Now That's What I Call a Milestone!

 Listen to Now That's What I Call The Middle Of The Night on Bridge County FM/Cream, and various other shows dedicated to playing the hits of the Now albums, just don't mention it on one of the official Now album fan groups on Facebook (Ed - as I was kicked off for doing so!)

The chart compilation series has been going now for over 35 years, not only offering a convenient single release to get most of the latest chart music but also now many spin off releases giving an easy place to get the biggest dance, disco, country hits etc.  The latest chart music releases has now reached the number of 106 in July 2020 to date, with the 1st one on record/cassette having been released back in 1983.  CDs followed with Now 4, and continuously from Now 8, tapes continued until Now 63 in 2006, you could get the latest Now on vinyl which was once the dominant format until Now 35 in 1996 (super rare if you can find that one!)

Here are some of the most major milestones for the series.

The milestones of Now!

Here's where it all began, Richard Branson & Virgin music who were often approached about licensing songs on their label for other compilations wondered why not put together one of their own, and so the Now brand was born in 1983!

Now 1 (1983) - First one released, 1983, released on CD in 2009 (2008 perhaps) to celebrate 25 years and also released again in 2015 & 2018. First ever track of the Now albums is Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love.

Now 4 (1984) - First on CD (the now ultra rare release was more of a compilation of Now 2, 3 & 4), but 5, 6 & 7 are back to just on tape/LP. The CD release is so rare it is often at least £500 on Ebay.

The first Now Dance is released only on Tape/LP (1985)

The original Now Christmas compact disc featured a hit by Gary Glitter, it wouldn't be until 2000 that another Now Christmas release would come out, then more would follow.

Now That's What I Call Music! - The Christmas Album is the first spin off released 1985.

1986 - Now The Summer Album released only on vinyl and tape becomes the series' first themed spin-off release after the Christmas one..

Now 8 was the first on CD after Now 4, but offered only about half the hits of the double cassette & LP on a single CD of 17 songs!

Now 8 (1986) - CD releases return, only on single CD, whilst tape & LP are double.

Now Christmas also released on CD (1986)

Now 10 (1987) - first Double CD making the releases contain all the same songs as the tapes/LPs.

1987 - Now team up with Smash Hits! magazine for a compilation looking back over the pop classics of the 80's so far.  The Now Smash Hits of the 80s is quite a rare release on CD.

Now 11 (1988) - first in series of 3 released a year instead of just 2.

Now Dance '89 was the first of the Now Dance releases on CD, it contained lots of 12 inch mixes of
the emerging dance hits of 1989.

The first Now Dance release was in 1985 on Tape & LP, but Now Dance '89 was the first on CD,the Now Dance would continue in various variations until Now Dance Hits in 2015, there may still be more to come, who knows there could be a 100 Hits Dance release!

Now Dance '89 is the first Now Dance on CD (1989)

The first Now album of the 1990's was Now 17.

Now 17 (1990) - first of the 90's, back to 2 a year until 1992

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Now 20 (1991) - Familiar cover design began on this one and was used in this font until Now 100.

(1993) A 10 Double CD compilation series covering 1983-1993 released to celebrate Now Music's 10th anniversary containing quite a few big hits that Now had not covered so far on its numbered compilations.

Now Love is the first spin-off since Now Christmas & Dance (1994)

Now 35 (1996) - last one ever on Vinyl.

1998 - The series is launched in the US, it has reached Now 75 to date in 2020. The US releases have always been on a single CD rather than the UK's double.

Now 43 (1999) - first on Minidisc

1999 - The Millennium Series released, by the end of the year 20 double CD albums covering hits from 1980-1999, in some cases there were slightly more obscure choices in comparison to 1993's 10th Anniversary series, but many huge hits were also included.

Now 45 (2000) - first one of the new millennium, featured John Lennon - Imagine as one of the tracks.

Now 47 (2001) - last on Minidisc (Now 48 only rumoured)

Now 48 (2001) - was the last of the Minidisc releases and it was also the Now CD that was referred to on "Peter Kay's Car Share" a 2015 BBC ONE sitcom.

Now 50 - milestone reached 2001 with no real official celebration.#

2003 - The 20th Anniversary saw the release of Now Decades a 3 CD set, it contained The Prodigy - Firestarter for the first time in Now compilation history.

Now 62 (2005) - first to be released as legal MP3 downloads.

Now 64 (2006) - Last one ever on cassette (or was it 63 in reality?)

2008 saw the release of Now 26 Years 3 CD compilation to celebrate the 25th anniversary it contained

Michael Jackson - Thriller & Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On for the first time.

Now 75 (2010) - first one of the Tens decade.

2011 - lots of Now spin offs start to be released.

ITV air Now That's What I Call Music documentary (2013) to celebrate 30th anniversary.

2013 - Now releases 30 Years 3 CD compilation containing a big hit from Michael Jackson & Madonna., two huge artists that never normally appeared. The hits were Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) & Into The Groove (Madonna)(

Now Music app launched (2017)

Now Music TV launched on satellite (2017)

Now 80s TV replaces Now Music TV full time (20187

Now 90s TV launched following temporary Now Christmas TV which returns annually (December 2017)

Now 100 - milestone reached Summer 2018.

Sometime around this time Now 80s TV also launched on Freeview.

Now 101 of late 2018 kicked off a fresh new cover design standard, the first major change to the look of the covers since Now 20 in 1991.

The release of Now 101 in November 2018 brought in a fresh new cover design that would underline the image of the 100 and onwards series.

2019 - Now 2 from 1984 re-issued on CD on the same day of release as Now 102, the re-issues of the first Now CDs would continue with each new release and up to Now 104 some throwback tracks were also included at the end of Disc 2 on the main Now release.

Now 70s TV launched (December 2019)

Now 105 - to be first one of the new Twenties decade.

Madonna most often appeared on the rival Hits albums instead of Now!

Never featured any Madonna tracks, Eminem tracks except "Without Me" on Now 53 (2002), Will Smith tracks except "Switch" on Now 61 (2005), Red Hot Chilli Peppers tracks, never featured any Michael Jackson tracks except "Love Never Felt So Good" posthumously emerging in 2014 and included on Now 88 and ."Farewell My Summer Love" on Now 4 (1984).  Talking of Michael Jackson he did finally make a couple more appearances in Now history with "Thriller" on Now 25 years released in 2008 to you guessed it to celebrate Now Music's 25th anniversary and "Billie Jean" another big classic appeared on 2013's Now 30 years because yes that was the 30th anniversary!  Madonna also appeared on that one with "Into The Groove" from 1985, her absolute heyday!