A hit parade is a ranked list of the most popular recordings at a given point in time, usually determined by sales and/or airplay. The term originated in the 1930s; Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade on January 4, 1936. It has also been used by broadcast programs which featured hit (sheet music and record) tunes such as Your Hit Parade, a show which aired on radio and television in the United States from 1935 through the 1950s.

Hit tunes were originally published in sheet music format, so many artists were encouraged to introduce or promote the tune in different styles, formats or areas of popularity. Up through the late 1940s, the term hit parade referred to a list of compositions, not a list of records. In those times, when a tune became a hit, it was typically recorded by several different artists. Each record company often promoted its own product through the airtime it purchased on commercial stations, as in Europe's Radio Luxembourg. Most non-commercial stations, like the BBC, were required by national regulations to promote local talent, and were also limited in the amount of needle time given to recorded popular music.

Booth and the Bad Angel was a music project based around the collaborative efforts of Tim Booth (lead singer with the British alternative rock band, James) and the American film composer, Angelo Badalamenti. Featuring Bernard Butler on guitar, the project's eponymous album was released in July 1996.

The collaboration between Booth and Badalamenti was initialized in 1992, when Booth made an appearance on the UK Channel 4 TV show Friday Night At The Dome, which aimed to actualize collaborations between contemporary musicians and their heroes. Booth expressed his desire to work with Badalamenti, and the show's producers put the two in touch. At the time Booth was busy recording and touring with James, so could not find the time to meet with Badalamenti, but the two kept in touch via transatlantic phone calls for over two years before finally meeting. In 1995 Booth announced he would be taking a break from James to work on an album with Badalamenti. Booth contacted Butler, recently departed from Suede to provide guitar work for the album, which was recorded through late 1995 to early 1996. The album was finally released in July 1996 and promoted by the single, "I Believe" which made number 25 in the UK Singles Chart.