The other day, Kim Bloxdorf, President of Record Research (and Joel Whitburn's only child) sent out an email blast to their extensive client list, offering their entire, remaining book inventory (other than the recently published Pop Annual book) at 35% off ... and some at even greater discounts than this.
I honestly can't say that I was surprised ...
I've kind of had a feeling for months now that this was coming ...
And if the bottom line is that there will be no new Record Research books coming, I can live with that ... the era of MY pop chart interest is already about forty years in the rear view mirror.
But that being said, I have a far GREATER concern that I'd like to address ...
Which serves as the purpose of today's PASSION PLEA ...
PLEASE HELP US PRESERVE THE JOEL WHITBURN COLLECTION
I bought my first Joel Whitburn / Record Research chart book in 1972 … and long-time readers of Forgotten Hits have heard me mention several times over the years that not a single day has gone by since that time that I haven’t referred to at least one Whitburn book for one reason or another ever since. Joel, of course, went on to produce hundreds more books over these past 52 years, covering every variety of record chart research … and they have proven invaluable to me in my own coverage of rock and roll history.
Along the way, Joel amassed a one-of-a-kind, incredible collection … EVERY record to ever make The Billboard Charts, from the 1920’s through last year. It is a priceless documentation of how music has evolved over the past one hundred years … and Joel has a physical copy of every record to make each and every one of Billboard’s charts during that time frame … pop, soul, country, albums and then some. (When he expanded his research to include both the Cash Box and Record World charts, he made it a point to find copies of any records that made those two publications as well, as some of these recordings eluded Billboard’s rankings.)
Sadly, I believe that we have reached the final stop on our journey thru this man’s life’s work …
I don’t know that we’ll ever see another new Billboard chart book, making last year’s 1990 – 2022 edition likely the last in a long series of close to 200 different titles. The charts just don’t have the impact that they had when most of us were growing up … they’re not calculated the same way and they are flooded today with one and two week entries of music that likely will not endure the annals of time. And with the remaining staff at Record Research about to be reduced to just two, after the passing of its founder and the upcoming retirement of another long-term employee. I just don’t know that they have the time, the energy or the enthusiasm to continue to document chart information as it is being calculated today. There just isn’t the connection to today’s music like there always has been in the past.
But it is this massive collection that concerns me the most.
If a decision is made to shut things down and sell off this incredible collection, how will it go … and to whom?
My greatest fear is that it will be sectioned off and dismantled in some fashion … ultimately auctioned off to the highest bidder(s), potentially placing the lion’s share of this collection overseas (where the interest in this music seems to be far greater than it is here) … with a good portion of the more undesirable material winding up in the trash bin … and I just can’t allow that to happen without at least making SOME effort to appeal to our readers … and music fans throughout the world ... to help us save this unique, one-of-a-kind collection.
We’ve got quite a few industry movers and shakers on our list … deejays, artists, program directors and more … certainly somebody out there must know SOMEBODY who can help us find a proper home for this collection where it will be preserved and revered in the manner in which it deserves … maintained as the truly historical document that it is. The fact that it is a complete collection representing all of the musical trends of the past one hundred years is what makes it so unique and valuable. There isn’t another collection that exists that comes anywhere close to what this collection represents. It truly is, in every sense, one of a kind … and any other collection being assembled from this point forward would only pale in comparison. This is a document that is frozen in time.
The most obvious perfect home?
To my mind, that would have to be the Penske Media Corporation.
Who else out there has a better understanding and appreciation for this era of music?
They already own Billboard Magazine (and would presumably have the staff to continue to update the database should they choose to do so, keeping future volumes of their chart history coming), Rolling Stone Magazine, Variety … all long-standing music institutions … clearly, they have a dedicated interest and investment in this industry ... and apparently deep enough pockets to target this market.
Back in the day, I would have said that the perfect candidate would have been Dick Clark Productions … Dick Clark was an avid collector of ALL things music-oriented and would never have let an opportunity like this pass him by. I believe he would have been VERY interested in such an endeavor … but it turns out that Penske owns them, too!!! Is there a better match made in heaven to preserve this one-of-a-kind legacy?
(On a side note, Joel also had a complete collection of Billboard Magazines, dating back to the late 1930’s … with some issues going back as far as the early 1900’s … including a massive collection of library-bound editions. Billboard themselves may not have as extensive library of their own work!)
I thought about trying to put together a conglomerate of industry people … old school heavy hitters who have made their mark and carved their careers into the Mount Rushmore of the Music Business ... and see if we could possibly persuade them to put together the money to secure a home for this collection … but I’m afraid that like most of us, this group has aged out. What about The Grammy Hall Of Fame? Or The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? The Library Of Congress? Might there be some interest there? There must be SOME organization out there that has both the financial resources and the appreciation of this work to help us ensure that it never dies.
Or how about my ultimate dream home ... an institution founded by Herb Alpert, dedicated to preserving this man's life's work. Alpert has gone out of his way to preserve the arts in ways that only he can. His very make-up and integrity screams to take on something like this.
My second greatest fear?
There probably isn’t much time to put something like this together …
Although it is my gut that tells me the end is likely near, it is my heart that believes this may possibly be happening sooner than we can save it. We, as a united group of music lovers, need to act quickly to find the proper home for this priceless collection.
Yes, there are other logistics involved … just MOVING it, for God’s sake would be a mammoth undertaking … and then where do you move it to (and what do you do with it once it gets there?!?!)
All serious food for thought.
I ask that you check your contact lists and see who we might be able to approach about taking on such a venture … but please, do it quickly. I’m honestly not sure how much time we have.
As impressive and complete as this collection may be, this
isn’t necessarily something that somebody needs to OWN … the pride of ownership belonged to Joel Whitburn as he built it over the years, knowing how thorough it was and how impossible it would be to duplicate it.
This is something that the right-spirited organization needs
to PRESERVE … intact … as the truly unique collection it is. I don't know that there is a way to monetize it ... it probably needs to go to an organization that can look beyond that criteria and appreciate it for what it truly is.
If you’ve got, as Joel used to say, “a heart for the charts,” please contact me with your thoughts and suggestions …
Let’s make sure Joel's life’s work endures for others to appreciate for the rest of time.
Kent Kotal
Forgotten Hits
You can view a video tour of “The Record Research Vault” here …
Already twenty years out of date, please know that it has only grown in size and stature since.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3m1DwU0ImI
You can fill in any gaps in your personal Record Research Library Collection at 35% off (while supplies last) here:
