| The Ventures were the most popular rock instrumental combo, and scored several hit singles during the 1960s -- most notably "Walk-Don't Run" (which they re-released in late 1963 in their Walk Don't Run Vol.2 album...this time Walk Don't Run '64 made it to the #8 position on the charts) and "Hawaii Five-O" -- They made it big in the growing album market, covering hits of the day and organizing thematically linked LPs. Almost 40 Ventures albums charted, and 17 hit the Top 40. The Venture's popularity in America virtually disappeared by the 1970s, and yet their enormous contribution to pop culture was far from over; the Ventures soon became one of the most popular world-wide groups, with dozens of albums recorded especially for the Japanese and European markets. They toured continually throughout the 1970s and '80s -- influencing Japanese pop music of the time more than they had American music during the '60s. |
