NOW – Yearbook 1978 (3LP) Now Music

NOW Music is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series, NOW – Yearbook 1978; 46 tracks on a 3LP set pressed on translucent pink vinyl – from a magical year in Pop!

Opening with the epic ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ from Electric Light Orchestra, the timeless ‘Baker Street’ from Gerry Rafferty, and Rod Stewart’s massive #1 ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?’ #1 Reggae influenced Pop from 10cc follows, plus Justin Hayward’s ‘Forever Autumn’ from the massive ‘Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds’ album. The first side closes with sophisticated Pop from Wings, before the peerless ‘The Man With The Child In His Eyes’ from Kate Bush. Flipping over to Side Two, a stack of Pop classics from Bonnie Tyler, Clout and Suzi Quatro, before Rock-infused Pop from Billy Joel, Elton John, and the classic ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ from Blue Öyster Cult.

LP2 is a celebration of Disco in 1978. A floor-filling run of Disco gold, led by the stunning version of ‘Macarthur Park’ from Donna Summer alongside the sophisticated groove of ‘Le Freak’ from Chic, ‘Boogie Oogie Oogie’, ’I’m Every Woman’, and Odyssey’s ‘Native New Yorker’, whilst the other side pays tribute to the incredible line-up of artists in the charts of 1978 with their roots in Punk and beginning the burgeoning New Wave movement , kicking off here with the stunning #1 ‘Rat Trap’ from The Boomtown Rats, the era-defining ‘Teenage Kicks’ from The Undertones, and ‘Ever Fallen In Love…’ from Buzzcocks, alongside classic singles from Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Rezillos, The Jam, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, and Patti Smith.

The final LP’s first side is all about the pure Pop smashes of the year – starting with the Pop brilliance of #1 ‘Take A Chance On Me’ from ABBA, the year’s biggest seller in the UK ‘Rivers Of Babylon’ from Boney M., and Althea & Donna’s Reggae-Pop #1 ‘Uptown Top Ranking’, along with Blondie’s breakthrough ‘Denis’, Olivia Newton-John’s smash ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ from the film sensation ‘Grease’, Pop gems from Baccara and Renaissance, finishing with the sublime Easy Listening Pop of ‘Lucky Stars’ from Dean Friedman w/ Denise Marsa… which leaves the final side to round-up further Dance oriented smashes from Marshall Hain, Eruption, and Hot Chocolate, tributes to the sci-fi craze of the time: ‘I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper’, and ‘Automatic Lover’, and drawing to a close with two of 1978’s biggest ballads – the #1 ‘Three Times A Lady’ from the Commodores, and the timeless ‘Wishing On A Star’ from Rose Royce.

NOW – Yearbook 1978 – A celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of the year in Pop.