Essential Radio Hits of the 60s, Vol. 2

Pop music exploded into several youthful and divergent paths during the 1960s, and the commercial beginnings of rock, soul, and so much more began in a decade that seemed to promise the moon, the stars, and beyond. This 15-track collection, part of a seven-volume series that is also available as one box set, captures popular radio tracks from this period, from Ben E. King to Herman's Hermits, from surf to British Invasion, and it illustrates the sheer variety of new sounds and styles that the '60s generated. There are some pretty notable absences here, though, with no Beatles, Rolling Stones, Who, Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, or Byrds tracks included in any of these volumes, no doubt due to the cost of licensing, so in the end, this set, disc for disc, or all together, for all the fun that it generates, doesn't quite add up to an accurate musical history lesson. ~ Steve Leggett