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1 Various Artists: Phil Spector's Christmas Gift For You

Christmas was the perfect vehicle for Spector's grandiloquent pop vision, which explains why this massed-ranks seasonal celebration - featuring The Ronettes, The Crystals, Darlene Love and Bobb B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - is not only his best album but the best Christmas album of all time.

2. Dion: Born To Be With You

In 1975, the producer and singer were both deemed to be past their prime, but this soft orchestral collision of country and blues is now regarded as a classic.

3. The Ronettes: Be My Baby

Featuring his wife Ronnie and arguably the quintessential Spector 45. Cited by Brian Wilson as “the greatest pop record ever made”.

4. George Harrison: All Things Must Pass

Spector co-produced Harrison's triple masterpiece, though 30 years later, the “quiet” Beatle later complained that the album had “too much echo”.

5. John Lennon: Imagine

Incurring Paul McCartney's wrath with his syrupy arrangements for The Long and Winding Road probably commended Spector to Lennon. The lush orchestrated peaks of the album played to both of their strengths.

6. The Righteous Brothers: You've Lost That Loving Feeling

Being a minor presence here wasn't enough to appease Brother Bobby Hatfield. Asked what he should do while Bill Medley was singing, Spector apparently snapped: “You can take the money to the bank.”

7. Nilsson and Cher: A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Every Day)

Woozy, one-off duet between two of the biggest voices of their generation recorded in 1975 and, sadly, never released on CD.

8. Ramones: Baby I Love You

Punk respectfully doffs its cap to Spector. Legendarily, the sessions saw him pull a gun on disaffected bassist Dee Dee Ramone in order to make him stay. Sound familiar?

9. Ike and Tina Turner: River Deep, Mountain High

A meeting of song, voice and production that created something close to nuclear fission in the studio. Failed to sell in America though.

10. The Teddy Bears: To Know Him is to Love Him

The title of Spector's first chart-topper was taken from the inscription on his father's headstone - words that Spector Jr conspicuously failed to live up to.

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