POP HITS

If ever there was a category that could be an accurate cross-section of culture in general, and pop culture in particular, of the Golden Age, then this category has to be it. Such a wide variety of pop music is represented here, and such a diversity of styles, from the sublime Blooming Hits to the downright trashy Hot Shots. It seems all tastes are catered for here, and yet this is only the tip of the iceberg, for there is far more to come yet. Meantime, just savour these and ponder on whether you wish you could go back to those days or not.

My fave has to be the cover for Chartbusting Motortown Hits. The girl is typical of the early seventies, and representative of the fashion. I just love it. And if you look closely at some of the others, you'll see some familiar faces that appear in the other categories as most of the models were busy doing the rounds for the same agencies used by the various record labels.

Note how the titles for such compilations seemed to be in short supply. Hence you get not one but two records called Popmobility,  and  imaginative titles like Pop Hits, Chart Hits, Smash Hits, Chartbusters, Hits of 73, 74, etc., as well as less successful series like the World Top 12, England's Top 12. It seems the hits kept coming. And so did the cheap compilations.

Rather late in the day comes another trashy cover which is trying to be with it: Open Top Cars and Girls in T-Shirts. Who ever thought that title up most have been taxing his brain to the limit. So what does he do? He sticks three girls wearing T-shirts in an open top car. How imaginative, but we don't care because the one in the back wearing the cap has a great pair of legs. See for yourself on the gatefold spread here. Note also, the typeface used on the cover for Hits Hits Hits is the same stencil font used for the Hot Hits albums. And interestingly enough, the former came out in 1972, well after the latter series had started. So it looks like this was just a plain case of ripping-off a popular and successful series.

Not only was England churning out garbage like this, so also was the rest of Europe, particularly Germany and its love of the Hammond. Even South Africa had a go with its Springbok series published in Johannesburg. The only one I've got here is typical, and like all the rest features cover girls. More to follow soon. For the time being have a good look at the back cover which I much prefer.

And what happened to the girl on the cover of the Million Sellers of the 50's? She looks like she lost her knickers on the way to the photo session. It's a pity then that the designers decided to make the photo slightly out of focus (so the pubes wouldn't be so visible perhaps?). Not so for the Pye Chart Busters cover where the nips are all too clearly visible. Note the nod to the punk era of 1977 on the cover of Ripper '77; the title has sinister connotations though, if alluding to Jack; either way the hole ripped in the model's leather shorts is hugely exploitative, and not funny at all.

Make You Sweat, somewhat more modern than the rest here, has a better pic on the back. See here.

Lastly, all pop music is ultimately disposable and none more so than these bin-destined records. The whole bloody lot of them!

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