Images AdvertDetailsReleased: 12th April 2019

Origin: United Kingdom

Label: Sony Music Entertainment / Universal

Format: Double CD, Digital Download

Duration: 2:38:31 (158 minutes 31 seconds)

Tracks: 46

#1’s: 5

Chart Peak: #1 (8 weeks)

Sales: TBC

Tracklisting1. Ariana Grande – 7 rings 2:58 {1}

2. Ava Max – Sweet but Psycho 3:06 {1}

3. Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like a Heart 3:37 {2}

4. Calvin Harris & Rag'n'Bone Man – Giant 3:50 {2}

5. P!nk – Walk Me Home 2:56 {8}

6. Sam Smith & Normani – Dancing With A Stranger 2:52 {3}

7. Tom Walker – Just You and I 2:55 {3}

8. Jonas Brothers – Sucker 3:01 {4}

9. George Ezra – Pretty Shining People 3:34 {25}

10. James Arthur – Empty Space 3:31 {22}

11. Lewis Capaldi – Grace 2:59 {9}

12. Jason Derulo x David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj & Willy William – Goodbye 3:14 {26}

13. Little Mix feat. Ty Dolla $ign – Think About Us 3:53 {22}

14. Marshmello feat. CHVRCHES – Here With Me 2:36 {9}

15. Cardi B & Bruno Mars – Please Me 3:19 {12}

16. Khalid – Talk 3:18 {9}

17. Mabel – Don't Call Me Up 2:58 {3}

18. Charli XCX & Troye Sivan – 1999 3:09 {13}

19. Sigrid – Don't Feel Like Crying 2:33 {13}

20. CamelPhat x Cristoph feat. Jem Cooke – Breathe 3:15 {36}

21. Jax Jones and Years & Years – Play 3:08 {8}

22. Zedd & Katy Perry – 365 3:01 {37}

23. Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life 3:09 {9}

24. Dua Lipa – Swan Song (from 'Alita: Battle Angel') 3:00 {24}

25. Ariana Grande – thank you, next 3:26 {1}

26. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved 3:03 {1}

27. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow 3:35 {1}

28. Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble – This Is Me 3:53 {3}

29. Jess Glynne – Thursday 3:35 {3}

30. Freya Ridings – Lost Without You 3:43 {9}

31. James Arthur & Anne-Marie – Rewrite The Stars 3:39 {7}

32. Jack Savoretti – Candlelight 3:35 {70}

33. The 1975 – It's Not Living (If It's Not With You) 4:09 {46}

34. Westlife – Hello My Love 3:35 {13}

35. Take That – Everlasting 3:42 {DNC}

36. Hozier – Almost (Sweet Music) 3:36 {DNC}

37. Bryan Adams – Shine A Light 3:26 {DNC}

38. Michael Bublé – Love You Anymore 3:01 {DNC}

39. Rod Stewart – Look In Her Eyes 4:12 {DNC}

40. Hugh Jackman, Keala Settle, Zac Efron, Zendaya & The Greatest Showman Ensemble – The Greatest Show 5:05 {20}

41. Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax 3:56 {N/A}

42. Nik Kershaw – Wouldn't It Be Good 4:26 {N/A}

43. Matthew Wilder – Break My Stride 3:00 {N/A}

44. Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun 3:53 {N/A}

45. Culture Club – It's A Miracle 3:24 {N/A}

46. Thompson Twins – Hold Me Now 4:45 {N/A}

 

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: Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved (7 Weeks)

Lowest Charting Track: Take That – Everlasting / Hozier – Almost (Sweet Music) / Bryan Adams – Shine A Light / Michael Bublé – Love You Anymore / Rod Stewart – Look In Her Eyes {DNC}

Longest Song: Hugh Jackman, Keala Settle, Zac Efron, Zendaya & The Greatest Showman Ensemble – The Greatest Show 5:05

Shortest Song: Sigrid – Don't Feel Like Crying 2:33

Edited Tracks: Unknown

Unedited Tracks: Unknown

Inlay Mistakes: None

Other Facts: The first of a few volumes that included a "throwback" to early Now volumes prior to their re-release on CD. Also, songs which did not chart appear more frequently from this volume onwards to include artists whose recent releases were not mainstream.

On This Day In HistoryNo music news to report for 12th April 2019.Other ResourcesOfficial Now Music Website

Wikipedia

Polyhex

My ReviewNow That’s What I Call Music! 102 or Now 102 came out in Spring 2019, containing 46 tracks and 5 UK #1 singles. The compilation was made slightly differently to past releases, containing a "throwback" of hits from the second Now volume originally released in 1984. From this volume we were introduced to music from Ava Max, Lewis Capaldi and Jack Savoretti.

 

There were lots of omissions from the era given that it is always the longest gap between the Christmas volume and the Spring volume. This time we were missing music from LadBaby, Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Dave, Chris Brown, Lizzo, Pinkfong and other popular hits.

 

The belated additions of music from 2017's The Greatest Showman was a surprise, and none of the artists have had other songs feature in the series. There also hasn't been another appearance yet from Freya Ridings.

 

Artwork Rating: 6/10 Good

Swirls and curls were used as a concept for this volume, using an array of colours from blue, purple, pink and some orange highlights. Simple and effective, but largely unimpressive compared with the last two volumes. Still decent but not very memorable when compared with other designs from the series.

 

Disc 1 Favourite: Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like a Heart

A great match with Mark Ronson's production matching to Miley's great vocals. Definitely one of the highlights of Mark's career. Mark Ronson tried to gain success following this with Lykke Li, Camila Cabello and also with Yebba but wasn't able to achieve a similar chart peak with those efforts.

 

Disc 2 Favourite: Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow

The best ballad ever by Lady Gaga, and this timeless piece from the soundtrack to A Star Is Born was such a great piece to add to her back catalogue of hits. Actor Bradley Cooper compliments the song very well too. It was one of three other hits from the soundtrack including I'll Never Love Again and Always Remember Us This Way.

 

Disc 3 Tracklist:

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

 

1. Billie Eilish – bury a friend 3:13 {6}

2. Dave feat. J Hus – Disaster 4:00 {8}

3. Post Malone – Wow. 2:30 {3}

4. NSG & Tion Wayne – Options 4:00 {7}

5. Wiley, Stefflon Don & Sean Paul feat. Idris Elba – Boasty 2:57 {11}

6. Cardi B – Money 3:04 {35}

7. Gesaffelstein feat. The Weeknd – Lost In The Fire 3:22 {9}

8. Summer Walker feat. Drake – Girls Need Love 3:42 {41}

9. Kehlani feat. Ty Dolla $ign – Nights Like This 3:22 {25}

10. Chris Brown – Undecided 3:05 {15}

11. Lizzo – Juice 3:15 {38}

12. Stefflon Don – Senseless 3:03 {63}

13. Cadet x Deno Driz – Advice 3:13 {14}

14. Flipp Dinero – Leave Me Alone 3:16 {30}

15. Blueface – Thotiana 2:09 {15}

16. Lauv & Troye Sivan – i'm so tired… 2:43 {8}

17. Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah 2:30 {50}

18. Anne-Marie – Perfect To Me 3:18 {41}

19. Catfish And The Bottlemen – Longshot 3:53 {25}

20. Bring Me The Horizon – medicine 3:47 {42}

21. benny blanlo & Calvin Harris – I Found You 3:11 {29}

22. FISHER – Losing It 2:43 {60}

23. Sub Focus & Dimension – Desire 3:35 {51}

24. Pinkfong – Babyshark 1:21 {6}

25. Ladbaby – We Built This City 4:20 {1}

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Total time: 1:19:32

 

Overall Rating: 6/10 Good

I wasn't that impressed with the decision to include songs from artists whose singles were not mainstream, but I warmed to that idea in time. I also was against using up valuable disc space for 80's hits that have featured heavily on many other compilations over the years, this would have been better used for some of the omissions of this era. I was pleased to see 5 #1 singles, and a decent variety of genres featuring.

 

My Best 5 (as of April 2022)

1. Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like a Heart

2. CamelPhat x Cristoph feat. Jem Cooke – Breathe

3. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow

4. Ava Max – Sweet but Psycho

5. Hugh Jackman, Keala Settle, Zac Efron, Zendaya & The Greatest Showman Ensemble – The Greatest Show

 

My Worst 5 (as of April 2022)

1. Jess Glynne – Thursday

2. Sigrid – Don't Feel Like Crying

3. Bryan Adams – Shine A Light

4. Jason Derulo x David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj & Willy William – Goodbye

5. Rod Stewart – Look In Her Eyes

Other OmissionsDalton Harris feat. James Arthur – The Power Of Love {4}

Headie One feat. Dave – 18Hunna {6}

Ariana Grande – Imagine {8}

Ariana Grande – needy {8}

6ix9ine feat. Tory Lanez – Kika {9}

Russ – Gun Lean {9}

J Cole – Middle Child {9}

Dave – Streatham {9}

Meek Mill feat. Drake – Going Bad {13}

Billie Eilish – wish you were gay {13}

Fredo feat. Dave – All I Ever Wanted {15}

D-Block Europe – iamspamspamamiKings {16}

AJ Tracey – Phych Out {18}

Roddy Ricch, Chip & Yxng Bane – How It Is {18}

Digdat feat. Krept & Konan & K-Trap – Airforce {20}

YNW Melly – Murder On My Mind {20}

Little Mix feat. Sharaya J – Strip {25}

Sheck Wes – Mo Bamba {26}

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – I'll Never Love Again {27}

A Boogie Wit A Hoodie & 6ix9ine – Swervin {27}

21 Savage – A Lot {29}

Flipp Dinero – Leave Me Alone {30}

Khalid – Saturday Nights {31}

Yungen feat. Dappy – Comfortable {32}

XXXTENTACION – Whoa (Mind In Awe) {37}

Dave – Black {40}

Giggs – 187 {42}

Octavian feat. Michael Phantom – Bet {44}

Juice WRLD – Robbery {46}

James Blake, Travis Scott & Metro – Mile High {47}

Swarmz feat. Tion Wayne – Bally {51}

AJ Tracey – Doing It {56}

Freya Ridings – You Mean The World To Me {57}

Fredo – Survival Of The Fittest {58}

Kelly Clarkson – Never Enough {59}

Yungblud, Halsey & Travis Barker – 11 Minutes {59}

Rita Ora feat. 6LACK – Only Want You {60}

Marshmello – Alone {61}

Mustard & Migos – Pure Water {62}

Sam Smith – Fire On Fire {63}

Louis Tomlinson – Two Of Us {64}

Hardy Caprio – Sponsored {70}

Jorja Smith – Don't Watch Me Cry {73}

Yxng Bane feat. Fredo – Problem {75}

Late 2018/early 2019 had some very good stuff in the charts!

 

I picked Mabel's Don't Call Me Up for Disc 1 and Freya Ridings' Lost Without You for Disc 2. But Shallow would be my pick on nearly any other album probably, they were my 1st and 4th favourite songs of 2018, respectively.

 

Artwork 7/10, overall rating 9/10.

 

These are all very good to great songs for me (ignoring the retro picks, obviously they are usually great but I used to turn the album off before getting to them):

 

1. Ariana Grande – 7 rings 2:58 {1}

2. Ava Max – Sweet but Psycho 3:06 {1}

3. Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like a Heart 3:37 {2}

4. Calvin Harris & Rag'n'Bone Man – Giant 3:50 {2}

5. P!nk – Walk Me Home 2:56 {8}

8. Jonas Brothers – Sucker 3:01 {4}

9. George Ezra – Pretty Shining People 3:34 {25}

13. Little Mix feat. Ty Dolla $ign – Think About Us 3:53 {22}

14. Marshmello feat. CHVRCHES – Here With Me 2:36 {9}

17. Mabel – Don't Call Me Up 2:58 {3}

18. Charli XCX & Troye Sivan – 1999 3:09 {13}

19. Sigrid – Don't Feel Like Crying 2:33 {13}

20. CamelPhat x Cristoph feat. Jem Cooke – Breathe 3:15 {36}

21. Jax Jones and Years & Years – Play 3:08 {8}

22. Zedd & Katy Perry – 365 3:01 {37}

23. Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life 3:09 {9}

24. Dua Lipa – Swan Song (from 'Alita: Battle Angel') 3:00 {24}

25. Ariana Grande – thank you, next 3:26 {1}

26. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved 3:03 {1}

27. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow 3:35 {1}

28. Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble – This Is Me 3:53 {3}

30. Freya Ridings – Lost Without You 3:43 {9}

33. The 1975 – It's Not Living (If It's Not With You) 4:09 {46}

34. Westlife – Hello My Love 3:35 {13}

35. Take That – Everlasting 3:42 {DNC}

40. Hugh Jackman, Keala Settle, Zac Efron, Zendaya & The Greatest Showman Ensemble – The Greatest Show 5:05 {20}

Disc 1 favourite: Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like a Heart

Disc 2 favourite: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax