While I respect what's considered "The Classics" as well as the chart positions of the songs mentioned & the idea of a comp' based on that notion, I still find the irony of what's to me, recognizable not ranking that highly, but then again, I never followed BILLBOARDTM right from the time it was first formed...
Looking back at the songs suggested "I'll Be Good To You" and "The Letter", by Brothers Johnson and Joe Cocker, respectively, maybe I do want to see how a retrospective like this might do or maybe sound...
But, in regards, however, "to too many choices", anything documented by "authorities" vs. "our fav's", this should strictly be a "Do It Yourself": Just send us the packaging & some blank discs!
-- Dave
Well, and one of the big problems, Dave, is that a lot of people (myself included) listened to album rock stations from 1969 onward, so there are a lot of album tracks and lower-charting singles that we heard often on those stations.
What I was trying to come up with was something that could go a bit beyond the hits (which I think 3 CDs kind of forces Uni to stick with)....and that would sell well enough to help A&M's profit picture (lest they shut it completely down). 5 discs is still restrictive for a label with A&M's variety, but much past that and the cost of the set will be prohibitive for most buyers.
Going for the biggest hits from the artists that had them bought me the room to include the Baja Marimba Band, Claudine Longet, The Parade, The Merry-Go-Round, Jimmie Rodgers, Wes Montgomery, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Roger Nichols, Phil Ochs, Shango, Milton Nascimento, George Benson, Humble Pie, Michael Murphey, Paul Williams and Herb & Lani.