Now Compilation Albums Celebrate 30 Years
The soundtrack to many a teenage bedroom over the years, the Now series is still going strong in the download age.
Video: Now Pop Albums Celebrate 30 Years
EnlargeIconic compilation album Now is marking 30 years since it first pulled together the day's biggest pop hits.
Now That’s What I Call Music 1 hit shops on November 28, 1983 and featured 30 hit singles from that year on double vinyl and cassette.
It featured artists such as Phil Collins, Culture Club, Duran Duran, UB40, Men at Work, and Kajagoogoo.
Katy Perry song Roar is the first track on Now 86, which was released last week.
Record producer Pete Waterman told Sky News: "All my artists appeared on the Now albums. Every one of them.
"The Now albums for us as an independent record company were a fantastic extra source of income.
"When your record had stopped selling, you would put them on the Now album and they would give you another 25-30% income.
"But there was a lot of politics involved. You basically had to be in the top five to get on the album but it became a fabulous bartering tool.
"They wanted your big artists so we would say 'well you can have that one but only if you also take this one', so it was a good tool for getting new artists, who might have only been in the top 20, another broader field."
The music industry might have changed enormously since the 1980s but the appeal of the Now brand has been consistent.
This summer's Now 85 is the biggest selling Now album ever, with Daft Punk's Get Lucky and Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines on the track list.
Artist album sales are currently down 7.2% on this time last year.
Singles are also struggling - but sales of compilation albums are up 7.7% year on year.
For some it might be an unexpected trend but the managing director of Now Music, Peter Duckworth, says consumers want popular music to be curated.
"In an era of downloads, when people said a few years ago that it's the end of the compilation because people can now choose their tracks from iTunes, they've been proved wrong.
"Now has gone from strength to strength in the digital era because whilst you can buy every track on iTunes or listen to them on Spotify, people want some guidance and help.
"If you are faced with 15 million tracks to choose from, Now helps you choose."
The inspiration for the name Now That's What I Call Music came from a 1920s advertisement for Danish Bacon.
The pig became a mascot on the early sleeves of the Now albums and still makes the occasional appearance.
- Related Stories
- Prince William Rocks Out With Jon Bon Jovi
- Robbie Williams Swings Into Chart History
- American Music Awards: Fans Go For Taylor Swift