Could it be Magic? Arista recording artist Barry Manilow enters the Billboard charts at #4 with a Nielsen Sound Scan debut of 113,149 copies sold. THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES is his 18-song tribute to #1 hit songs of the decade that launched his career, which arrived in stores September 18th and is the third CD in his decade series which kicked off last year with The Greatest Songs of the Fifties and The Greatest Songs of the Sixties. The Greatest Songs of the Fifties, released January 31, 2006 entered the chart at #1 and is certified RIAA platinum and Greatest Songs of the Sixties, released October 31st, 2006 at #2. THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES is Manilow's 33rd charting album, his 11th Top 10 and his 10th Top 10 debut, and he is the only artist to have three Top 5 debuts on the Billboard 200 chart since 2006.
These three musical tributes to the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies mark the winning reunion in the studio for co-producers Manilow and Clive Davis, Arista founder and BMG Label Group Chairman and CEO. Davis has been Manilow's hit making collaborator on virtually all his recordings, since they first worked together on "Mandy," his debut #1 single as the first artist signed to Arista by Davis in 1974, the first year of the label's existence. The two co- produced The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties and The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties, and that magic has carried over to the new album, as well. The decade series, whose cumulative sales with Ultimate Manilow, has surpassed 5 million units within the last two years.
THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES is a fan's dream wish-list of favorite #1 hit singles, from The Beatles' "The Long And Winding Road," to Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," as well as a duet with Melissa Manchester on Carole King's "You've Got A Friend." Other selections include Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," The Carpenters' "(They Long To Be) Close To You," and Albert Hammond's "It Never Rains In Southern California," the first single from the album. Manilow's tributes are flawlessly performed and arranged, with an homage to the Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were," Frankie Valli's "My Eyes Adored You," the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," and the seminal decade hit Christopher Cross "Sailing, among others.
With worldwide record sales exceeding 75 million, his work as a singer, songwriter, arranger and producer over the course of more than 40 albums has earned Barry Manilow the highest honors. He sits on the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Jazz, and in June 2002, he was inducted into the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame, alongside Ashford & Simpson, Michael Jackson, Randy Newman, and Sting. In addition to his own foundation, the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, other involvements include The Prince's Trust, United Way, the Starlight Foundation, numerous organizations fighting the battle against AIDS, and many others. He is the national spokesperson for the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Honorary Chairman of the Palm Springs Art Museum and a Founder of the Music Center of Los Angeles.
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