Greatest Hits!
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Album Summary
By 1968, The Association had already proven themselves one of the most harmonically gifted vocal groups to ever step up to a microphone, and Warner Bros. Records knew exactly what they had on their hands when they compiled this collection. Produced during a stretch when the band was riding high on the Southern California sunshine pop wave, 'Greatest Hits!' brought together the cream of their recordings under the steady guidance of producer Curt Boettcher and the band's own creative instincts. Released at a moment when the album format was becoming the definitive artistic statement in popular music, this collection served as both a celebration of what The Association had already accomplished and an introduction for the legions of new listeners who were just catching on to what the hip cats already knew — that nobody, and this writer means nobody, was stacking harmonies quite like these gentlemen.
Reception
- The album was a commercial triumph, climbing deep into the Billboard charts and confirming that The Association's radio dominance was no fluke — the people had spoken, and they were speaking in record sales.
- Critics of the era recognized the collection as a showcase of impeccable vocal craft, with the group's ability to blend pop accessibility with genuine musical sophistication drawing favorable notice from the rock press.
- The compilation resonated with a broad audience across generational lines, appealing both to the AM radio faithful and to the more album-oriented listeners who were beginning to take sunshine pop seriously as an artistic movement.
Significance
- This album stands as a definitive document of the West Coast sunshine pop sound at its absolute peak — lush vocal arrangements, impeccable melodic construction, and a warmth that felt like the California sun coming right through your speakers.
- Tracks like 'Windy,' 'Cherish,' and 'Never My Love' captured here represent some of the most finely crafted pop songs of the entire 1960s, cementing The Association's place in the conversation alongside the era's greatest melodic architects.
- The inclusion of deeper cuts alongside the big radio hits — songs like 'Requiem For The Masses,' 'Enter The Young,' and 'Along Comes Mary' — gave this collection a richness that revealed The Association as a group with genuine artistic range, not merely a singles machine.
Samples
- "Never My Love" — one of the most-performed and recognized songs in American pop history per BMI, this track has been revisited and interpolated by various artists across soul, R&B, and adult contemporary genres over the decades.
- "Along Comes Mary" — sampled and referenced across hip-hop and electronic music, perhaps most notably lending its melodic DNA to various productions drawn to its hypnotic, groove-forward structure.
- "Windy" — sampled by hip-hop producers drawn to its bright, iconic melodic hook, with the track appearing in various forms across pop and rap productions through the 1990s and 2000s.
- "Cherish" — interpolated and sampled across multiple genres, with its lush harmonic movement making it a touchstone for R&B and pop producers looking to borrow some of that timeless sweetness.
Tracklist
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A1 The Time It Is Today 106
2:15
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A2 Everything That Touches You 108
3:17
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A3 Like Always 127
3:04
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A4 Never My Love 96
3:07
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A5 Requiem For The Masses 115
4:06
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A6 Along Comes Mary 144
2:35
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B1 Enter The Young 134
2:43
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B2 No Fair At All 95
2:35
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B3 Time For Livin' 136
2:43
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B4 We Love 114
2:23
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B5 Cherish 112
3:25
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B6 Windy 136
2:49
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B7 Six Man Band 116
2:13
Artist Details
The Association was a smooth West Coast vocal harmony group that came together in Los Angeles, California in 1965, blending folk, pop, and a touch of psychedelia into some of the most lush, sophisticated sounds to ever grace the airwaves. These cats had a way of stacking vocals like nobody's business, scoring massive hits with classics like *Windy*, *Cherish*, and *Never My Love* — songs that weren't just pop records, they were sonic cathedrals that helped define the softer, more introspective side of the Summer of Love era. The Association holds the distinction of opening the legendary Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, cementing their place in the cultural tapestry of one of music history's most transformative moments, and their influence on adult contemporary and sunshine pop can still be felt rippling through the decades.
