We managed to get David Bowie and Eurythmics who’d refused permission for the first one and ended up striking a deal with Queen on the agreement that they would appear in the TV ad and be the first track on the album. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our site, provide personalised content and advertising, analyse our traffic, and ensure you see more of what you love. In November 2018, the Now team took over the " 100 Hits" brand from Demon Music Group, and in 2019 and 2020, the Special Editions series was effectively rested while 24 different Now 100 Hits compilations were issued in very quick succession, until the end of November 2020. November 2023) 33 tracks with only Kate Bush and Lil Louis missing, although Lil Louis was just a bonus track on the original CD version and did not appear on the vinyl and magnetic cassette versions. Our teacher then invited us to spare a thought for the poor bugger who had to slap a sticker on every damn sleeve!

I definitely wouldn’t have put it on side 4 but the end of the first side might have worked as well. In the 80s and 90s, the Now albums had long lead times but there was always pressure to get the mastering done very quickly. Genesis came back with a bang in 1986; Invisible Touch is one of the greatest pop albums ever with five smash hits; the title track being the taster. There are three super slices of poptasticness here; Bananarama’s glorious cover of Shocking Blue’s Venus, Amazulu’s self-fulfilling Too Good To Be Forgotten and Bucks Fizz wonderful back-from-the-crash epic New Beginning (Mamba Seyra).Elsewhere The Housemartins finally make a breakthrough with the infectious Happy Hour [their third single after the lack of success for Flag Day and Sheep]. A standard 4-CD version is also issued in a gatefold "wallet" design, which retails cheaper than the mini-hardback books. The Yearbook series are 4-CD and 3-LP vinyl sets, each representing a year of music, which launched in June 2021. first reissued 2009 for the 25th anniversary, then again 20 July 2018 to coincide with Now 100) re-issued on 2CD (gatefold in 2009, jewel case in 2018), audio cassette, and a 2LP vinyl release.

In February 2023, 12" mixes all taken from the first three Now Dance compilations, originally released in 1985, 1986 and 1989, were collected on a special 4CD and 3LP set, Now Dance: The 80s, with artwork inspired by the original Now Dance 86.track was a good coup for the compilers given that Freedom, Careless Whisper and I’m Your Man featured on the Hits series.