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DetailsReleased: 25th July 2005

Origin: United Kingdom

Label: Virgin / EMI / Universal

Format: Double CD, Double Cassette

Duration: 2:37:08 (157 minutes 08 seconds)

Tracks: 43

#1’s: 7

Chart Peak: #1 (7 weeks)

Sales: 910,000 (2x Platinum)

Tracklisting1. James Blunt – You’re Beautiful 3:24 {1}

2. 2Pac feat. Elton John – Ghetto Gospel 4:01 {1}

3. Coldplay – Speed Of Sound 4:22 {2}

4. Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc 3:41 {2}

5. Black Eyed Peas – Don’t Phunk With My Heart 4:03 {3}

6. Audio Bullys feat. Nancy Sinatra – Shot You Down 2:56 {3}

7. Jem – They 3:15 {6}

8. Natalie Imbruglia – Shiver 3:43 {8}

9. KT Tunstall – Other Side Of The World 3:32 {13}

10. Oasis – Lyla 5:12 {1}

11. Razorlight – Somewhere Else 3:14 {2}

12. Bodyrockers – I Like The Way 3:20 {3}

13. Kaiser Chiefs – Everyday I Love You Less And Less 3:37 {10}

14. Caesars – Jerk It Out 3:14 {8}

15. The Killers – Smile Like You Mean It 3:55 {11}

16. Hard-Fi – Hard To Beat 4:13 {9}

17. Weezer – Beverly Hills 3:18 {9}

18. Rob Thomas – Lonely No More 3:47 {11}

19. The Magic Numbers – Forever Lost 4:01 {15}

20. Jack Johnson – Good People 3:29 {50}

21. U2 – Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own 4:43 {1}

22. Akon – Lonely 3:36 {1}

23. Mario – Let Me Love You 4:10 {2}

24. Gwen Stefani feat. Eve – Rich Girl 3:57 {4}

25. Will Smith – Switch 3:17 {4}

26. M.V.P. – Roc Ya Body “Mic Check 1, 2” 3:31 {5}

27. Mariah Carey – It’s Like That 3:23 {4}

28. Nelly – N Dey Say 3:28 {6}

29. Bobby Valentino – Slow Down 4:19 {4}

30. Faith Evans – Again 3:24 {12}

31. Joss Stone – Don’t Cha Wanna Ride 3:31 {20}

32. Roll Deep – The Avenue 3:36 {11}

33. Charlotte Church – Crazy Chick 3:08 {2}

34. Rachel Stevens – So Good 3:14 {10}

35. Inaya Day – Nasty Girl 2:51 {9}

36. Deep Dish – Say Hello 3:07 {14}

37. Freeloaders feat. The Real Thing – So Much Love To Give 3:08 {9}

38. Kylie Minogue – Giving You Up 3:30 {6}

39. Girls Aloud – Wake Me Up 3:27 {4}

40. Crazy Frog – Axel F 2:51 {1}

41. Tony Christie – Avenues And Alleyways 3:19 {26}

42. McFly – You’ve Got A Friend 4:31 {1}

43. Heather Small – Proud 4:29 {33}

 

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: James Blunt – You’re Beautiful (5 weeks)

Lowest Charting Track: Jack Johnson – Good People {50}

Longest Song: Oasis – Lyla 5:12

Shortest Song: Inaya Day – Nasty Girl / Crazy Frog – Axel F 2:51

Edited Tracks: Unknown

Unedited Tracks: Unknown

Inlay Mistakes: None

Other Facts: None

On This Day In HistoryNo music news to report for 25th July 2005.

Other ResourcesOfficial Now Music Website

Wikipedia

Everyhit

Brandt Animation Archive

Now 61 Rate 1 (2006)

Now 61 Rate 2 (2014)

Andrew's ReviewNow That’s What I Call Music! 61 or Now 61 had it’s release in Summer 2005 and sold 310,236 copies in its first week, the highest tally of all three volumes from 2005 in its opening week. This volume contained 43 tracks with 7 UK #1 Singles. Now 61 was the first volume in the series to feature artists like James Blunt, KT Tunstall, Kaiser Chiefs, The Magic Numbers, M.V.P., Roll Deep and Heather Small (as a main artist).

 

Unusually for a volume at this time, there we no missing UK #1 singles. The only noteworthy omissions included hits from Snoop Dogg, Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child, Lee Ryan, Ciara, 50 Cent, DJ Sammy, The Coral and Eminem just to name a few.

 

As always, some of the featured artists on this volume would not get to appear again. In the case of Now 61, these included Audio Bullys, Jem, Bodyrockers, Caesars, Hard-Fi, Rob Thomas, Jack Johnson, Mario, Will Smith, Bobby Valentino, Faith Evans, Charlotte Church, Inaya Day, Freeloaders and Crazy Frog.

 

Artwork Rating: 6/10 Good

Another “multi-coloured objects surrounding the logo” artwork for this volume. It was still a relatively new concept at the time, so it still seemed rather fresh and well thought. For this volume, the objects are supposedly beach lilos. The yellow logo causes a splash and the detail in the sparking water is beautiful.

 

Disc 1 Favourite: Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc

Gorillaz overdue return to the charts was a welcome sound to the rest of the Brit-pop artists of the time. Feel Good Inc is probably their most recognised song, and has aged well. Uncredited De La Soul helps to make this a truly great dance/urban track.

 

Disc 2 Favourite: Mario – Let Me Love You

One of the smoothest summer grooves I ever heard. Mario’s soulful vocals are wonderful for a sunny day in the summertime, and this song still gets plenty of plays all these years later. Disappointing that he was never able to follow up this gem of a song with another memorable hit record.

 

Disc 3 Tracklist:

(A concept of what a third disc might look like if other hits from the era were used)

 

1. Snoop Dogg feat. Justin Timberlake & Charlie Wilson – Signs 3:55 {2}

2. Ciara feat. Missy Elliott – One, Two Step 3:22 {3}

3. Jennifer Lopez feat. Fat Joe – Hold You Down 3:56 {6}

4. Destiny’s Child – Girl 3:26 {6}

5. Lemar – Time To Grow 3:39 {9}

6. Lee Ryan – Army Of Lovers 2:52 {3}

7. Natasha Bedingfield – I Bruise Easily 3:42 {12}

8. Backstreet Boys – Incomplete 3:56 {8}

9. Green Day – Wake Me Up When September Ends 4:45 {8}

10. Stereophonics – Superman 3:52 {13}

11. Melanie C – Next Best Superstar 3:28 {10}

12. Bloc Party – Banquet 3:19 {13}

13. Paul Weller – From The Floorboards Up 2:27 {6}

14. The Coral – In The Morning 2:32 {6}

15. The Faders – No Sleep Tonight 2:59 {13}

16. Garbage – Why Do You Love Me 3:52 {7}

17. Nine Inch Nails – The Hand That Feeds 3:31 {7}

18. Foo Fighters – Best Of You 4:15 {4}

19. Missy Elliott feat. Ciara & Fatman Scoop – Lose Control 3:30 {7}

20. Studio B – I See Girls 2:58 {12}

21. DJ Sammy – Why 3:28 {7}

22. Rachel Stevens – Negotiate With Love 3:09 {10}

23. Javine – Touch My Fire 3:10 {18}

----------

Total time: 1:20:00

 

Overall Rating: 7/10 Very Good

When compared with the omissions from this era, it’s clear that the best songs from this time are on this volume, without a missing #1 single too. It’s a little disappointing to see so many low charting songs making the cut though. Some surprises on this volume, and one I was surprised to see was Will Smith who had a plethora of hits in the 90’s which never featured in this series, but the less remembered hit Switch was the only time he would feature (aside from his feature as The Fresh Prince on Now 26. Not impressed with Crazy Frog’s appearance. The cover is ok but evidently not much thought went into it.

 

Andrew's Best 5 (as of October 2017)

1. Mario – Let Me Love You

2. Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc

3. Jem – They

4. Gwen Stefani feat. Eve – Rich Girl

5. Coldplay – Speed Of Sound

 

Andrew's Worst 5 (as of October 2017)

1. Crazy Frog – Axel F

2. Jack Johnson – Good People

3. Faith Evans – Again

4. Rob Thomas – Lonely No More

5. Joss Stone – Don’t Cha Wanna Ride

Edited October 3, 20177 yr by ⓐⓦⓐⓡⓓⓘⓝⓐⓡⓨ

Other OmissionsElvis Presley – Crying In The Chapel {2}

Elvis Presley – Way Down {2}

Elvis Presley – (You’re The) Devil In Disguise {2}

Elvis vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation {3}

50 Cent – Candy Shop {4}

Elvis Presley – The Wonder Of You {4}

Eminem – Mockingbird {4}

The Game feat. 50 Cent – Hate It Or Love It {4}

Elvis Presley – Return To Sender {5}

Jamiroquai – Feels just Like It Should {8}

Fightstar – Paint Your Target {9}

Kelly Osbourne – One Word {9}

Max Graham vs. Yes – Owner Of A Lonely Heart {9}

Tears – Refugees {9}

White Stripes – Blue Orchid {9}

50 Cent – Just A Little Bit {10}

Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz – Get Low / Lovers & Friends {10}

Mario – Here I Go Again {11}

Morrissey – Redondo Beach / There Is A Light {11}

Pondlife – Ring Dong Ding {11}

Cliff Richard – What Car {12}

Feeder – Feeling A Moment {13}

Mylo – In My Arms {13}

Rooster – You’re So Right For Me {14}

Erasure – Don’t Say You Love Me {15}

Funeral For A Friend – Streetcar {15}

Hard-Fi – Tied Up Too Tight {15}

Maxïmo Park – Graffiti {15}

Athlete – Half Light {16}

Bizarre – Rockstar {17}

Doves – Snowden {17}

Kelis feat. NAS – In Public {17}

The Chemical Brothers – Believe {18}

My Chemical Romance – Helena {20}

Edited October 3, 20177 yr by ⓐⓦⓐⓡⓓⓘⓝⓐⓡⓨ

Disc 1 went with Feel Good Inc, brilliant track, loved it at the time and still do. One of the defining tracks of 2005 and of the 00s in general for me.

 

I really like Jem's They from Disc 1 too both at the time and now! Jerk It Out, Lonely No More and particularly Don't Phunk With My Heart are all bops too!

 

Disc 2 also went with a track I liked at the time, Inaya Day's Nasty Girl. I remember it was quite weird but very good hearing such a retro sounding track being played on the chart music channels at the time!

 

Also really like Say Hello, The Avenue (another bizarre one to hear being played a lot back then as it is very retro sounding with the 80s backing track) and So Much Love To Give from Disc 2. Axel F is also good and of course iconic!

 

Studio B - I See Girls definitely should have been included on the disc. It may have only made #12 but it was a long runner on the chart, being in the top 40 for a good part of the summer! Mylo and Max Graham vs Yes (the latter just to give an iconic track like OOALH a place on a Now album) maybe should have been included too.

Edited October 1, 20177 yr by HissingSparkler

Audio Bullys/M.V.P. for me but so many good tunes overall!

Another Now volume inextricably linked to my memories of that time. I was sitting my GCSEs and was thus on study leave when the vast majority of the songs on here came out. Even now despite my hatred of it Crazy Frog elicits a Pavlovian desire in me to dig out my English revision papers on "The Merchant of Venice" (the adverts were on a LOOP at that time).

 

I will definitely be using the Snooze button a lot less this week on the Plug.dj, much better selection of hits of the time on here. My top 5 from each:

 

CD1

1. KT Tunstall (one of my favourite singles of this year and indeed albums of this year. Truly one of the best singer songwriters of the 00s)

2. Natalie Imbruglia (for me, her best single since "Torn". It rivalled it the closest in terms of mass appeal and having a good contemporary pop sensibility)

3. Gorrilaz and De La Soul (I'm surprised it took so long for the first Gorillaz album to be followed up. It was worth it with singles this good)

4. Jem (LOVED Jem. Such an underrated artist, her "Finally Woken" album was one of my discoveries of that year)

5. Jack Johnson (and from one discovery of that year for me to another! Jack's "In Between Dreams" album - this song being from it - is one of those albums I can put on and instantly feel happier listening to it)

 

CD2

1. Girls Aloud (aka the point where I turned into a full scale fan of GA's. Their performance of this on TOTP with the Harley Davidson choppers from the video probably helped but just a blindingly good single)

2. Rachel Stevens (and again. How 'More More More' got Top 3 over this and 'Negotiate With Love' is beyond me. Galacial, majestic electropop that was so ahead of its time)

3. Heather Small (firstly because A, it's Heather Small and B, because of Stevie from Miranda. WHATHAVEYADONETODAYTOMAKEYEFEEEELPROOOUDD)

4. Gwen Stefani and Eve (another brilliant single from Gwen, and nice to see her reunited with Eve again. Love the "Fiddler on the Roof" sample too)

5. Will Smith (I loved this single of Will's. His best one since his 1998 imperial phase with "Miami" and "Gettin' Jiggy With It")

 

Pleased you picked Snoop and JT for disc 3 Andrew. One of the big omissions from this volume for me. My picks from the omissions would've been Rachel - "Negotiate With Love" (obviously), Mylo, Jamiroquai, and also Ben Adams (formerly of A1 of course) with "Sorry" that hit #18 a month or so before this Now came out.

Disc 1:

1. Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc :heart:

2. Audio Bullys - Shot You Down

3. Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I Love You Less and Less

4. 2Pac - Ghetto Gospel

5. Bodyrockers - I Like The Way

 

another great CD1 here on the whole, and I suppose the compilers can be excused for putting James Blunt as track 1 for how big it was, though I'm really not a fan. Would also be improved if they took off the last few songs from Weezer onwards (though I'd happily leave U2 on) and replaced with some more of the dance hits of the time (boo at the non-inclusions for Max Graham/Yes, Studio B and Mylo).

 

Disc 2:

1. Inaya Day - Nasty Girl :heart:

2. Roll Deep - The Avenue

3. Deep Dish - Say Hello

4. Freeloaders - So Much Love To Give

5. Crazy Frog - Axel F :ph34r:

 

quite a bit of filler here especially in the middle section, thankfully it picks up with some dance songs towards the end though. Always found the inclusion of the Heather Small re-issue and Tony Christie's flop follow-up single here odd as well as completely forgettable singles from Rachel Stevens, Faith Evans, Bobby Valentino (well at least this one was a top 5 hit) and Joss Stone. I also think 'Rich Girl' is really overrated, so not looking forward to revisiting that in the plug session.

I went for KT Tunstall and Rachel Stevens <3

 

This was a good volume, 2005 was so-so for me musically but this captured nearly all of the big/memorable hits of the time, the Hits series wasn't really up to much by this point so Now were clearly able to pick up more of the big hits.

 

Other songs on this edition that I love are You're Beautiful (yes, really - I was one of the few that bought it the week it debuted at #12), They, Shiver (so good, almost rivalled KT as my favourite), It's Like That, Again (glorious track, so underrated), The Avenue (one of the first rap singles I was obsessed with, loved Roll Deep), Crazy Chick, Say Hello and Giving You Up. I never LOVED Wake Me Up surprisingly, my least favourite GA single probably.

 

Songs that I think they could have got the rights to (and were therefore genuinely snubbed, rather than victims of record label wrangling) were:

 

Lemar – Time To Grow

Natasha Bedingfield – I Bruise Easily

Backstreet Boys – Incomplete

Melanie C – Next Best Superstar

Bloc Party – Banquet

Studio B – I See Girls (this was a strange snub, it hung around for ages and was one of the biggest dance hits of the period)

DJ Sammy – Why

Javine – Touch My Fire (I think they just avoid Eurovision full stop, Euphoria aside! Come Back and Teenage Life were on the wrong label I think but Scooch should have bagged a place with their two-week top ten in 2007 and The Common Linnets in 2014 too maybe)

Max Graham vs. Yes – Owner Of A Lonely Heart (another odd snub)

Rachel Stevens – Negotiate With Love

Mylo – In My Arms

Erasure – Don’t Say You Love Me

Hard-Fi – Tied Up Too Tight

Athlete – Half Light

Kelis feat. NAS – In Public

Went for:

 

5/10

2 Pac feat. Elton John - Ghetto Gospel

Rachel Stevens - So Good

9/10

 

Love this NOW album tbh. Brings back so much memories and they captured the big hits at the time, perfectly :wub:

Well Feel Good Inc is a classic and it's obvious I would vote for it :P

 

Disc 2 is dreadful!

My picks from the omissions would've been Rachel - "Negotiate With Love" (obviously)

I’ve manage to tweak my Disc 3 playlist slightly, managing to find radio edits for a couple of tracks to free up space and have added Rachel Stevens near the end! :D

This run of Now albums right now is so strong and nostalgic *.* this one soundtracked the first few months of living in my new house (that I still live in now, following 5 other moves prior to that!) ~ crazy how long ago that was. For this edition my disc 1 favourite is of course the incredible 'Feel Good Inc' by Gorillaz, which is my second favourite song of all-time. :wub: glad to see that innovative masterpiece smashing the disc 1 poll. I've always really appreciated its structure and energy. Cannot wait to see them live for the first time in just 2 months. <3 My disc 2 favourite is then the massively underrated 'Wake Me Up' by Girls Aloud! I do not understand how it is barely raved about compared to a lot of their other singles. It's such a thrilling song with brilliant production that doesn't necessarily sound like the production of your average girlgroup - I included the instrumental in a round of NMTBJ, and quite a few people thought the song was by an alternative act!