Record Research is a direct outgrowth of Joel Whitburn's passion for collecting music. Whitburn began collecting records in the 1950s. As his collection grew over the years, he began sorting and categorizing his albums by the highest position they reached on Billboard magazine's charts.
Now, Whitburn leads a team of researchers in Menomonee Falls that delve into Billboard's charts to an unparalleled degree of detail. Whitburn has been highly regarded as one of the most authoritative historians on charted music.
Whitburn launched his Web site in 2009, and his extensive database is available in the MusicVault. He also sells his books on the Web site.