When I was working as an Adult Librarian in Clarkston, Michigan, I was in charge of maintaining the music CD collection. Breihan features the greatest pop artists of all time like The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Prince, and he gives musicians who never hit #1 like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and James Brown their due as well. He looks at the historical context surrounding them and how they played a pivotal role in music chart history. In The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music, Breihan takes 20 songs that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and reveals how significant they were in shaping music trends.

Now, what do I think about it? Reader, it was great because it analyzed those ditties in a condensed, informative way. Naturally, it’s called The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music. That changed this year when word got out that Tom Breihan – author of the “The Number Ones” column on Stereogum – was going to publish a book covering the most important number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt that way for a particular title. One can look at my review of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle to see that in action. I’ve been excited to read books over the years. Full disclosure: I was given a free eARC copy of this book by NetGalley and Hachette Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Number Ones by Tom Breihan