"Anyone who doubts or has forgotten the sheer eclecticism of the UK music scene in its pivotal years should simply turn their attention to this meaty paperback volume comprehensively detailing well over a thousand of the nation's chart albums. The chief feature is an alphabetical listing by artist that juxtaposes Pink Floyd and Pinky & Perky; the Guildford Cathedral Choir and Bill Haley & His Comets; Joni Mitchell and Warren Mitchell; Bing Crosby and Crosby, Stills & Nash; Heinz and Jimi Hendrix; Bert Weedon and the Who; Chicken Shack and Winston Churchill; Russ Conway and the Crazy World of Arthur Brown; and Val Doonican and the Doors. Meanwhile putting the word 'Ultimate' in capital letters for the book's title is an advance indication of the scope involved in its tenaciously researched coverage. It looks like the kind of thing that's a statistician's dream, but is perhaps at times a diligent compiler's nightmare! The respective entries on the illustrated pages carry data such as catalogue numbers, release dates and track-listings, taking account of relevant overseas variations. Dedicated perusal of a variety of competing charts has also enabled the logging of dates of arrival in the rankings, peak positions reached, and the amount of weeks spent in the reckoning. Shorter elements include sections recording 'various artists' compilations; stage and studio cast albums; film, radio and TV soundtracks; and studies on other angles like which LPs stayed longest in the very top slot, and which titles languished only one week in the chart as a whole. Comprehensive indexing provides immediate access to the star proponents of rock'n'roIl, trad jazz, pop, folk, country, hard rock and soul." -- Russell Newmark, The Beat (January 2026).