Originally broadcast in May 1951, The Goon Show (the first series went under the name Crazy People) proved an instant smash, pushing the boundaries of comedy far beyond anything encountered before Over the next nine years The Goon Show became the most talked about radio show of all time and had even enjoyed two Top Ten hit singles. In 1959 the powers that be were persuaded to release an album entitled The Best Of The Goon Shows, which was in effect two edited shows from the long running series. This too proved a success, hitting #8 on the UK charts and spending some 14 weeks on the chart.