The Joel Whitburn Archive

IMAGINE

… stepping out of a time machine and into a record shop in New York City on Saturday, June 3, 1961. Displayed on the store counter is a new 45: “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Girl Of Mine.” In the listening booth, you discover it’s a doo wop version of a classic (written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein for the 1927 Show Boat theater musical with “Girl” replacing “Man” in the original title and lyrics). This rendition released on RSVP 111 is by The Excels, a local Bronx group. You shell out some 50-odd cents and hop back to the present with your new vinyl treasure.

Back at your music library, you open a Record Research book and read that the song appeared at the very bottom of Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 chart for one week. You have the commercial release, not a promotional copy, re-release or re-recording on another label.  It is the record that was indeed available during its specific time in history.

Repeat the time machine scenario tens of thousands of times — spanning the past century, across the country, purchasing dozens of original commercial recordings on various configurations on each trip — you would have the Joel Whitburn Archive.  It is the world’s only time capsule of music popular on America’s charts.

Over seven decades, Joel assembled a comprehensive collection of music of various formats and genres that appeared on the charts of significant industry publications.  All of these musical artifacts exist together in Joel’s Archive, a detailed and rich tapestry of America’s musical history.

Step into music history below Joel as tour guide through his vault or browse through a catalog of his archive’s highlights.