Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Now's ongoing Yearbook series has reached 1973, a 12-month period in which saw an Oil Crisis, the opening of the World Trade Center in New York, and the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. Musically, as the four-disc set proves, pop was being pulled in different directions, with new stars emerging (David Bowie, Elton John, Roxy Music, David Essex and various members of the Osmond family) former 'Fabs' settling into their new solo careers (John Lennon, Paul Wings), Glam rock increasing in popularity (Mud, Sweet, Wizzard, T-Rex, Slade), and soul beginning to evolve into disco (the Spinners, Michael Jackson, the O'Jays, Diana Ross, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes). Throw in a few massive hits from megastars (Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Elvis Presley), and you have an on-point pop summary of 1973.

Review: The NOW series was a rite of passage for many young music lovers. The expertly curated releases came several times a year and gave you an update as to what was hot and what was not - a mad idea in this day and age when everyone can access, if not own, everything ever released the moment it drops. The brand has pivoted well in the digital age and is still putting out collections of sounds with a genre or era focus that are handy and enjoyable reminders. This bumper collection on triple green vinyl is all about 1974 with tunes like 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' and 'Whatever Gets You Thru The Night' still well worth a singalong.

Review: You could probably write a dissertation, if not full thesis, on the symbolism of this album. The biggest name in British chart pop compilations, NOW, turns its hand to spotlighting less obvious tracks from the decade that gave birth to the entire franchise. What this reflects, in terms of what constitutes 'popular' music today, and the questionable relevance of the UK Top 40, is a fascinating train of thought.
Musically speaking, the curators have done a decent job in selecting a broad range of artists, bands and sounds from the fertile grounds of the 1980s. Plenty here are household names - The Stranglers, Devo, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Smiths, Eurythmics, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. Nevertheless, you won't find 'Sweet Dreams' on the track list, and instead rarer archive material is allowed to shine: 'Vicious Games' rather than 'Oh Yeah' by Yello, The Cure's stunning 'A Forest' - we could go on.

Review: Having delivered a string of loosely themed collections of extended mixes and 12" versions from the 1980s, the long-running NOW compilation strand has launched a new series focusing on music released in specific years across the decade. 1980, the inaugural collection, is relatively light on pop, 'alternative' and new wave extended mixes (though OMD, Spandau Ballet, Sparks and UB40 all appear), but big on soaring disco hits, crossover club classics and chart-bothering dance numbers from the dawn of the decade of Thatcher and Reagan. That means outings for the likes of Tom Browne's 'Funkin' For Jamaica', Teena Marie's exceptional 'Behind The Groove', Grace Jones' low-slung cover of Roxy Music's 'Love is the Drug', Tom Moulton's peerless version of Loleatta Holloway's 'Love Sensation', an Odyssey's addictive 'Use It Up & Wear It Out'.

Review: Given that the series debuted way back in the early 1980s, it would be safe to say that the release of a new NOW compilation is one of British music's longest-running traditions. The latest volume in the series, the 119th instalment in the brand's original iteration (we now have all manner of spin-offs, including the four-disc 'yearbooks' and ones showcasing extended mixes) does a good job showcasing what's been rocketing up the pop charts this year, taking in songs from the likes of Kylie Minogue, Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding, Pet Shop Boys (who have likely been on more NOW sets than any other act), Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Chase & Status and Stormzy, Rudimental, Coldplay, Linkin Park and many other high-profile artists. A great Christmas gift for the ageless pop lover in your life.

Review: While the NOW That's What I Call compilations are traditionally reserved for the most accessible pop releases to ever be pumped through the airways, there's simply no denying the utter deluge of quintessential bangers this Rock Anthems instalment offers. Of course, there's tracks here you already know must be included without even a glance at the lengthy tracklist, such as Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now', Def Leppard's 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' and Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'', yet there's still ample room for classic prog with Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 'Fanfare For The Common Man', avant-punk poetry from Patti Smith with 'Because The Night', glam metal cheese with Poison's 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' and power pop eccentricity with The Cars' 'Drive'. We hate to say it ourselves, but now that's we call rock anthems. We'll show ourselves out.

Review: The rather legendary NOW series has done it all throughout its long history - perfect snapshots of the current pop landscape, retro collections of 80s gold, and now it serves up a classic soul selection across no fewer than 10 whole sides of fresh vinyl. With such a huge run time to play with it is no surprise that just about every single conceivable base is covered here and all the major tunes and artist are included. Take your pick from the likes of Ike & Tina Turner, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas and many more highlights here.

Review: NOW's ongoing 'Yearbook' series reaches 1988, a year in which pop music was becoming increasingly influenced by the saucer-eyed rise of dance music culture. The four discs contain a wealth of chart-bothering hits from the period, dashing between 'imperial phase' period Pet Shop Boys ('Heart', 'Left To My Own Devices' and the Seventh Wonder gem they wrote and produced, 'I'm Not Scared'), Hacienda-inspired remakes of classics (New Order's 'Blue Monday '88'), manufactured pop cheeriness (Bros, Bananarama, Rick Astley and Jason Donavan), dancefloor classics (Inner City, S'Xpress, Bomb The Bass, Salt N Pepa), OTT rock and metal (Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi), pop-reggae (Aswad), novelty singles (the KLF's Doctor Who-themed outing as The Timelords), and much more besides.

Review: .NOW's Yearbook series of quadruple CD sets reaches 1990, a year in which the currents of dance music's future dominance of the pop charts became stronger and more pronounced. Of course, this being a pop-focused collection, the musical story told is far more varied. So while there are suitably baggy, bowl haircut-sporting indie-dance numbers from the likes of Candyflip, Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, as well as crossover club hits from the likes of The KLF, the Adventures of Stevie V and Dee-Lite, you'll also find synth-pop melancholia from the Pet Shop Boys (including 'Being Boring', arguably Neil Tennant's best song), boy band business from New Kids on the Block, a dash of Kylie Minogue, alt-rock hits from Faith No More and Bon Jovi, and a blast of Elton John.

Review: NOW's ongoing 'Yearbook' series, which offers a wealth of hits from a specific year across four action-packed discs, moves on to 1977 - a year when disco and punk were on the rise. There's plenty of the former showcased here - think Chic, Candi Staton, Donna Summer, the Trammps, Thelma Houston and Marvin Gaye - as well as classic and blue-eyed soul from the likes of Boz Scaggs and the Drifters. Punk and alternative rock of the period are relatively well catered for too, thanks to hits from the Ramones, the Stranglers, The Jam and the Clash. Throw in a host of familiar mainstream pop and rock favourites, as well as a clutch of curiosities (Mike Oldfield's 'Portsmouth') and you have a faithfully expansive reflection of what British pop fans were listening to in 1977.

Review: The much loved NOW series has provided the soundtrack to many young people's lives over the decades and despite the changes in the way we all consume and purchase music, it seems to be thriving. It is currently in there middle of serving up bumper overviews of certain musical decades and this latest vast collection, NOW: Millennium 2004-2005, comes across four sides of yellow and white vinyl. This is pure and unadulterated pop from the biggest names in the game such as The Shapeshifters, Snow Patrol, Keane, George Michael and many more. A fun one for sure.

Review: The NOW Series remain a vital resource for anyone looking to own solid overview collections of entire genres and musical scenes many years after it started by releasing collections of the pop hits of the day. In this case, it is 80s Dancefloor: R&B & Funk that is in the spotlight across four sides of red and white vinyl. All the classics are present and correct from the electro of Cameo's 'Word Up ' to The Gap Band's magnificent 'I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up & Dance (Oops, Up Side Your Head)' via Maceo & The Macks's 'Cross The Tracks (We Better Go Back). What's not to love?

Review: For many, many years the Now series was a great way to keep up today with new music - they came a couple of times a year and served up the latest hits of the time. Now they have become erasure troves of retro gold. This bumper triple vinyl collection is a Yearbook for 1983, a lively year with a broad array of sounds making the charts. That's showcased well here with big tunes form the likes of Eurythmics Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart whose 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)' remains a club classic to this day. Add in jams from Tina Turner, The Human League, Joan Armatrading and many more and you have a one stop shop for 80s pop gold.

Review: For those of you of a certain age, the Now compilations are an immediate shot of nostalgia direct into your bones. They started back in the 80s and kept going well into the new millennium - great sources of fun for current dance and pop hits with occasional dalliances into more specific collections. This one is a 1984 Yearbook that rounds up the very many hits of that year including Ray Parker Jr's 'Ghostbusters,' Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder's 'Together In Electric Dreams' and the superb Eurythmics, Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart gem 'Here Comes The Rain Again.' A great reminder of the good old days of pop.

Review: There is no end to the amount of music that NOW has served up over its many years in the music business. From its thrice-yearly pop comps to its vast decades-long snapshots, it has always offered up the freshest pop hits in fulsome fashion. This latest collection, NOW That's What I Call 80s Dancefloor: Disco & Electro, is a double vinyl album on purple and pink wax that brings together the best disco and electro of the 80s. All the names you'd expect feature from Malcolm McLaren & The World's Famous Supreme Team to Shannon with Freeze, Chaka Khan and more also adding weight.