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DetailsReleased: 2nd August 1993

Origin: United Kingdom

Label: Virgin / EMI

Format: Double CD, Double Cassette, Vinyl

Duration: 02:17:53

Tracks: 35

#1’s: 4

Chart Peak: #1 (5 weeks)

Sales: 300,000 (1x Platinum)

Tracklisting1. George Michael & Queen – Somebody To Love 5:15 {1}

2. 4 Non Blondes – What's Up?* 4:15 {2}

3. Tina Turner – I Don't Wanna Fight* 4:23 {7}

4. Ace Of Base – All That She Wants* 3:31 {1}

5. Gabrielle – Dreams* 3:40 {1}

6. Lena Fiagbe – You Come From Earth 3:47 {69}

7. R.E.M. – Everybody Hurts 4:57 {7}

8. New Order – Regret* 4:07 {4}

9. Freddie Mercury – Living On My Own* 3:37 {1}

10. Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive* 3:44 {5}

11. Inner Circle – Sweat (A La La La La Long)* 3:46 {3}

12. Chaka Demus & Pliers – Tease Me* 3:42 {3}

13. Louchie Lou & Michie One – Shout (It Out)* 3:29 {7}

14. Shabba Ranks feat. Maxi Priest – Housecall 3:56 {8}

15. Duran Duran – Come Undone 4:15 {13}

16. Paul Weller – Sunflower 4:09 {16}

17. Kingmaker – Ten Years Asleep 3:03 {15}

18. 2 Unlimited – Tribal Dance 3:41 {4}

19. Robin S – Luv 4 Luv* 4:13 {11}

20. Sybil – When I'm Good And Ready* 3:30 {5}

21. Dannii Minogue – This Is It 3:32 {10}

22. The Time Frequency – The Ultimate High 4:03 {17}

23. Jon Secada – Do You Really Want Me 3:54 {30}

24. Kim Wilde – If I Can't Have You 3:26 {12}

25. East 17 – West End Girls 4:22 {11}

26. Joey Lawrence – Nothin' My Love Can't Fix 4:04 {13}

27. Efua – Somewhere 4:14 {42}

28. Sade – No Ordinary Love* 5:22 {14}

29. Richard Darbyshire – This I Swear 4:17 {50}

30. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Dream Of Me (Based On Love's Theme) 4:11 {24}

31. D:Ream – U R The Best Thing* 4:05 {19}

32. Juliet Roberts – Caught In The Middle* 3:27 {24}

33. Oui 3 – Break From The Old Routine 3:25 {17}

34. Utah Saints – I Want You 3:22 {25}

35. Jesus Jones – Zeroes And Ones 3:24 {30}

 

Key

Tracks highlighted red were official UK #1’s.

Tracks with an asterisk (*) next to their title have also been included in special releases from the series.

The track duration has been highlighted cyan.

Bracketed numbers refer to highest chart position reached.

Miscellaneous FactsTrack Most Weeks At #1: George Michael & Queen – Somebody To Love / Ace Of Base – All That She Wants / Gabrielle – Dreams (3 weeks)

Lowest Charting Track: Lena Fiagbe – You Come From Earth {69}

Longest Song: Sade – No Ordinary Love 5:22

Shortest Song: Kingmaker – Ten Years Asleep 3:03

Edited Tracks: Unknown

Unedited Tracks: Unknown

Inlay Mistakes: None

Other Facts: At the time, Lena Fiagbe shared the record for being the lowest charting single to make the Now series, peaking at #69 with You Come From Earth, the same peak that Wendy And Lisa had a few years earlier with Waterfall on Now 16. This record would later be broken by many other artists.

On This Day In HistoryAugust 2nd 1993 - By selling more than 200,000 copies in its first week of release, U2's ambitious Zooropa becomes the year's fastest-selling album in the UK at the time.

Other ResourcesOfficial Now Music Website

Wikipedia

Everyhit

Andrew's ReviewNow That's What I Call Music! 25 or Now 25 was the Summer release of 1993 and featured many prominent artists of the time from George Michael to 2 Unlimited; from Tina Turner to Kim Wilde; from Freddie Mercury to Shabba Ranks – all had their respective place on the Now 25 tracklist.

A total of 35 tracks wee chosen for this release, and out of them, 4 were UK #1 singles.

The only 2 missing UK #1s were both present on the following release, Now 26, and they were from UB40 and Take That.

It was at this time we heard debuts from Ace Of Base, Gabrielle, Lena Fiagbe, Chaka Demus & Pliers and Juliet Roberts.

It was also the first time in the series we heard from R.E.M., New Order, Paul Weller, Dannii Minogue and D:Ream.

It was the only time in the series for 4 Non Blondes, Gloria Gaynor, Inner Circle, Louchie Lou & Michie One, Kingmaker, Sybil, The Time Frequency, Joey Lawrence, Efua, Sade, Richard Darbyshire and Oui 3.

It is worth noting that both tracks from D:Ream and Juliet Roberts are remixed the following Summer and feature on Now 28 as a result of higher chart placements.

For me, Now 25 is a well put together compilation which certainly features all genres of music that the collector would expect at this point in the series. I do prefer the music to that of Now 24, and with some of the debuts made from this point in the series, the music industry was starting to shape the era best known as the 90's where pop and dance music would become rampant.

My regret is that 3 songs from the chosen 35 are not even Top 40 singles, that is a real let down and is a poor choice from EMI, especially when these are one hit wonders who are unknown today.

 

Artwork Rating: 7/10 Very Good

Another sky themed cover, but this is taken from above the clouds looking down, just like when you look at the view outside of an aeroplane. It is bright and original, and despite the overused theme at this time of the 90's, it is still very good, bold and seasonal for the summer release.

 

Disc 1 Favourite: R.E.M. – Everybody Hurts

A sad ballad, but one which has special meaning to me. This was always the signature single from R.E.M. who went on to have many other hits. This song would be used many years later in 2010 as a tribute to a natural disaster in Haiti.

 

Disc 2 Favourite: Sade – No Ordinary Love

Another sad ballad is my favourite on this disc also. I find it very mellow and relaxing to listen to. Sade has a very soothing voice to listen to. Wonderful.

 

Overall Rating: 6/10 Good

I'd say this volume ain't bad at all with some pretty good genres throughout. Strange to not see Take That feature as they were on the previous volume, and their single Pray spent 4 weeks at #1 in the summer of 1993. Despite this omission it's still a good album overall.

 

Andrew's Best 5 (as of January 2017)

1. R.E.M. – Everybody Hurts

2. George Michael & Queen – Somebody To Love

3. Sade – No Ordinary Love

4. The Time Frequency – The Ultimate High

5. 2 Unlimited – Tribal Dance

 

Andrew's Worst 5 (as of January 2017)

1. Lena Fiagbe – You Come From Earth

2. Efua – Somewhere

3. East 17 – West End Girls

4. Duran Duran – Come Undone

5. Kim Wilde – If I Can't Have You

It's all about Ace Of Base and 2 Unlimited for this one *.*

Artwork rating: 3/10 - Not a fan of the grey colouring of the text/number and the angle that it is sitting at is uncomfortable to my eyes for some reason.

 

Disc 1 favourite: Gabrielle - 'Dreams' - Gabrielle has a wonderfully smooth and rich voice. Such a pleasant, easily accessible song with uplifting lyrics.

 

Disc 2 favourite: 2 Unlimited - 'Tribal Dance' - Admittedly not too familiar with much on this disc but 2 Unlimited are a class act! Banger after banger with them.

 

Overall rating: 4/10 - Disc 2 lets this down massively. A scattering of tracks on the first side that I'd return too but a lot of filler as well. Not a fan of the cover also which brings it down.

Damn, got seduced by Kingmaker being there when I really should have voted for New Order so it could tie with REM. Definitely REM's worst song ever.

Highlights for me:

 

Somebody To Love - George Michael and Queen

Everybody Hurts - REM

Regret - New Order

Dream Of Me - OMD

 

All That She Wants is by far my favourite on Disc 1 and the D:Ream song on Disc 2, that song is SO much better than Things Can Only Get Better for me.

 

Overall it's definitely one of the weaker editions for me, I guess the Hits series were sharing out some of the bigger hits at the time? Disc 2 is dead on arrival, complete crap aside from the opening four songs and two or three others later in the disc.

Voted D REam and Duran Duran. I also like Freddy Mercury, George Michael, 4 Non Blondes and Paul Weller

Voted D REam and Duran Duran. I also like Freddy Mercury, George Michael, 4 Non Blondes and Paul Weller

snap!

TRACKS I LOVE:

1. George Michael & Queen – Somebody To Love 5:15 {1}

4. Ace Of Base – All That She Wants* 3:31 {1}

5. Gabrielle – Dreams* 3:40 {1}

7. R.E.M. – Everybody Hurts 4:57 {7}

10. Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive* 3:44 {5}

11. Inner Circle – Sweat (A La La La La Long)* 3:46 {3}

25. East 17 – West End Girls 4:22 {11}