Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century
10/12/1999 | Sony
Lyrics from Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century
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All Music Guide Review
To commemorate the end of the century, Sony Music assembled the gargantuan 26-disc box set Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century. The title was imposing, as was the idea behind it -- to chronicle the life of the oldest record label in the music industry. To be clear, Sony Music has not existed for 100 years, but the heart of its catalog, Columbia Records, was founded early in the 20th century. Sony acquired Columbia and its various subsidiaries in the late '80s, purchasing one of the richest catalogs in pop history, as the box set proves again and again. Sony realized that most consumers wouldn't invest in a 26-disc box, no matter how impressive it was, so they simultaneously released a series of 12 genre-specific double-disc sets that culled highlights from the box. That left two discs exclusive to the box, which was appropriate, since anyone who spends over 300 dollars on an album deserves a little bonus. As it turns out, those two discs aren't the only bonus on this 547-track collection. Sony Music 100 Years also boasts a 308-page, hardcover, full-color book that essentially tells the history of pop music and the recording industry in the 20th century through one group of labels. That's what the music does too -- and it does so remarkably well. There may not be any Beatles or Stones here, and some genres may be given short shrift -- electric blues and prog rock, for example, never had much of a showcase at Columbia and its subsidiaries -- but the amazing thing is that they're not missed, because the set tells the basic history, providing narratives in each genre. It's certainly a herculean task getting through the entire set, but it's hard not to be impressed, even overwhelmed, at the end result. If any one album tells the history of pop music -- albeit in the course of 26 discs -- it's this one. That doesn't mean it's essential for every music library, since most serious collectors will have much of this material, but that doesn't diminish the set and its accomplishment. Sony Music 100 Years really does present the history of pop music in a reasonably concise fashion -- and it proves that no other label, not even Warner Brothers, could manage such a feat. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century Track Listing
Credits of Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century
- Wynton Marsalis
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- Mott the Hoople
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- Muddy Waters
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- Johnny Nash
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- Tony Orlando
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- Charlie Poole
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- REO Speedwagon
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- Paul Revere & the Raiders
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- The Treniers
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- Tanya Tucker
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- Dick Van Dyke
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- Stevie Ray Vaughan
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- Warner Bros. Orchestra
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- Susan Watson
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- Lillias White
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- Bert Williams
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- Stevie Wonder
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- Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey
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- Leon Lai
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- Jamiroquai
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- Xscape
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- Keb' Mo'
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- Korn
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- Arthur Levy
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- Andrea McArdle
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- Maxwell
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- Shakira
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- S.O.A.P.
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- Nora Bayes
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- Samantha Bumgarner
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- Green Brothers Novelty Band
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- The Jamies
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- Helen Morgan
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- Lee Morse
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- Leopold Stokowski
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- Ted Daffan's Texans
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- Fiona Apple
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- Charles Braswell
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- Helen Gallagher
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- Larry Kert
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- Richard Kiley
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- Thelma Oliver
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- Ginuwine
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- Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
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- Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers
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- Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
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- Benny Goodman Sextet
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- Cab Calloway & His Orchestra
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- The Charlie Daniels Band
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- Count Basie Orchestra
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- Count Basie & the Kansas City Seven
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- Dave Brubeck Quartet
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- The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
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- Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
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- Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra
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- Gene Krupa & His Orchestra
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- Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers
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- Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
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- Harry James & His Orchestra
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- Iggy & the Stooges
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- Jack Teagarden Orchestra
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- Jimmie Lunceford & His Orchestra
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- Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
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- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
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- Paul Whiteman Orchestra
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- Percy Faith & His Orchestra
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- The Jacksons
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- Thelonious Monk Quartet
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- Woody Herman & His Orchestra
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- Al Dexter and His Troopers
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- Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds
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- Patsy Montana & the Prairie Ramblers
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- Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
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- Eddy Duchin & His Orchestra
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- Kay Kyser & His Orchestra
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- Ray Noble & His Orchestra
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- Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
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- Mitch Miller & His Orchestra
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- The Edgar Winter Group
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- Clarence Williams' Blue Five
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- Don Voorhees & His Orchestra
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- Hooverphonic
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- Mónica Naranjo
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- Skank
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- Soledad
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- Colonial Cousins
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- Pascal Obispo
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- Carol Bruce
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- Chita Rivera
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- Lauryn Hill
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- Paulo Gonzo
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- Jack Gilford
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- Jill Haworth
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- Roy Lazarus
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- Patricia Neway
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- George Szell
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- Pinky Tomlin
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- Unique II
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- Will Smith
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- Kenneth Spencer
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- Mash
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- Refugee Camp Allstars
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- Pamela Isaacs
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- Elvis Crespo
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- Jebediah
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- Anna Vissi
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- Elizabeth Allen
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- Bic Runga
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- Liu Huan
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- CoCo Lee
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- Liliane Montevecchi
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- Kulay
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- Fisk Jubilee Singers
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- O.N.A.
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- Ben Selvin Orchestra
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- Charlie Young
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- Aunt Jemima
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- Witt
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- Johnny Taylor
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- Carol Haney
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- Ensemble
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- Sertab Erener
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- Patricia Morison
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- Priscilla Lopez
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- Beaver Brown Band
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- Paddy Casey
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- José Luis Morales Rodriguez
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- Helen Dowdy
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- Sibongile Khumalo
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- Robert Coote
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- Miles Davis Sextet
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- Rosalind Russell
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- Arthur Gilbert
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- John Henson
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- Stephanie Cotsirilos
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- Philip Bevan
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- Gene Greene
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- Dorothy Morrow
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- Kate Smith & Her Swanee Music
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- Walter Huston
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- Joe Venuti's Blue Four
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- Louis Prima & His New Orleans Gang
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- Frank Froeba & His Orchestra
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- Raymond Scott Quintette
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- Artie Shaw & His New Music
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- Golden Gate Quintet
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- Will Bradley Trio
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- Cleveland Brass Ensemble
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- Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop
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- Branford Marsalis Trio
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- Marlboro Festival Orchestra
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- Marlboro Festival Octet
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- Roy Hall & his Blue Ridge Entertainers
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- Vivienne Segal
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- Joshua White
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- Chicago Brass Ensemble
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- California Ramblers
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- Ruth Etting
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- Slim & Slam
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- Eddie Cantor
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- Vic Damone
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- Roy Hamilton
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- The Hollies
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- Santana
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- Mitch Miller
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- The O'Jays
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- Mae West
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- Julie Andrews
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- Julio Iglesias
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- Mary Martin
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- Guy Mitchell
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- Keith Carradine
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- Lulu
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- Scott McKenzie
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- The Rip Chords
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- Billy Swan
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- Rex Harrison
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- Elaine Stritch
- Vocals
- Dick Powell
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- Des'ree
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- Rage Against the Machine
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- Plácido Domingo
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- Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
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- Jimmy Durante
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- Carol Lawrence
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- John Raitt
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- Pat Suzuki
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- Philadelphia Orchestra
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- Judy Holliday
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- Philadelphia Brass Ensemble
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- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
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- Ricky Martin
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- Los Panchos
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- Tommy Makem
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- Fiddlin' John Carson
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- Cleveland Orchestra
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- Carol Channing
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- Emmett Miller
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- Alfred Drake
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- Goebel Reeves
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- Stanley Holloway
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- Joel Grey
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- Lee Remick
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- George Washington Phillips
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- Dixie Chicks
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- New York Philharmonic
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- Barry Gibb
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- Shorty Long
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- Bill Mobley
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- Ricardo Arjona
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- Richard Burton
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- Ezio Pinza
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- Alejandro Fernández
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- Philharmonic Orchestra
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- United States Marine Band
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- Nas
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- The Fugees
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- Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
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- Oasis
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- Louis Armstrong
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- Gene Austin
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- Regina Belle
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- Billie Holiday
- Vocals, Performer
- The Statler Brothers
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- John Cafferty
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- Mariah Carey
- Vocals, Performer
- Mary Chapin Carpenter
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- Terence Trent D'Arby
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- Jimmy Dean
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- Double Trouble
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- Duke Ellington
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- Pink Floyd
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- Looking Glass
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- Glyn Johns
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- Clive Griffin
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- Screamin' Jay Hawkins
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- Son House
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- Robert Johnson
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- King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band
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- Diana King
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- LL Cool J
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- Ella Logan
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- Roy Acuff
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- Lynn Anderson
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- Gene Autry
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- The Carter Family
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- Johnny Cash
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- Rosanne Cash
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- Rodney Crowell
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- Little Jimmy Dickens
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- Joe Diffie
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- Lefty Frizzell
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- Merle Haggard
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- Johnny Horton
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- David Houston
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- George Jones
- Vocals, Performer
- Kris Kristofferson
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- Patty Loveless
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- Willie Nelson
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- Johnny Paycheck
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- Ray Price
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