NOW That’s What I Call 40 Years – Part Two (3LP) Various Artists

In November 2023 we celebrated NOW’s 40th anniversary with a collection of massive Pop hits – but with 40 years of hits to choose from we had to leave out so many fantastic tracks – so it’s time to continue that celebration with NOW That’s What I Call 40 Years – Part 2 – 43 more essential hit tracks – again honouring the legacy with a stellar selection from the past four decades of NOW. Embark on a musical journey from 1983 right up to the present day – on a triple vinyl set pressed on Green, Clear Transparent, and Pink LPs…

Opening with Duran Duran’s 1983 #1 ‘Is There Something I Should Know?’, which featured on the first NOW album along with ‘Temptation’ by Heaven 17. Unforgettable hits including ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’ by Eurythmics, and ‘Two Tribes’, Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s (9 weeks at #1 in 1984) smash are up next and features ahead of Culture Club with ‘The War Song’ and the #1 collaboration between UB40 and Chrissie Hynde, before the side closes with the poignant ‘Holding Back The Years’ from Simply Red. Flip the album over for pure-Pop gems from Level 42 and Bananarama ahead of power-Pop gold from Belinda Carlisle – before three sophisticated vocal performances from Seal, Oleta Adams and 4 Non Blondes.

LP 2 ignites with the superb cover of ‘Go West’ by Pet Shop Boys, and features the defining ‘Wonderwall’ from Oasis’ the euphoric club beats of Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy (Nuxx)’ and Faithless’ ‘Insomnia’, alongside the pure Pop magic of the Spice Girls’ ‘Say You’ll Be There’, and the powerful and captivating ‘Paranoid Android’ from Radiohead closes the side. Side B is a chart-Pop lovers’ dream: Run DMC and Jason Nevins hit #1 with a fantastic remix of ‘It’s Like That’, and as the ‘90s came to a close there was an explosion of huge Pop hits from established stars including #1s from Pop royalty Kylie Minogue with ‘Spinning Around’, Robbie Williams with ‘Rock DJ,’ and All Saints with ‘Pure Shores’. ‘Are You Ready For Love?’ by Elton John – which hit #1 over 20 years after it was originally released is up next before the explosive #1 ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears and completing LP2, ‘Rehab’ from Amy Winehouse confirmed her star status.

The final LP opens with ‘Patience’ by Take That, which saw the reformed band back at #1 ten years after they split up, and Girls Aloud’s ‘The Promise’ become a landmark in their Pop story. One Direction became a true phenomenon and there’s also space for fantastic collaborations: Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera enjoyed a world-wide smash with ‘Moves Like Jagger’ and P!nk partnered with Nate Ruess on the bittersweet ‘Just Give Me A Reason’. The remaining two tracks on this side are both uplifting anthems with the remix of Lana Del Rey’s ‘Summertime Sadness’ by Cedric Gervais leading to Coldplay’s ‘A Sky Full of Stars’.

The final side starts off with feel-good vibes from George Ezra with ‘Paradise’, before a run of stellar chart smashes from the past five years including the fantastic ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’ from Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus – plus The Weeknd, Lil Nas X, Lewis Capaldi and another massive #1, ‘Bad Habits’ from Ed Sheeran!

NOW That’s What I Call 40 Years – Part 2 – a further spectacular celebration of NOW’s legacy with a timeless collection of Pop hits from the past four decades.