Have a Nice Day (VA compilation series)

"Super Hits of the 70s: Have a Nice Day" is a series of music compilations containing chiefly one-hit wonders and lesser-known pop and rock music songs from the 1970s. The first fifteen volumes were released on cassette and (with bonus tracks) on CD, in 1990 by Rhino Records, covering the years 1969-1976. Compiled by Gary Stewart, David McLees, and Bill Inglot, each CD comes with an eight-page booklet which includes five pages of liner notes by Paul Grein. Follow-up volumes appeared in 1993 and 1996, extending the time period to 1979 and with additional songs from the 1972-76 period, available on cassette or CD (ALL 25 volumes were issued in both formats). Each volume has twelve songs. Despite the greater capacity of compact discs, the running time of each of the volumes is no longer than the limit of vinyl records in the 1970s, from 38 to 45 minutes long.

For most cuts, the (45 RPM) single version was included where differing from that found on the artist's original album. Many (not all) tracks were dubbed from the original stereo (or mono) master tapes, and therefore represent the best available version on CD. To avoid using lesser-quality tapes, single versions were recreated through Bill Inglot's digital editing of album-version tapes. The original stereo masters were not available in every case (CBS tracks in particular); Rhino's publicity forthrightly admitted those instances where other compilations' verions were superior.

Taking its inspiration from, among others, K-Tel Records, the "Have a Nice Day" series was among the first of many decade- and genre-delimited collections of lower-charting hits to appear with the arrival of the CD age. Some of the songs provided in this series appear on dozens of other compilations. None of them (including this one) are comprehensive, leaving out best-selling artists and songs unavailable for licensing or other reasons. For example, "You Light Up My Life", the song that held the #1 spot on the Billboard Pop Singles chart for the longest continuous stretch during the 1970s, is neither on this series nor any other. Despite the explosive proliferation of 70s collections on compact disc pouring out on other record labels since 1990, this series remains or has remained in print more than a decade after its initial releases in 1990-96.

In 1998, Rhino released "", a seven-disc compilation with 160 songs, many of which could be found on the "Have a Nice Day" series. Some songs contain sound snippets of the decade at the end of the song. In addition, more soul, rhythm and blues and disco are added. Some well-known artists (for example, David Bowie, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt and Cat Stevens) have songs on this compilation as well.

eries review

* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ofd3vwzya9rk link]

Original series (1-15)

* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 1" (January 5 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 2" (January 5 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 3" (January 5 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 4" (January 5 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 5" (January 5 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 6" (April 4 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 7" (April 4 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 8" (April 4 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 9" (April 4 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 10" (April 4 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 11" (October 15 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 12" (October 15 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 13" (October 15 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 14" (October 15 1990)
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 15" (October 15 1990)

econd series (16-22)

* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 16" (April 6 1993) Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:58rb28vr052a link]
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 17" (April 6 1993) Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:2z7uak6kgm3n link]
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 18" (April 6 1993) Allmusic Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:rn60trplkl3x link]
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 19" (April 6 1993) Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:j8rn28vr052a link]
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 20" (August 17 1993) Allmusic Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:eyf1zfd7eh8k link]
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 21" (August 17 1993) Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ryf1zfd7eh8k link]
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 22" (August 17 1993) Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:nckxu3ygan1k link]

Third series (23-25)

* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 23" (March 26 1996) Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:qduk6j487190 link]
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 24" (March 26 1996) Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3b841v0ozzua link]
* "Have a Nice Day, Volume 25" (March 26 1996) Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:2peyxdfboold link]

Box set

* "" (7 discs) June 16 1998