Rating: 
Summary: Stories Behind The Hits
Review: Fred Bronson's Book of Number One Hits gives the stories behind every song to hit number one on the Billboard charts. Many of the entries are quite interesting and you learn things about artists that you didn't known. It is more interesting to read about the obscurer artists than the bigger acts like The Beatles, Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones as their stories have been well documented in other places. Still the book offers alot of information and is an enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: Old Wine in a New Bottle
Review: Fred Bronson's knowledge of pop music is truly staggering, and his contributions to pop music reference are immeasurable; unfortunately, he has apparently shown little interest in checking up on this supposedly "revised and expanded" book. So what's wrong? About 95% of the information in the 1997 version of the book can be found in previous editions (a side-by-side comparison test with two previous editions revealed almost no changes), and what WAS updated was usually a tag paragraph (printed with obviously different type) listing details of the artist's death. Revised and expanded? By whom? Collectors, disc jockeys and devotees of pop music have referred to this book for years, and while the original information collected by Bronson was usually well researched and revealing, the old stories about songs and artists are so familiar to most music fans by now that they're pointless to include today. Many a deejay has grown tired of regaling listeners with stories that they've heard for decades, but Bronson continues to beat a dead horse, and his carelessness has cost him. Another problem is that Bronson does not have enough interesting information for certain songs: In some cases, he circumvents a particular #1 song and instead writes about something trivial, such as the frequency of repeated words in #1 song titles. Shouldn't these miscellaneous chart tidbits belong in another book? Worst of all is the lack of information about less-well-known artists, notably one-hit wonders. There are innumerable box sets and CD anthologies available today, many of which meticulously detail minutia about even long-forgotten hitmakers that appear in this book, so why hasn't Bronson checked out a few of these collections' liner notes and then vetted his own text for some serious updating? Longtime buyers of "The Billboard Book of #1 Hits" should not invest in the latest edition, since even a decade-old copy of the book will suffice for most of them. We can all only hope that Bronson will take more care in the next edition and give his readers something better than this.
Rating: 
Summary: A book to start or settle a hundred arguments
Review: Great level of detail about songs that can bring back amazing memories. I'd never realized the Beatles had had the top 5 songs on the charts at one time. Or that Paula Abdul had that many number one songs. I can see myself and my friends referring to this book time and again when arguing about songs we've loved or hated.
Rating:
Summary: For the music fanatic
Review: I am a hopeless music fanatic, and everyone I know has to be getting annoyed every time I tell them how long such-and-such song was number 1. The book is the perfect place for music fanatics (especially popular music) to get their fill. Fred Bronson has filled page after page with information, trivia, interviews, and my favorite feature, the Top 5 for any given week. The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits is like a trip down memory lane, remembering when this song was overplayed or being shocked that that song could have made it to number 1. Even though most people only listen to the music of one era, there is truly something for everyone in this book. I highly recommend it, because I can't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: For the music fanatic
Review: I am a hopeless music fanatic, and everyone I know has to be getting annoyed every time I tell them how long such-and-such song was number 1. The book is the perfect place for music fanatics (especially popular music) to get their fill. Fred Bronson has filled page after page with information, trivia, interviews, and my favorite feature, the Top 5 for any given week. The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits is like a trip down memory lane, remembering when this song was overplayed or being shocked that that song could have made it to number 1. Even though most people only listen to the music of one era, there is truly something for everyone in this book. I highly recommend it, because I can't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book for Reference and Entertainment
Review: I bought this book and loved it, inside and out. One thing not mentioned here is that they put out a new updated one each year to include all the present years, so you can see information about all the number one hits. Each page is filled with info about the artist who sang the song and/or the writer, how many weeks it was at number one, and the top 5 songs of that particular week. It also has different records in the back of the book (ex. Most weeks at number one). It also has an index as well. All in all, it's a great book for any music fan!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book for Reference and Entertainment
Review: I bought this book and loved it, inside and out. One thing not mentioned here is that they put out a new updated one each year to include all the present years, so you can see information about all the number one hits. Each page is filled with info about the artist who sang the song and/or the writer, how many weeks it was at number one, and the top 5 songs of that particular week. It also has different records in the back of the book (ex. Most weeks at number one). It also has an index as well. All in all, it's a great book for any music fan!
Rating:
Summary: A walk down memory lane
Review: I bought this book on a whim and I am very glad that I did. I intended to only look through it quickly when it first came and found that I couldn't put it down. Not only is it a great way to revive memories of special times, I really learned a few things as well. The book is surprisingly up-to-date as it starts with 1955 and Rock Around The Clock and ends with 2003 and Clay Aiken's This Is The Night. This book makes for great late night reading and will also be one of those coffee table books that your guests just may steal.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun and wonderful history
Review: I really enjoyed this book. You could relive moments in the past through their connection to the music of the time. Unfortunately, I had two hours of enjoyable reading before my husband decided he absolutely had to read it. So I'm waiting for my turn back. Obviously a total success at our house!
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Summary: A Treasure! Belongs on the shelf with the history books.
Review: I was totally surprised at the contents of this book. It starts in the 1950s, at approximately the time I started listening to pop music. Reading about all the singers and their songs is bringing back wonderful memories. My husband unfortunately does not read books but he is reading this one. Absolutely a wonderfully affordable Christmas present for the pop music listener on your list.
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