James Last

German bandleader James Last's trademark was arranging pop hits in a big-band style; over the course of his career, he sold well over 50 million albums. Last released his first album, Non-Stop Dancing, in 1965. The record included brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and joyous crowd noises. Though his concerts and albums were consistently successful -- especially in England, where he had 52 hit albums between 1967 and 1986 -- he only had one hit single, "The Seduction," the theme from the 1980 film American Gigolo. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine