Classic Rock was a 31-volume series issued by Time-Life

Time-Life

Time–Life is a creator and direct marketer of books, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. Its products are sold throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia through television, print, retail, the Internet, telemarketing, and direct sales....

 during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Unlike what the name may imply, the series spotlighted popular music

Popular music

Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...

 played on Top 40 radio stations

Contemporary hit radio

Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...

 of the mid- to late-1960s.

Much like Time-Life's other series chronicling popular music, volumes in the "Classic Rock" series covered a specific time period, including single years in some volumes and stylistic trends in others. Each volume was issued on a compact disc

Compact Disc

The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

, cassette or (on volumes issued through 1990) 2-LP vinyl record set

Gramophone record

A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...

. Individual volumes generally contained 22 tracks, and represented the highlighted time period's most popular and noteworthy tracks. Also included was a booklet, containing liner notes written by some of the most respected historians of the genre, photographs of the artists, and information on the songs (writers, performers and peak position on Billboard magazines Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 chart).

History

"Classic Rock" was first issued in the winter of 1988, with the first volume in the series titled Classic Rock: 1965. Like most compilation albums, songs by two of the era's most successful groups -- The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 and The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

 -- were not included due to licensing issues; however, several albums had cover art with drawings of male rock signers resembling The Beatles.

As was the case with Time-Life's other series, "Classic Rock" was advertised in television and magazine advertisements

Advertising

Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...

. The series was available by subscription (by calling a 1-800 number

Toll-free telephone number

A toll-free, Freecall, Freephone, 800, 0800 or 1-800 number is a special telephone number which is free to the calling party, and instead the telephone carrier charges the called party the cost of the call...

); those who purchased the series in that fashion received a new volume roughly every other month (on the format of their choice), and had the option of keeping the volumes they wanted.

Each volume was also offered for individual sale. When the series was fully issued, a customer could purchase the entire series at once (or a group of albums, as packaged by Time-Life as part of a promotion), often at a discounted price.

New volumes continued to be issued through 1991, the final one being a volume titled Classic Rock: Rock Renaissance IV (an album of hard rock from the mid- to late-1960s). An additional volume, titled Totally Fantastic '60s, were released sometime later in the 1990s.

Time-Life continued to offer "Classic Rock" through the early-2000s, after which it was replaced by other series.

Album listing

As with many of Time-Life Records' multi-volume releases, the volumes were not issued in a logical, sequential order by date or era of the subject; that is, issuing volumes covering 1964 before progressing to 1965. In the track information section, the volumes will be listed sequentially by era; the following list is the order in which the volumes were released.

1988

• Classic Rock: 1965
• Classic Rock: 1966
• Classic Rock: 1964
• Classic Rock: 1968
• Classic Rock: 1967
• Classic Rock: 1969
• Classic Rock: 1966: The Beat Goes On
• Classic Rock: 1965: The Beat Goes On
• Classic Rock: 1964: The Beat Goes On
• Classic Rock: 1967: The Beat Goes On

1989

• Classic Rock: 1968: The Beat Goes On
• Classic Rock: 1969: The Beat Goes On
• Classic Rock: 1966: Skakin' All Over
• Classic Rock: 1965: Skakin' All Over
• Classic Rock: 1967: Skakin' All Over
• Classic Rock: 1964: Skakin' All Over
• Classic Rock: Rock Renaissance
• Classic Rock: Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Classic Rock: 1968: Skakin' All Over

1990

• Classic Rock: 1969: Skakin' All Over
• Classic Rock: Rock Renaissance II
• Classic Rock: 1966: Blowin' Your Mind
• Classic Rock: 1965: Blowin' Your Mind
• Classic Rock: 1967: Blowin' Your Mind
• Classic Rock: On The Soul Side
• Classic Rock: Rock Renaissance III
• Classic Rock: 1968: Blowin' Your Mind
• Classic Rock: On The Soul Side II

1991

• Classic Rock: On The Soul Side II
• Classic Rock: Bubblegum, Garage and Pop Nuggets
• Classic Rock: Rock Renaissance IV

1964

• "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" - Manfred Mann
• "She's Not There" - Zombies
• "What Kind Of Fool (Do You Think I Am)" - The Tams
• "You Never Can Tell" - Chuck Berry
• "Come See About Me" - Diana Ross & The Supremes
• "Needles And Pins" - Searchers
• "I Get Around - Beach Boys
• "Farmer John" - Premiers
• "Out Of Limits" - Marketts
• "Nobody I Know" - Peter & Gordon
• "I'm So Proud" - Impressions
• "Hippy Hippy Shake" - Swinging Blue Jeans
• "You Really Got Me" - Kinks
• "Bread And Butter" - Newbeats
• "Dead Man's Curve" - Jan & Dean
• "Bad To Me" - Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas
• "The Way You Do The Things You Do" - The Temptations
• "Fun Fun Fun" - Beach Boys
• "I Like It" - Gerry & Pacemakers
• "Come A Little Bit Closer" - Jay & The Americans
• "A World Without Love" - Peter & Gordon
• "Stop And Think It Over" - Dale & Grace
• "Remember (Walkin' In The Sand)" - Shangri-Las

1964: The Beat Goes On

• "Have I The Right" - Honeycombs
• "Where Did Our Love Go" - Diana Ross & The Supremes
• "People Say" - Dixie Cups
• "Mercy Mercy" - Don Covay
• "Popsicles And Icicles" - Murmaids
• "It's Over" - Roy Orbison
• "Louie Louie" - Kingsmen
• "Give Him A Great Big Kiss" - Shangri-Las
• "Keep On Pushing" - Impressions
• "Oh No Not My Baby" - Maxine Brown
• "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)" - Beach Boys
• "Love Potion No. 9" - The Searchers
• "(Just Like) Romeo And Juliet" - Reflections
• "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" - Marvin Gaye
• "I Wanna Love Him So Bad" - Jelly Beans
• "Baby I Need Your Loving" - Four Tops
• "I'm Gonna Be Strong" - Gene Pitney
• "Hey Little Cobra" - Rip Chords
• "Penetration" - Pyramids
• "The Name Game" - Shirley Ellis
• "You're A Wonderful One" - Marvin Gaye
• "Amen" - Impressions

1965

• "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds
• "For Your Love" - Yardbirds
• "In The Midnight Hour" - Wilson Pickett
• "The Tracks Of My Tears" - The Miracles
• "Just A Little" - Beau Brummels
• "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers
• "My Girl" - The Temptations
• "Wooly Bully" - Sam The Sham & Pharaohs
• "Down In The Boondocks" - Billy Joe Royal
• "Help Me Rhonda" - Beach Boys
• "Baby I'm Yours" - Barbara Lewis
• "Do You Believe In Magic" - Lovin' Spoonful
• "I Can't Help Myself" - The Four Tops
• "Tired Of Waiting For You" - Kinks
• "Hang On Sloopy - The McCoys
• "Heart Full Of Soul" - Yardbirds
• "Shotgun" - Junior Walker & The All-Stars
• "I Got You Babe" - Sonny & Cher
• "Liar Liar" - Castaways
• "Back In My Arms Again" - Diana Ross & The Supremes
• "This Diamond Ring" - Gary Lewis & The Playboys
• "A Lover's Concerto" - The Toys

1965: The Beat Goes On

• "Eve Of Destruction" - Barry McGuire
• "Rescue Me" - Fontella Bass
• "1-2-3" - Len Barry
• "California Girls" - Beach Boys
• "Laugh Laugh" - Beau Brummels
• "Ooo Baby Baby" - The Miracles
• "All Day And All Of The Night" - Kinks
• "Nowhere To Run" - Martha & The Vandellas
• "Treat Her Right" - Roy Head
• "The Boy From New York City" - The Ad Libs
• "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding
• "Turn, Turn, Turn (To Everything There is a Season) - The Byrds
• "It's The Same Old Song" - The Four Tops
• "Jenny Take A Ride" - Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels
• "She's About A Mover" - Sir Douglas Quintet
• "I Hear A Symphony - Diana Ross & The Supremes
• "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" - Shangri-Las
• "Keep On Dancing" - The Gentrys
• "I'll Be Doggone" - Marvin Gaye
• "It Ain't Me Babe" - Turtles
• "Hold What You've Got" - Joe Tex
• "I'm A Man" - Yardbirds

1966

• "Good Vibrations" - Beach Boys
• "(I Know) I'm Losing You" - The Temptations
• "Good Lovin'" - Young Rascals
• "Dirty Water" - The Standells
• "Sunshine Superman" - Donovan
• "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville
• "Summer In The City" - Lovin' Spoonful
• "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" - The Four Tops
• "I Fought The Law" - Bobby Fuller Four
• "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" - The Temptations
• "When A Man Loves A Woman" - Percy Sledge
• "Reach Out I'll Be There" - Four Tops
• "Gloria" - Shadows Of Knight
• "Barbara Ann" - Beach Boys
• "Shapes Of Things - The Yardbirds
• "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind" - Lovin' Spoonful
• "Monday Monday" - Mamas & The Papas
• "You Keep Me Hangin' On" - Diana Ross & The Supremes
• "Wild Thing" - Troggs
• "I'm A Believer" - The Monkees
• "Kicks - Paul Revere & The Raiders
• "Psychotic Reaction - Count Five

1966: The Beat Goes On

• "Eight Miles High" - The Byrds
• "California Dreamin'" - Mamas & The Papas
• "Walk Away Renee" - Left Banke
• "Hold On I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave
• "Mellow Yellow" - Donovan
• "Wouldn't It Be Nice" - Beach Boys
• "Hanky Panky" - Tommy James & The Shondells
• "Lies" - Knickerbockers
• "My World Is Empty Without You" - Diana Ross & The Supremes
• "Lightnin' Strikes" - Lou Christie
• "Daydream" - Lovin' Spoonful
• "Hungry" - Paul Revere & The Raiders
• "Cool Jerk" - Capitols
• "Devil With The Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly" - Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
• "Last Train To Clarksville" - Monkees
• "Going To A Go-Go" - The Miracles
• "Time Won't Let Me" - The Outsiders
• "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" - Stevie Wonder
• "Black Is Black" - Los Bravos
• "Land Of 1000 Dances" - Wilson Pickett
• "Along Comes Mary" - Association
• "Over Under Sideways Down" - Yardbirds

1967

• "Somebody To Love" - Jefferson Airplane
• "The Letter" - Box Tops
• "Happy Together" - The Turtles
• "Dedicated To The One I Love" - Mamas & The Papas
• "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone" - Diana Ross & The Supremes
• "Groovin'" - Young Rascals
• "Higher And Higher" - Jackie Wilson
• "I Think We're Alone Now" - Tommy James & The Shondells
• "I Second That Emotion" - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
• "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Her Hair) - Scott McKenzie
• "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" - Procol Harum
• "Respect" - Aretha Franklin
• "Kind Of A Drag" - Buckinghams
• "Good Thing" - Paul Revere & The Raiders
• "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" - Gladys Knight & The Pips
• "Funky Broadway" - Wilson Pickett
• "Incense And Peppermints" - Strawberry Alarm Clock
• "Sweet Soul Music" - Arthur Conley
• "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" - Electric Prunes
• "Little Bit O' Soul" - Music Explosion
• "Bernadette" - Four Tops
• "Daydream Believer" - The Monkees

1967: The Beat Goes On

• "I Was Made To Love Her" - Stevie Wonder
• "Gimme Little Sign" - Brenton Wood
• "Let's Live For Today" - Grass Roots
• "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave
• "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison
• "Your Precious Love" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
• "Carrie Anne" - Hollies
• "Jimmy Mack" - Martha & The Vandellas
• "Nashville Cats" - Lovin' Spoonful
• "Mercy Mercy Mercy" - Buckinghams
• "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" - Aretha Franklin
• "Expressway To Your Heart" - Soul Survivors
• "You're My Everything" - The Temptations
• "Western Union" - Five Americans
• "Get On Up" - Esquires
• "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet" - Blues Magoos
• "Pleasant Valley Sunday" - Monkees
• "Gimme Some Lovin'" - Spencer Davis Group
• "Him Or Me, What's It Gonna Be" - Paul Revere & The Raiders
• "Sock It To Me Baby" - Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
• "The Happening" - Diana Ross & The Supremes
• "A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You" - Monkees

1968

• "Born To Be Wild" - Steppenwolf
• "Cry Like A Baby" - Box Tops
• "Crimson And Clover" - Tommy James & The Shondells
• "I Thank You" - Sam & Dave
• "Love Is All Around" - Troggs
• "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" - Otis Redding
• "Sunshine Of Your Love" - Cream
• "Everyday People" - Sly & The Family Stone
• "Pictures Of Matchstick Men" - Status Quo
• "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone
  (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone
  " Since You've Been Gone" is a classic song by R&B singer Aretha Franklin. Released from her Lady Soul album in 1968, the song was successful, debuting at #32 on the Hot 100, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart and spent three weeks at #1 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart...
  
  " - Aretha Franklin
• "Hurdy Gurdy Man" - Donovan
• "Abraham Martin And John" - Dion
• "Cloud Nine" - Temptations
• "Midnight Confessions" - Grass Roots
• "On The Road Again" - Canned Heat
• "Tighten Up - Archie Bell & The Drells
• "A Beautiful Morning" - Rascals
• "La La Means I Love You" - Delfonics
• "You Keep Me Hangin' On" - Vanilla Fudge
• "Love Child" - Diana Ross & The Supremes
• "Valleri - The Monkees
• "Think" - Aretha Franklin
• "Who's Making Love" - Johnnie Taylor
• "Like To Get To Know You" - Spanky & Our Gang

1968: The Beat Goes On

• "Nobody But Me" - Human Beinz
• "Magic Carpet Ride" - Steppenwolf
• "Mony Mony" - Tommy James & The Shondells
• "Cowboys To Girls" - Intruders
• "People Got To Be Free" - Rascals
• "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
• "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
• "Soulful Strut" - Young-Holt Unlimited
• "Eleanore" - The Turtles
• "With A Little Help From My Friends" - Joe Cocker
• "I Wish It Would Rain" - The Temptations
• "Dance To The Music - Sly & The Family Stone
• "Girl Watcher" - O'Kaysions
• "Itchycoo Park" - Small Faces
• "Green Tambourine" - Lemon Pipers
• "Chain Of Fools" - Aretha Franklin
• "Slip Away" - Clarence Carter
• "There Is" - Dells
• "Bend Me, Shape Me" - American Breed
• "Bottle Of Wine" - Fireballs
• "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - The First Edition
• "Hush - Deep Purple

1969

• "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5
• "Venus" - Shocking Blue
• "Hot Fun In The Summertime" - Sly & The Family Stone
• "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations
• "You Showed Me" - Turtles
• "Oh What A Night" - Dells
• "Get Together" - Youngbloods
• "Build Me Up Buttercup" - Foundations
• "I Can't Get Next To You" - Temptations
• "No Time" - The Guess Who
• "One" - Three Dog Night
• "Time Of The Season" - The Zombies
• "Let's Work Together" - Wilbert Harrison
• "Dizzy" - Tommy Roe
• "Soul Deep" - Box Tops
• "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" - Junior Walker & The All-Stars
• "Baby Baby Don't Cry" - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
• "Hawaii Five-O" - The Ventures
• "Crystal Blue Persuasion" - Tommy James & The Shondells
• "Only The Strong Survive" - Jerry Butler
• "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" - Jackie DeShannon
• "Mendicino" - Sir Douglas Quintet
• "Hey There Lonely Girl" - Eddie Holman

1969: The Beat Goes On

• "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" - Joe Cocker
• "Games People Play" - Joe South
• "Take A Letter Maria" - R.B. Greaves
• "Sugar Sugar - The Archies
• "Polk Salad Annie" - Tony Joe White
• "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)" - David Ruffin
• "I Want To Take You Higher" - Sly & The Family Stone
• "Spinning Wheel" - Blood Sweat & Tears
• "Sweet Cherry Wine" - Tommy James & The Shondells
• "Time Is Tight" - Booker T. & MGs
• "Everybody's Talkin'" - Nilsson
• "In The Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" - Zager & Evans
• "Run Away Child Running Wild" - The Temptations
• "I Got A Line On You" - Spirit
• "Going Up The Country" - Canned Heat
• "Backfield In Motion" - Mel & Tim
• "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & The Aces
• "Rock Me" - Steppenwolf
• "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" - Marvin Gaye
• "Jam Up Jelly Tight" - Tommy Roe
• "Can I Change My Mind" - Tyrone Davis
• "Oh Happy Day" - Edwin Hawkins Singers

External links

• Time-Life Music official site – for a listing of current products
• Time-Life Album Discography, Part 26: Guitar Rock