Number 1'S: Conway Twitty CD

Despite the frequency with which album titles like Number 1's appear among record releases (this one is part of an entire series by that name), most recording artists don't have enough chart-topping singles to fill such a collection. Conway Twitty, however, has the opposite problem. Until 2006, when he was outdistanced by George Strait, Twitty held the record for the most number one singles on the Billboard country chart at 40. Since this 25-track collection begins with his sole pop chart-topper, "It's Only Make Believe," that leaves room for only 24 of those 40. That means even consisting solely of songs that hit the summit, this album is liable to disappoint a few Twitty fans who will object to the omission of one or the other of the remaining sixteen. (Notably, MCA Nashville has taken the trouble to make this a more-than-one-record-label set by licensing four of Twitty's hits from his days at Elektra and Warner Bros.). But that simply means that there should be a second volume, which could even toss in some of Twitty's number two hits for filler. ~ William Ruhlmann

Liner Note Author: Billy Altman.

Photographers: Les Leverett; Charles Bush.

Audio Remasterer: Doug Schwartz.

Additional personnel: Loretta Lynn.