“As an artist, I must give myself wholly and completely to the expression of that which is within,” said Nina Simone, who never sought the easy path. On 1967’s High Priestess of Soul, her final recording for Philips, Simone selects diverse repertoire including songs by Chuck Berry (“Brown Eyed Handsome Man”) and Duke Ellington (“The Gal From Joe’s”), frames her soulful voice with lush orchestrations - large ensemble arrangements courtesy of Hal Mooney that never overshadow Nina’s immortal voice - and relates a string of personal and magnetic stories in song.

Back on vinyl for the first time in decades, Hello, Dolly!, Louis Armstrong’s unforgettable collection of songs and standards (including the chart-topping title track) introduced the jazz icon to a new generation of fans. On February 15, 1964, the single “Hello, Dolly!” entered the Billboard charts at #76. Twelve weeks later on May 9, 1964, “Hello, Dolly!” knocked The Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” from the top spot. In doing so, it ended fourteen straight weeks of Beatles’ #1s. The Hello, Dolly! album itself, though, was an even bigger hit than its title single. Spending an amazing 74 weeks on the chart, the album was certified gold and sat at #1 on the album chart for six weeks, easily being the artist’s biggest hit album ever. The album and single also completed the tradition of Armstrong from jazz giant to a worldwide popular music icon. As Satchmo himself said at the time, “It sure feels good to be up there with those Beatles.”