I wonder how much the music scene differs in South Africa. Most of the tracks I've never even heard of. It's much better than the current UK version though.

Has anyone else got the Now book that's in Sainsburys atm? I bought it as a little present for myself whilst Christmas shopping last weekend, it's a fascinating book! It's also inspired me to bid on some old Nows on eBay...57 and 62 to be precise. After 44 (which was my first one, and thus my favourite) these were the best!

Just bought Now Christmas. Why is my fave Xmas song never on any compilation though? Dana's It's Gonna Be A Cold Cold Christmas reached No.4 in 1975 and so overlooked. :angry:

Has anyone else got the Now book that's in Sainsburys atm? I bought it as a little present for myself whilst Christmas shopping last weekend, it's a fascinating book! It's also inspired me to bid on some old Nows on eBay...57 and 62 to be precise. After 44 (which was my first one, and thus my favourite) these were the best!

 

Yes I have! It's a great collectors item with some interesting facts on each volume - it's worth a lot more than £5 in my view!

Has anyone else got the Now book that's in Sainsburys atm? I bought it as a little present for myself whilst Christmas shopping last weekend, it's a fascinating book! It's also inspired me to bid on some old Nows on eBay...57 and 62 to be precise. After 44 (which was my first one, and thus my favourite) these were the best!

 

I think Now 44 is everyone's favorite. Now 57 & 62 are pretty mediocre though. I love 41, 45, 46, 47, and 86 too.

Edited December 7, 201410 yr by Casey

They should do a fan page on Facebook called "I used to love Now That's What I Call Music until 2014 took it too far"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thats-What-Call-Po...w+power+ballads

 

CD 1

1. Queen - I Want To Break Free

2. Phil Collins - Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)

3. Journey - Don't Stop Believin'

4. Heart - Alone

5. P!nk featuring Nate Ruess - Just Give Me A Reason

6. Labrinth featuring Emeli Sandé - Beneath Your Beautiful

7. Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is

8. Take That - Rule The World

9. Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

10. Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

11. Lonestar - Amazed

12. Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time

13. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart

14. Maria McKee - Show Me Heaven

15. The Bangles - Eternal Flame

16. Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died In Your Arms

17. T'Pau - China In Your Hand

18. Texas - I Don't Want A Lover

19. John Waite - Missing You

 

CD 2

1. OneRepublic - Counting Stars

2. Coldplay - Yellow

3. Stereophonics - Dakota

4. The Killers - Mr Brightside

5. Feeder - Feeling A Moment

6. Razorlight - America

7. Travis - Why Does It Always Rain On Me?

8. Shania Twain - You're Still The One

9. Kelly Clarkson - Because Of You

10. Martika - Toy Soldiers

11. Avril Lavigne - Complicated

12. Alicia Keys - Girl On Fire

13. Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball

14. Robbie Williams - Angels

15. Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - (I've Had) The Time Of My Life

16. Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

17. Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes - Up Where We Belong

18. Michael Bolton - How Am I Supposed To Live Without You

19. Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire

 

CD 3

1. Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger

2. Boston - More Than A Feeling

3. Rainbow - Since You Been Gone

4. Patti Smith Group - Because The Night

5. Alice Cooper - Poison

6. Europe - The Final Countdown

7. REO Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You

8. Whitesnake - Is This Love

9. Tina Turner - The Best

10. Toto - Africa

11. Richard Marx - Hazard

12. Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn

13. Extreme - More Than Words

14. Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over

15. Scorpions - Wind Of Change

16. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah

17. Mike + The Mechanics - The Living Years

18. Genesis - Mama

Some of the weirdest selections there... I wouldn't consider I Want To Break Free, Mr Brightside, We Didn't Start The Fire or The Final Countdown as ballads, it would've been more sensible to include Love Of My Life, A Dustland Fairytale, Piano Man and Carrie from those acts on this album.

 

And where on Earth is Roxette? They had It Must Have Been Love, Listen To Your Heart or Fading Like A Flower to chose from their catalogue, those songs are the serious definition of what a power ballad is.

I'm fairly certain the do the track lists before coming up with the titles these days.

 

I still can't get over the Fray appearing on Now Feel Good

And there's no Rihanna on here either. I think Jenny Fisher has a grudge against Rihanna. Also, "Eye Of The Tiger" is not a power ballad

Edited December 20, 201410 yr by Hadji

I bought the 90's one today (as a treat to myself in lieu of getting a rubbish Secret Santa). It always bewilders me (if you pardon the pun) why B*Witched were, bar the BRITs ABBA medley on Now 42, conspicuously absent on any of the 98-99 Nows. C'est La Vie would've been a perfect opener for Now 40.

Contractual issues presumably as they always featured on the Hits albums. The ABBA medley was on a different record label to their usual one.

They were signed by Epic which is owned by Sony

I can't pinpoint when...must have been mid 00's when Sony suddenly got their act in on Now albums.

It pretty much correlated with Hits closing down, I know acts like Pink suddenly started to appear from 2006 onwards, which is when the last Hits album came out (Summer Hits '06).

Contractual issues presumably as they always featured on the Hits albums. The ABBA medley was on a different record label to their usual one.

Actually, I believe the ABBA Medley was also a Sony release surprisingly. I wonder if it's possible to get licensing for that song again? It appeared on all the 99 compilations I owned :lol:

 

I can't pinpoint when...must have been mid 00's when Sony suddenly got their act in on Now albums.

 

Whilst NOW did one or two Sony artists over different NOWs, they started appearing more frequently after NOW 58 when Sony merged with SONY BMG and also brought the rights to Jive Records. They became a staple of the NOW Brand around 2006 after the HITS series died a slow and painful death.

It's strange how every now and then they were just able to get these contracts for the odd edition. For example why did The Corrs only appear on Now 41 and Now 42 and never again despite their huge success? And how come the likes of Westlife, Five and J.Lo suddenly popped up on Now 50?

Sony artists started appearing frequently from NOW 61. I remember in the 80s when Warner artists hardly ever appeared on the NOW series when the HITS came along

It always gets me that Dido only made 1 Now appearance before her fade into irrelevance. And Anastacia got only 2.

And artists like Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Billy Joel have never had any

Edited December 22, 201410 yr by Hadji