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The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles
 
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The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles (Paperback)

by Martin Roach (Editor)
2.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
RRP: £20.00
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Product details

  • Paperback: 672 pages
  • Publisher: Virgin Books (6 Nov 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0753515377
  • ISBN-13: 978-0753515372
  • Product Dimensions: 26.2 x 19.6 x 4.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 9,683 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #47 in  Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Music > Styles > Rock & Pop

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Product Description

Product Description
From Arctic Monkeys and ABBA to the Zutons and Ziggy Stardust, from 'Anarchy in the UK' to 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah' - and over 30,000 hit singles in between - this collector's must-have contains everything you could possibly want to know about every single to reach the charts since 1952. Packed full of charts, lists, facts and timelines as well as up-to-date information, extensive cross references and analysis from Martin Roach, this is the perfect book for music buffs, downloaders glued to iPods and budding Mark Ronsons. This new edition, previously published by Guinness World Records, is the first to be published under the Virgin brand with a whole new look. With new feature material covering a huge range of areas, bands and history from industry-insider Martin Roach, it's an essential part of any serious music fan's collection.

From the Back Cover
How many covers of ‘Yesterday’ have been released?
What was Amy Winehouse’s first single?
What was No. 1 the day you were born?
What was the original name of the Pogues?
What do downloads mean for the charts?
How long did Gnarls Barkley spend at No. 1 with ‘Crazy’?
How many singles did Echo and the Bunnymen release?
James Last has sold 70 million albums worldwide but how many No. 1 singles has he had?
What chart position did 'Chelsea Dagger' reach?
What country did Black Box come from?
How many No. 1 singles did Dexy's Midnight Runners have?
Which Britney Spears single features Madonna?
How many decades did Frank Sinatra's recording career span?

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles
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The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles 2.4 out of 5 stars (40)
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Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles (16th Edition) 4.8 out of 5 stars (20)
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The Virgin Book of British Hit Albums 3.5 out of 5 stars (2)
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Hit Singles: Top 20 Charts from 1954 to the Present Day (US and UK) (Hit Singles)
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Customer Reviews

40 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:
 (8)
1 star:
 (16)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
2.4 out of 5 stars (40 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Must try harder., 6 Nov 2008
By P. Burton (Kent, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I own every one of the Guinness Hit Singles books even though I stopped following the charts several years ago. Each successive edition has tried to offer added value and generally succeeded. Being charitable, if Guinness decided to end the series we should be grateful to Virgin for picking up the rights. Being more critical, I have to say that the layout, print size and additional information just don't match up to the Guinness editions which I always felt were a labour of love. It will probably be the last I buy which as someone who from 1974 to around 2002 always knew what was number one is quite sad really.The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Chart Details Missing . . . and What Everyone Else Said, 9 Dec 2008
By Rodney W. Walker (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
My last Guinness book was the 12th Edition, published in 1999. I was fed up with the way pages fell away from the binding after little use. This had happened to each of the previous editions I had (2 Singles and 1 Album). When I heard British Hit Singles was coming out from a new publisher, I thought the binding couldn't be worse and I'd have information on the past decade of singles. So I ordered it unseen. I wish I had waited; I'd rather have the last Guniness edition.

I just received the book in the post today and found problems with it. Information with the entry that a single has re-entered the charts or entered after a reissue is missing. You might notice that the track is listed previously, but I'd like to know if it's the same recording as before. It looks like re-mixed singles are still indicated. So, does that mean if "REMIX" isn't listed, I can assume it's the same recording? Take "We've Got Tonight" and "Hollywood Nights" by Bob Seger. Their second appearance in the charts are tracks from a live album. The original charting tracks were different, studio recordings. But from Virgin's book, you'd think you'd have the charting versions if you had the studio recordings. Wrong. (Upon reissue, a track may be given a new catalog number; so the differing catalog numbers here are not a dead giveaway, and certainly don't indicate a live recording.)

You want something more definitively inaccurate? The Goons hit with "I'm Waking Backward for Christmas" in 1956. A few weeks later, its flip side, "Bluebottle Blues", also entered the chart. But the Virgin book claims both sides charted the same week. Or that's the only way I can figure to read their listing of both sides under the same date. And there are scores of other singles with different entry dates for their differing sides. (Or where one side, such as Gary Miller's "The Night Is Young", dropped out after 3 weeks while its flip continued for another 6 weeks in the top 75. Whoops, another 5 weeks in the top 40 since this book doesn't concern itself with with total weeks in the charts. It only worries about weeks in the top 40, as others have mentioned.)

More? The two Ipanema tracks under Stan Getz gives the wrong billings. ("Stan Getz" and "Stan Getz and Astrutd Gilberto" instead of "Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto" and "Astrud Gilberto" -- which the Guinness book confirmed both were the same recording.)

EPs? Who knows what tracks were on them.

I guess I won't be giving the binding on the Virgin book much of a workout.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Ian Dury was right!, 22 Nov 2008
By Poptastic (Suffolk) - See all my reviews
You'll be able to find his first hit single in this new book, but I think it's title sums up my impession of it.
As others have pointed out, the exclusion of a list of UK number one singles from this volume is a complete mystery to me. It's surely a necessary requirement in any book of this type to be able to compare number one records year on year - not in this book though.
It's not a patch on the Collins Complete Hit Singles - that has terrific information about the bands themselves and not just a mundane list of their chart successes.
Hopefully the publishers will take note of these reviews before the album version comes out next year.
My advice - shop around for the most recent Collins or Guinness. If it's the most recent hits you're after, get the details online.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than nothing.
I purchased the Virgin Book about 3 months ago and, like many other comments, it does lack the precision, layout and additional info that the Guinness Books provided. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Mr. Andrew Knight

3.0 out of 5 stars At least we've got one !
I have noticed there are quite a few negative responses from other reviews for this publication, and although I agree with some of them, I don't think Virgin have been given much... Read more
Published 29 days ago by Mr. M. Stylianou

2.0 out of 5 stars Klaxons Klack Up
As the other reviews suggest it is not a patch on the Guinness books that preceded it, however it wouldn't take any more than a couple of days for a music expert to proof read the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Reviewhound 2009

3.0 out of 5 stars Virgin British Hit Singles
The product was recived very quickly and in excellent condition. Howver this is more a gripe at Virgin than anyone else. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mottys Mic

2.0 out of 5 stars Not enough detail!
I was given this book as a gift to replace my out of date copy of the guinness book of hit singles & albums,and while this book does everything it says on the cover, when you open... Read more
Published 1 month ago by D. P. Chidlow

2.0 out of 5 stars Not as informative as the Guiness Book
Purchased the book expecting it to be like the Guiness book of hit singles/albums, I have to say find it dissappointing, the list of songs etc are there but no extras such as lead... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. A. Simpson

2.0 out of 5 stars must do much better
The average rating for this item is just over two stars, and that is what this is worth.

For regular buyers of the former 'Guinness' book of British Hits, this is a... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Red Rose

1.0 out of 5 stars oh dear
We know the Guinness books of hit singles from the past. Badly bound, in later years scruffily designed, but chock full of information. Read more
Published 2 months ago by vastariner

4.0 out of 5 stars Music memories reborn
I have bought an ipod touch and needed to remember artists and songs from 1975 onwards. This book has provided the answers I needed . Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Stedman

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Try Virgin
As a part time DJ the former "Guinness Book of Hit Singles & Albums" was my bible. After a few years going by without a Guinness issue and no apparent announcement of their... Read more
Published 4 months ago by P. Killick

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