A Very Musical Christmas #1: 2008 Virgin Book of British Hit Singles

Still stuck for a Christmas idea for a loved one? Or need the definitive book to settle those pub quiz arguments?

Well, the 2008 version of the Virgin Book of Hit Singles has just been published, and you can’t get much better than its impressive 661 pages of musical knowledge.

We spent a night down the pub (being the hardcore students that we are…) analysing it and it held up pretty well, bringing back memories of one hit wonders such as “Mambo No 5″ by Lou Bega and “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” by Baz Luhrmann… classics.

It’s all there, and it’s your definitive guide to what’s right or wrong, solving those arguments and finding those obscure acts that nobody’s heard of.  It seems it’s all there and after a few hours of browsing we could only find one mistake  on page 437 - it that says “Vampire Weekend - Dutch producer”. I thought they were a US four piece unless I’m much mistaken! Still, they’ve got to be allowed one mistake in the whole book, eh?

Alongside all the British Hit Singles ever, there are also some interesting page long asides about some of the most interesting artists (and, er, Tony Wilson) covering a bit about their stories, which is fascinating and gives a bit more depth to the facts.

So, if you’re stuck for a useful Christmas present (or just a bloody good door stop) why not get yourself a copy of the 2008 Virgin Book of British Hit Singles? Buy a copy here - it’s just £12 at the moment from Amazon.