Nights
03 The El Dorados - At My Front Door
04 B. B. "Blues Boy" King And His Orchestra - Ten Long Years
05 Spaniels - Your Painted Pictures
06 Sonny Boy Williamson - Don't Start Me Talkin'
07 Al Hibbler - He
08 Ray Charles - Blackjack
09 Ray Charles - Greenbacks
10 LaVern Baker & The Gliders with Orchestra - Play It Fair
11 Colts - Adorable
12 Dinah Washington - I Concentrate On You
13 Chuck Berry - Thirty Days (To Come Back Home)
14 Jay McShann - Hands Off
15 Etta James - Good Rockin' Daddy
16 Drifters - Adorable (Version 2)
17 Bill Haley & his Comets - Burn That Candle
18 Fats Domino - Poor Me
19 Pat Boone - At My Front Door (Version 2)
20 Little Richard - Tutti Frutti
21 Dinah Washington - You Might Have Told Me
22 Dinah Washington - I'm Lost Without You Tonight
23 The Spiders - Witchcraft
24 Robins - Smokey Joe's Café
25 The Turbans - When You Dance
26 The Platters - The Great Pretender
27 Muddy Waters - Sugar Sweet