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In the Wee Small Hours, the first collection of songs Sinatra recorded specifically for an LP, sustains a midnight mood of loneliness and lost love -- it's a prototypical concept album. From the title track, brought in on the bell tones of a celesta, through a trenchant recast of "This Love of Mine," a hit from his Tommy Dorsey days, Sinatra -- reeling from his breakup with Ava Gardner - is never less than superb. His voice rarely hits the same downbeat as his languorous rhythm section, yet they're locked in a fluid step. Put your ear close to the speaker and you can hear the soft intake of his breath.

Total album sales: 700,000

Peak chart position: 1

Next: Cream

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