It's ROOTS that has a very high and unbeatable place on many people's list and has managed to keep that position over all those years. On my personal list, ROOTS has always kept its number one position ever since it was released way back in 1969. I admit that sometimes it has to give way to a newly released Everly product but without any doubt ROOTS always returns to its first place when the excitement of a new album wears off. What makes ROOTS such a very special album? I can think of many reasons to explain its popularity, especially the excitement about it among Everly Brothers fans....

....Because it is the way all those talented people influenced each other, and the unique vocal combination of Phil and Don, that made ROOTS the most beautiful album ever recorded. I hope that everyone realises that this is my very own opinion. Everyone who knew the Everly Brothers and their fabulous harmonies, and especially the fans of the so-called Everly sound, immediately understood the thought behind ROOTS when they heard it. It's a perfect mixture of past and present, a fantastic song collection and a balanced mixture of modern country and folk music. And those wonderful voices blended right in with the atmosphere the various musicians had created.

The reviews in the world press were stunning. Without exception, all the people from Crawdaddy, Rolling Stone, Billboard, New Musical Express and Melody Maker were enthusiastic and were sure that this album would bring the Everly Brothers back into the album charts in no time. The Everly Brothers fans recognised 'their' Don and Phil again and accepted the modern approach of the album without question, but strangely enough, the big sales figures everybody had hoped for were still not there. It took some time before a wider public discovered the honesty and the beauty of ROOTS. Pop journalists kept mentioning the album and gave it a place in their own favorite album list.

Then came the group of people who weren't so interested in the Everlys in the first place but knew how many important people did work on the ROOTS album. Very slowly, ROOTS grew into a cult album. People wanted it in their collections because in certain 'tribes' people didn't take you seriously if you did not own a copy of the ROOTS album. Over the years, the album has been re-released many times and in various countries all over the world. Record companies usually don't do this to please a small group of fanatics (I wish they did), but only if they expect healthy sales in return. I don't know a thing about sales figures, so I can't tell you how many copies finally found their way to please music lovers all over the world, But it won't surprise me if ROOTS has a high position when it comes to sales figures among the other Everly Brothers albums they recorded for the Warner Brothers label.