Now Music

Anonymous · Mon 05 Apr, 2004 21.13

Just checked out the archive section of nowmusic.com & noticed how inconsistently they were released before 1995. Although some years they did release 3 a year like they do now some years they only released one a year, sometimes two & sometimes even FOUR a year.

Although the Now series isn't as good as it used to be back in the 80's & early 90's it still is the best of a bad bunch. However I don't think this is Now Musics fault, afterall music in this country has generally gone down hill since 1996 with the few expections

Also does anyone else think it is time for a logo change on the covers. Now 57's cover isn't bad but I do prefer the old Circles logo. The worst era was definately Now 18 & 19, Now 1 & 2 don't count as it was still finding it's feet back then

russnet · Fri 09 Apr, 2004 11.55

Just doing my research and the following years had this many Now CDs:-

One Now : 83 (The first one) 86 , 90

Two Nows : 85 , 92 , 93

Three Nows : 84 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 95 onwards

Four Nows : 91 , 94

I disliked the four Now's per year as the Now CD I purchased recently, Now 28 from 1994 is very poor, very spread out with the "hits" that it is easily the worst one of my collection.

The one Now of 83 was the first and was released in December of that year. In 1986, there was a best of the year Now with a Now Summer album so although there was 1 of the Now as we know it, they spread it out with other spin offs.

Although there was one Now as we know it in 1990, there was three Now Dance albums to spread things out.

Other little facts, the biggest selling Now so far is Now 44. The biggest firest day sales was for Now 50 with around 50,000 units.

James Martin · Fri 09 Apr, 2004 12.11

I've got 8, 20 and pretty much everything from 30 onwards.

Not bothered with them since last Autumn since I get so much music for free before it even comes out anyway now.

russnet · Fri 09 Apr, 2004 12.41

I wouldn't mind getting hold of 8. Hint Hint!. lol

I've got hold of every single now from 21 onwards taking me back to 1991 which includes hits from KLF and MC Hammer amongst others.

Neil Jones · Fri 09 Apr, 2004 17.26

Flava wrote:I've got 8, 20 and pretty much everything from 30 onwards.

Not bothered with them since last Autumn since I get so much music for free before it even comes out anyway now.

I have Nows 27-30, 34-41, 43 and 44. I lost interest after that and lost interest in most of the crap that started coming out singles-wise.

Out of these though:

Now 27 was just so, 28 was mostly crap, 29 was complete crap, 30 was crap at the time but looks good on a replay, 34 was good, 35 was mostly crap, 36 was so-so, 37 excellent (the best Now CD in my collection I feel), 38 complete crap (never played CD 2 either), 39 marvellous, 40 above par, 41 passable, 43 so-so and 44 good.

I am fussy

Jenny · Fri 09 Apr, 2004 17.50

Weird that people say they have the later ones and lack the early ones, consiering the first 20-odd turn up in every charity shop, house clearance place, car boot sale...

James Martin · Fri 09 Apr, 2004 19.39

34's got the first-time round release of Peter Andre on it hasn't it?

Agreed with Jonesy that 37 was the best - this one was Summer of 1997, which I would argue produced some of the most memorable tracks from the 90s.

For some reason 36 and 37 aren't on my MP3 player whereas the others apart from 8 and 20 are!

Also reccomended for collection are the Hits 9x albums that Sony Music (?) did. They had some absoloute gems on them which aren't on the Now albums. I have a number of these on MP3 CD and they're good, especially for bits and bobs of music you'll miss if you only collected Now's in the 90s. They did ones like "Hits 97" "Fresh Hits 97" "More Hitrs 97" and "Big Hits 97".

Neil Jones · Fri 09 Apr, 2004 20.09

Flava wrote:34's got the first-time round release of Peter Andre on it hasn't it?

Yes.

Flava wrote:Also reccomended for collection are the Hits 9x albums that Sony Music (?) did. They had some absoloute gems on them which aren't on the Now albums. I have a number of these on MP3 CD and they're good, especially for bits and bobs of music you'll miss if you only collected Now's in the 90s.

Gems such as...?

russnet · Fri 09 Apr, 2004 20.52

Flava wrote:Also reccomended for collection are the Hits 9x albums that Sony Music (?) did. They had some absoloute gems on them which aren't on the Now albums. I have a number of these on MP3 CD and they're good, especially for bits and bobs of music you'll miss if you only collected Now's in the 90s. They did ones like "Hits 97" "Fresh Hits 97" "More Hitrs 97" and "Big Hits 97".

Umm, you sure about that. The first one in that range, Hits 96 had such gems as the Blind Date dance remix track that was released Xmas 95, Eye of the Tiger that featured Frank Bruno amongst others. Although it did get better, it seemed to be a poor relation to the Now series.

Does anyone know if those earlier Hits CDs are in any relation to the Hits CD's released in 2001 with Hits 50. This was released a week before Now 49 and seems to release a new one just a week before a new Now comes out. I don't know if they are trying to get people to think it's the Now CD until they properly look at the cover!

Neil Jones · Fri 09 Apr, 2004 23.34

russnet wrote:
Flava wrote:Also reccomended for collection are the Hits 9x albums that Sony Music (?) did. They had some absoloute gems on them which aren't on the Now albums. I have a number of these on MP3 CD and they're good, especially for bits and bobs of music you'll miss if you only collected Now's in the 90s. They did ones like "Hits 97" "Fresh Hits 97" "More Hitrs 97" and "Big Hits 97".
Umm, you sure about that. The first one in that range, Hits 96 had such gems as the Blind Date dance remix track that was released Xmas 95, Eye of the Tiger that featured Frank Bruno amongst others. Although it did get better, it seemed to be a poor relation to the Now series.

Complete crap really, weren't they, the Hit series

Does anyone know if those earlier Hits CDs are in any relation to the Hits CD's released in 2001 with Hits 50. This was released a week before Now 49 and seems to release a new one just a week before a new Now comes out. I don't know if they are trying to get people to think it's the Now CD until they properly look at the cover!

Wouldn't surprise me, they're in the same sort of style as Hits 96 and various others and I'm sure they're all on the same label. Hits xx just seems to rush the albums out for the heck of it with very little though for what actually goes on them. I've never seen anything decent on any of them. Just seem to fill some of them up with wannabe groups who are never heard of again.

James Martin · Sat 10 Apr, 2004 00.07

I remember Celine Dion's songs getting onto the Hits series, those from her Falling Into You and Let's Talk About Love albums. Also that "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?" song got on it. Couple of songs from Cleopatra on there too which are still good to hear again...

NowMusic.com does OD on the old Flash doesn't it?!