The Beatles "1" Compilation. Why So Successful when Past Masters Wasn't?

Some songs didn't go to number 1 in the UK, namely "Something". But it did in the US. What a dodgy business!

Anyhow, I just listened to the "1" album (original 2000 version), which omits "Strawberry Fields", and it stood out like a sore because "Penny Lane" was included. Those two songs just go together, regardless of the packaging concept. It was a terrible jolt to my listening pleasure.

 

The "1" album cover is no great shakes either.

 

Please Please Me was #1 on these UK charts, for 2 or 3 weeks on each, based on the sampling of over 300 total record shops: NME, Melody Maker, Disc, BBC, Pop Weekly, EMI. It peaked at #2 on Record Retailer based on 30 record shops. Which is truth, over 300 or 30?

In 1977, the Guinness chart books decided to use Record Retailer to represent the 60s, they did not declare it as 'official', only 'for the purposes of this book'. In 2002, the by-that-time-self-named 'official' charts co declared Record Retailer to be 'official' for the 60s. How about some revisionist history at least 33 years after the fact? P.S. There was no 'official' chart in the UK until Feb 1969.

Record Retailer in 1963 was not an industry trade music paper published by or for the entire record industry, rather it was a music paper put together by and for independent record shops, those not affiliated with any major record company. Their 'chart' was produced the same way as NME, MM, and Disc, except that they sampled the fewest number of record shops (30) to get their results, which resulted in them having many ties in those early days (Mar 1960 thru Dec 1963), an average of 6 ties per week. So they created a tie-breaker based on looking at the previous week's chart. Mathematical malpractice. Thus Record Retailer disagreed the most with all the other charts, week by week, and by chart run peak. And they had 11 records reach #1 that didn't reach #1 on ANY of the major charts, and they had 6 records that did not reach #1 that reached #1 on ALL the other major charts. Record Retailer was the least representative major chart of the 60s: from 1964-69, their charts were based on 14% of sampled record shops. Melody Maker 40%, NME 30%, Disc 16%.

Uninformed music and chart fans repeat the same misinformation that Please Please Me and Strawberry Fields Forever didn't reach #1. SFF reached #1 on Melody Maker for 3 weeks along with its flip side Penny Lane, Melody Maker being the chart that sampled the most record shops each week, at their peak approaching 300 by themselves. When confronted with the truth, the uninformed tend to say, well, PPM and SFF didn't reach #1 on the 'official' charts. Well, the 'official' charts did not begin until Feb 1969. And Record Retailer wasn't declared 'official' for the 60s until 2002. But, that declaration only applies to what is 'official' for the 'official' charts co; it does not apply to the UK, or to history. There is no governing body who assigns what is and is not 'official'. Which is the 'official' fish n chips shop? Who was the 'official' King of England before there was an England? Who was the World Cup Champion before there was a World Cup? Which record chart was 'official' before there was an 'official' record chart? Do you get my drift here?

These days, everyone is free to believe what they wish, truth or revisionist history. Go for it, I'm just here to provide the facts. Rock on !!!

 

Nice!

 

Here's the correct answer. The 1 compilation was made for casual Beatles fans or people who were only starting to get interested in the Beatles. By contrast, the Past Masters compilations were made for people who were already big fans and owned most/all the albums but didn't own the songs not on those albums.

Speaking as someone who was in my early teens and based in the U.S. when the two Past Masters volumes were released (which is also when the Beatles' albums were first released on CD and standardized release-wise around the world), the Past Masters compilations were likely a godsend for British Beatles fans who owned all/many of their albums but didn't/were unable to buy the band's non-album singles and/or the Long Tall Sally EP. The Past Masters compilations rounded up all the songs that weren't on the original albums (or the U.S. version of Magical Mystery Tour) and put them on two CDs/cassettes, allowing many people, especially those too young to have been music buyers in the 1960s, to easily get access to those songs for the first time in convenient packages.

 

Of course, over here Billboard recognized as the official charts but there's also Cashbox, Record World and Radio & Records to consider.

Not sure how the four charts help paint a picture but I'm sure someone here knows.

 

There are those who would beg to differ. While Billboard is now the granddaddy of all the charts, because they have outlasted all the others, back in the day, 50s 60s 70s 80s, Billboard / Cash Box / Record World were essentially co-equals. Different segments of the industry had their preferences. And all 3 sampled different record stores and radio stations. To get the full picture of US charts, all 3 must be considered. There were many records that reached #1 on both Cash Box and Record World that did not on Billboard, such as The Hollies "Long Cool Woman". Creedence CR had three #1's on Record World, one on Cash Box, but none on Billboard.

 

I say, the success lay in that bright red cover.

 

Not this old chestnut again.

 

“1” was based on the U.K. chart “Record Retailer” and the the U.S. chart “Billboard”.
Love Me Do reached #1 on Billboard in 1964.
Strawberry Fields charted seperately in the U.S. from Penny Lane, though they were issued on the same single: Strawberry Fields reached #8 and Penny Lane reached #1.
Something / Come Together charted #1 as a double A-side in the United States in 1969.

No need to rant. No matter how Apple would have assambled “1”, there would have been complaining Beatles-boomers unsatisfied that the comp. was not done ‘right’.
It all comes down to one thing: Beatles worshippers wants to control which songs and albums other people shall listen to. A total ego-trip.

 

Never understood the uninspired title or the generic artwork.
Period appropriate photos would have been perfect.

 

Many casual listeners might not get what a “PAST MASTERS” entails. Why buy something you don’t understand? Plus the single disc hits format probably appeals to most.

 

Past Masters was not a hits compilation. 1 succeeded because it was a 1 disc hits only CD when they were still selling loads.

 

And I was trying my best not to rant, just provide facts, oh well...

 

Here we gooooo!

 

Yes...and no.
It has about a dozen hit singles ( and the b-sides) on it.

 

Great looking and sounding stuff on there, for the most part.

 

To my recollection, biggest seller of the 00’s decade (at least at the time).

 

Thanks, very informative!

 

Thanks Mal. That damn piano tune is stuck in my head now. Lol.

 

The whole topping the charts business is a very convoluted practice. How can a single top the Cashbox charts but not Billboard's? Perhaps EMI should have named the album "Hits" and included the "near chart toppers" like Please Please Me and Strawberry Fields.

 

Oh no Eight Days A Week is one of the greatest John Lennon vocals ever recorded. That one stays, get rid of something else I say.

 

What makes you think Past Masters wasn’t successful?

 

Exactly what I said… except with more (accurate) data. Well done!!!