Joel Whitburn is an authority on all things charts - the highest, the lowest, who had the most hits, and who are considered the "king" and "queen" of soul music.

This finely-researched tome contains the complete chart references pertaining to popular R&B, and the more modern version called Hip-Hop, beginning in 1942 and running all the way through 2004. The songs are listed both by artist and song title, and every entry contains a brief biographical blurb on the singer/performer. But that's not all. This is followed by the date of each hit, the loftiest position it ever attained, and the number of weeks it remained on the charts. For you real junkies, the insert also contains the original label on which the record was released and the catalog number.

Lists are broken down into: all-time Top 100 #1 hits; the Top 25 #1 hits; the Top 100 artists by decade; the Top 40 artist achievements; and every # 1 single listed chronologically. Over 200 photos complete this treasure of trivia and truth.

If you're in the business or just interested in the minutiae of musical facts and figures, make certain this is on your shelf.