Honors
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Class of 2008
- Ranked #4 among all-time instrumental artists on Billboard’s Single Charts.
- Ranked #6 among all 1960s artists on Billboard’s Album Charts.
- Ranked #26 among all-time artists on Billboard’s Album Charts.
- Ranked #20 in most albums on Billboard’s Album Charts with 37.
- Walk, Don’t Run is one of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ‘s Top 500 Hits of all time.
- 1960 to 1969 – Placed 14 singles on Billboard’s Single Charts.
Gold singles:
- Walk Don’t Run (1960),
- Walk Don’t Run ’64 (1964),
- Hawaii Five-0 (1969). [1]
- 1960 to 1972 – Placed 37 albums on Billboard’s Album Charts,with 5 on the charts simultaneously during 1963. [2]
Gold albums:
- Telstar and the Lonely Bull (1963),
- Golden Greats (1967),
- Hawaii Five-0 (1969). [2]
- To date, more than 450 LP and CD albums released worldwide (and still counting)
- 1960 to 1973 – Sold nearly 1,000,000 albums per year in the U.S.
- Japan sales approaching 40,000,000 units (and still counting)
- Collective worldwide sales approaching 100,000,000 units (and still counting).
- 1964 – Popularized Mosrite Guitars with introduction of The Ventures Model.Today
these are among the most sought after guitars, known for their tone and playability.
Successfully adapted their unique guitar style to countless changes in musical trends.
Released an acclaimed set of instructional records with the Play Guitar with The Ventures series.
Cited affectionately as “the group that launched a thousand bands”.
Credited with popularizing rock and roll and the electric guitar in Japan.
1971 – First non-Japanese artists elected to the Japanese Conservatory of Music.
Jan 1987, Guitar Player magazine 20 Anniversary Issue cited Walk Don’t Run as
one of “20 Essential Rock Albums”.
1990 – Inducted into the Washington State Music Hall of Fame.
Feb 1996, Guitar magazine identified Walk Don’t Run as one of ten 1960’s albums included in “The Fifty Greatest Rock Guitar Records” (albums).
1996 – Inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk.
1996 – Invited to participate in the Smithsonian Institution’s celebration of the development of the electric guitar.
1996 – Honored by Fender Guitars with a limited-edition line of Ventures Model Jazzmaster, Telecaster and Jazz Bass signature guitars.
2001 – Honored by Aria Guitars with limited-edition Ventures Model guitars.
2004 – Award by Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for contributing to friendly relations between Japan and US. No other artists in modern music share this honor.
2005 Washington State Senate Resolution 8645 to honor The Ventures, to ” recognize the contributions of those who have had a significant impact over the
evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll…”
2006 – Walk, Don’t Run is inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame
Numerous contributions to movie and commercial soundtracks, including
Pulp Fiction and Madagascar.
Sources of Information:
- Joel Whitburn’s “Billboard Top Pop Singles 1955-1996” (Record Research Inc., 1994 and 1996)
- Joel Whitburn’s “Billboard Top Pop Albums 1955-1996” (Record Research Inc., 1994 and 1996)
- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ‘s web page at www.rockhall.com