3) Blue Hawaii by Elvis Presley.
Elvis issued a number of forgettable soundtrack albums during his career but this one was a winner. Blue Hawaii spent 20 weeks in the number one position on the Billboard Magazine Pop Album Chart and was one of the 10 most commercially successful albums of the decade. It deserved every accolade it received, as the music was equal to many of his studio albums of the time. “Can’t Help Falling In Love” and “Rock-A-Hula-Baby” are almost worth the price of admission alone. An essential Elvis Presley release, which is very high praise indeed.
2) Patsy Cline Showcase by Patsy Cline.
This was Patsy Cline’s second studio album and it would make her a star. Her hits “I Fall To Pieces,” “Crazy,” and “Walkin’ After Midnight” are all memorable and definitive country songs. Her covers of “The Wayward Wind,” “San Antonio Rose,” and “True Love” all showed an artist of depth and talent. While country music has never dominated my turntable time, this was an album that has received extensive play during the last several decades.
1) Rick Is 21 by Ricky Nelson.
Ricky Nelson released dozens of albums during his career, but no studio album as good as this one. It was the perfect cross between the rock of his early career and the increasingly pop sound that he would develop during the 1960s. Big hits such as “Travelin’ Man” and “Hello Mary Lou” would serve as counterpoints to the rocking “Break My Chain” and the ballad “Stars Fell On Alabama.” It was the first Ricky Nelson album I purchased and it remains my favorite release of 1961.
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