Reading through the liner notes, Vinton acknowledges he was something of an anomaly in the Sixties. "...I do have a unique style, one that is warm and intimate. That style is a blend of pop singing and country, a cross between Johnny Mathis and the late Hank Williams." Indeed, Vinton has more in common with such Fifties artists as Perry Como, Pat Boone and Andy Williams, than to his Sixties pop contemporaries. But in any era there's always room for good songs and a great voice to sing them. And from his debut No. 1, "Roses Are Red", in 1962 through his million-seller "I Love How You Love Me" in 1968, Vinton placed 24 songs in the Top 40--not bad for a guy competing for airplay with the Beatles and the Stones!

Choosing good songs, meant utilizing the best songwriters of the day, including Gerry Goffin and Carole King ("Halfway To Paradise" and "Take Good Care Of My Baby"), Burt Bacharach and Hal David ("Blue On Blue"), Phil Spector ("To Know You Is To Love You") and even Vinton himself "Mr. Lonely," "L-O-N-E-L-Y" and "Coming Home Soldier").

According to "The Golden Age of Top 40 Music on Compact Disc" by Pat Downey, these are all the original recordings. [So believe what you want about the previous reviewers' squabbling over authenticity.] And at sixteen tracks, it is the most thorough collection of his hits currently available. RECOMMENDED

Sorry to be a nag but 15 of the 16 tracks on this CD ARE ORIGINAL Epic recordings. As to my qualifications on this I worked on the sessions at Epic when these were made. PLEASE don't doubt that the only track that is not THE original release is "To know You Is To Love You". This is an alternate take which was done during the same session as the hit version released as a single. Lets hear no more of this nonsense,this is a compilation of ORIGINAL material.

It is amazing to me just how slow the major record companies have been in adapting to the changing marketplace. But if you know anything about the history of the recording industry you realize that this has always been true. This particular CD is a case in point. Bobby Vinton was a major star back in the 1960's. Even today Vinton has a large cadre of very loyal fans. This CD released in 1991 offers 16 of Bobby's biggest and best. But todays music buyer is much more sophisticated and is demanding more for his/her money. With relative newcomers like Taragon, Varese Sarabande, Hip-O and Razor and Tie now becoming significant players in the reissue business it would behoove the majors to offer customers more value.

"16 Most Requested Songs" is a decent but not a great compilation. There are three pages of liner notes and the remastering job was nicely done. But Bobby Vinton had over 40 charted hits. When I was searching for a Bobby Vinton collection a couple of years ago I was forced to settle for this one. But in 2003, Varese Sarabande released "All-Time Greatest Hits". For $3.00 more it is a much better buy. There are a total of 25 tracks including hits like "Everyday of My Life", "Sealed With A Kiss" and "Satin Pillows" to name but a few that are not included in this one. Over the many years I have been a collector I always found Columbia/Epic to be very weak in the area of compilations.

Things have gotten better since Sony took over but there is still lots of room for improvement. So pass this one by and spring for the Varese disc. Demand more for your money!

There are so many songs i`ve loved through the years by BOBBY VINTON. Besides GENE PITNEY and ROY ORBISON, he was the star during my high school years.

I danced to, ( and cried through ), so many.

So, today, so many years later, I found myself on AMAZON, listening and remembering , when all of a sudden this particular collection of his 16 most requested hits pops up and my mouth fell open!

I ILLUSTRATED THE COVER PORTRAIT OF BOBBY VINTON AND HAD FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT IT !!

I am a professional illustrator and have done many album covers over the years but completely forgot about this one !

What a pleasant surprise ; And I know no one reading this can relate to the feelings i`m feeling as I write this, but , all of a sudden , I feel somehow connected with the songs i`ve loved for so long, collected here on this CD.

Thank you for indulging me,

Bill Nelson

All of his famous hits are here ! He is truly one of the best singers. Perry Como is from the same town of Cannonsburg, PA.

The McDonald's in their hometown has many of both singer's momentos.