Cruisin' 1956

An instantly recognizable bargain bin staple since the late '70s, thanks to their colorful comic book covers tracing the romantic life of an Everycouple named and , the series of discs are built on a brilliant concept: each disc is devoted to a single year, with hit songs, local commercials, station jingles, and news headlines all presided over by a noted DJ from the era for a near-perfect re-creation of that year's AM radio experience. is hosted by of in Dearborn, MI, whose cheerful, hail-fellow-well-met announcing style is representative of his era. (His custom show-opening theme, performed by Toronto vocal quartet , is a nice touch.) Although there are a few rockers, most notably classics by , , and (not to mention 's -produced debut, ), most of focuses on classic . ' and career-defining hits by all make their appearances, with ' magnificent providing the comic relief. The extras include commercials for the Detroit Times, Merchants Green Stamps and Faygo root beer, as well as another appearance, singing a Ford commercial to the tune of their hit several station jingles, and sports headlines. ~ Stewart Mason