FEATURE:
Now and Again
Forty Years of the Iconic Compilation Series: The Digital and Physical, and Its Incredible Legacy
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ONE of the most recognisable brands in music…
the Now That’s What I Call Music! series is forty on 28th November. The makers announced some special anniversary releases. You can get some information and history about the iconic and beloved series. I wanted to discuss the digitisation of the compilations, plus a suggestion regarding making some of the editions physical. It is great that there is a decades-spanning release for the fortieth (here is another link). There are a couple of features/articles that I want to bring in before getting to thoughts about the archives and making everything digital and physical. I also have some interviews coming from very special people who will discuss their experiences and memories of the Now That’s What I Call Music! series. It is important to first recognise one important milestone (you should check out the Now That’s What I Call Music! official site, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook). Even if I don’t buy most of the Now albums on C.D. anymore, I keep track of them through streaming. I feel a special connection with the compilation series, as it was launched in the same year that i was born. It is in very rude health ahead of its fortieth birthday. On 28th November, I think that a lot of people will share their memories of the compilation album and when they came to it. I might have chance to do another feature/something special before the big day.
When the one-hundredth instalment of Now That’s What I Call Music! arrived in 2018, Music Week spoke with Virgin boss Richard Branson. The first Now That’s What I Call Music! was released through Virgin/EMI. Branson reflected on the legacy of the celebrated and iconic compilation series:
“Today’s the day. Now That’s What I Call Music 100 hits stores, cementing its place in music business folklore as the UK’s longest-running and best-loved compilation series.
Somewhat ironically, back in the day, bosses were concerned about numbering each edition, fearing teenagers wouldn’t be interested in the brand once it passed Now 21. Such worries proved unfounded, and Now 100 has attracted widespread publicity, not least in the form of an all-encompassing feature in the current print edition of Music Week.
Music Week was there at the start for Now, back in November 1983, when the concept was dreamed up by Stephen Navin and Jon "Webbo" Webster and the brand was launched by Richard Branson’s Virgin Records in a blaze of curious pig-themed marketing. So Branson – now Sir Richard, founder of the Virgin Group and Music Week’s Strat Award winner in 1991 – sat down with us Music Week to talk through the birth of a compilations phenomenon – and, of course, the historic significance of that pig…
How did Virgin come up with the concept for Now That's What I Call Music?
“At the time Virgin was dominating the charts with our singles, but I was fed up with third party labels like K-Tel ringing us up for our hits and making fortunes out of our hard work. So I went to see EMI and said, ‘Why don’t we both create our own label together which would put out ours and other’s hits?’. The only thing was, we didn’t have a title.
“I’d fallen in love with a beautiful girl called Joan who worked in a shop in Westbourne Grove that sold ephemera. The owner of the shop made it clear that I had to buy something in order to spend time with her in the shop. One day, I saw this wonderful poster for Danish Bacon with the words ‘Now, that’s what I call music’ written on it. We had our name and the rest is history. As for that beautiful girl in the shop? She became my wife…”
Did you think it would be anywhere near as successful/mould-breaking as it went on to be?
“I knew from its initial success that we had created something very special. However, I don’t think anyone would have predicted the 35-year-long success of any brand, especially in the record industry. The music business is fast-changing and ephemeral at the best of times, which makes Now That’s What I Call Music’s success even more extraordinary.”
How important were the compilations to Virgin, financially and creatively, at that time?
“The Virgin label was going through an enormously successful period in the early ‘80s with UB40, The Human League, Culture Club, Phil Collins, Genesis, Simple Minds, OMD, and many more. The success of the Now compilations allowed us to invest more into the business to help maintain Virgin as the premier label it was.”
What is the secret to the series' enduring success?
“I suspect it’s the attractive combination of quality, value, and of course that great brand title: Now That’s What I Call Music, which resonates so well with everyone. And of course Now is always current yet, at the same time incredibly nostalgic, which is an unusual and very positive combination. They represent a host of emotions and memories; as well as some great music it’s those memories that people hold with such affection, whether they bought it on a CD or via streaming. It is the thoughtful curation that ensures every album evokes such memories and becomes a soundtrack of a time in our lives”.
So, how did Now That's What I Call Music! get its start? How did it get its name? The Oxford Blue looked at the story behind a series of compilation albums that remains popular to this very day. I honestly cannot see it ending or becoming less popular in years to come. It flourishes at a time when digital music succeeds and dominates still:
“If you were anything like me as a child, you vividly remember the Now! compilation albums. I can recall hours upon hours spent listening to these albums, which would be playing from the pink flowery CD player which sat proudly upon my desk. A huge amount of time would be spent singing along to the radio edits of songs such as Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’, Cee Lo Green’s ‘Forget You’, and Taio Cruz’s ‘Dynamite’, to name just a few. It was always a treat to receive the newest Now! album for Christmas, which would never fail to encapsulate the pop scene of the time through an eclectic mix of the biggest releases from the last few months. Looking back at the tracklists today is like looking into a time capsule. Now! is a brand which has endured the test of time, still going strong today after more than 100 numbered album releases since its inception in 1983. Spin-offs and other Now! series such as Now Dance and Now Decades take the total number of releases past 250. Their success can be contextualised by considering the musical landscape of the time and the potential to exploit a gap in the album market.
In 1983, compilation albums existed, but they were often seen as tacky. They were cheap and nasty, with songs which had been messily put together to create disarrayed and generally poor albums. This all changed when Stephen Navin and Jon Webster at Virgin Records, the top selling singles label in the UK at the time, had an idea. Companies were repeatedly asking Virgin to buy tracks to use in their compilation albums, and Navin and Webster realised how lucrative it could be to simply create their own compilation albums instead. Virgin spoke to EMI about this to see if they would get involved, as EMI were a larger and older establishment which could help out with getting big bands on board. Together, they resolved to create a brand which would give music lovers compilation albums which they could genuinely enjoy listening to. They were much more elegantly compiled and were made to look very different to other compilation albums, with sleeker packaging which contrasted with the basic black and white or black and red sleeves which were seen with previously existing compilation albums. From the beginning, the product was presented as a more luxurious product, evoking excitement in the general public.
The name Now That’s What I Call Music! came from a 1930s poster for Danish Bacon which was hung in the office of Simon Draper, Navin and Webster’s boss. It was bought for Draper by Richard Branson, Draper’s cousin, and depicted a pig listening to a hen singing, with the caption “Now that’s what I call music”. The poster was a joke, referring to Draper’s early morning irritability – Branson said that he was “notoriously grumpy before breakfast”. On seeing this poster, Navin decided that the phrase said exactly what they wanted to say and so the name was chosen.
The first album was released on 28 November 1983, compiling 30 UK hit singles from that year by artists such as Phil Collins, Duran Duran, and Rod Stewart. The album went straight to number one, selling 1.1 million copies. Webster has said that it was difficult to convince some artists to get involved to begin with, due to concerns that it could affect single sales and reputations, but once the album sales took off, everyone was keen to be a part of it. David Bowie and Eurythmics refused to be on the first one, but after its triumphant release, they agreed to feature on Now 2. Three Now! albums were released in 1984, and a pattern was established. The albums were released just before every Christmas, Easter, and during the summer, just as they are today. Polygram and Universal began to contribute tracks to Now!, but other labels got involved in another new compilation brand known as Hits. This new brand was able to get big American acts involved, but Now! was known for maintaining a notable sense of Britishness. Many people seemed to like this, and Now! reached much greater success. As Draper said to the BBC in 2018, Now! “wiped out all the opposition”. Along with the numbered series, some of the spin-off albums have also reached huge success. The Now! Christmas album is the seventh best-selling album of all time in Britain, having sold four and a half million copies and outselling even Pink Floyd’s (The) Dark Side of the Moon
The rapid decrease in the number of people owning CD players, the rise of digital downloads and the increased popularity of streaming services have meant that sales have been gradually declining. Every Now! album released prior to 2018 received platinum or multiplatinum certification, but none of the albums released from 2019 onwards achieved this. However, it would be unfair to claim that there is not still a large amount of interest in the releases, as most of these later editions still received gold certification, meaning that over 500,000 copies were sold. However, the downward sales trajectory shows no sign of stopping, so the brand will have to evolve and adapt to changes in technology and the listening habits of the general public. I really do hope that the album series is able to continue – it is simply too iconic to lose”.
In terms of the physical releases, you can go to Amazon or HMV and get the compilation series on C.D. You can even get the original 1983 release on C.D. and vinyl. As the prices vary between the editions, I wonder whether the official website would stock all of them at the same cost. Maybe a special Now That's What I Call Music! store of shop with every edition is available on a range of physical formats. It might be financially and logistically impossible to do but, as I have posed before, how about a cassette, vinyl and C.D. option for each? Maybe also a digital link to that album – going to Spotify, Apple or Deezer etc. As it stands, you can get some digital Now That's What I Call Music! albums. You can get a great deal of them physically. However, as mentioned, the prices vary. I don’t know if you can get every one of the Now That's What I Call Music! albums on a physical format new. You can see which albums are available on vinyl. An affordable range of C.D.s too. As far as I understand – and maybe owing to the number of tracks and it would be unwieldy – you can’t get any/most on cassette. Perhaps it would need to be three cassettes to fit all the tracks in. That said, I do remember buying Now That's What I Call Music! 24 on cassette back in 1993. I think a lot of people would love the option of owning their favourite Now That's What I Call Music! albums on cassette, vinyl or C.D.
I am going to include a few interviews with some wonderful people who tell me about their experiences with the NOW/Now series. It has been really interesting getting some different and unique perspectives on this timeless and legendary compilation album. In some way or another, I feel most of us have a love of Now That’s What I Call Music! Maybe people do not share them today the same way that they did years ago, though it is clear there is still a lot of demand for the album. First is the magnificent journalist Lee Campbell. He currently writes for UTR, The Guardian, Belfast Telegraph, Rolling Stone UK, Hot Press, and Sunday Times Ireland. You can catch Lee’s incredible recent Danse Macabre interview with Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes for Under the Radar. He also has an upcoming interview with Holly Johnson from Frankie Goes to Hollywood (which will be published in the next month). Also, please do check out the leecampellwrites Linktree link. It was a most enjoyable experience speaking with him and getting his unique insight into a compilation series that is very dear in my heart.
My penultimate interview is with someone who knows the NOW series better than most people. The fantastic Iain McDermott runs the tremendous Back to NOW! podcast. A podcast that is all about “celebrating the variously compiled world of pop”, he chatted to me about his love of the compilation series and some of his impressions about its impact, importance and future:
The Now That’s What I Call Music! series was launched in the U.K. on 28th November, 1983. What are your earliest memories of the series? When did you hear the very first edition?
I have a vivid memory of the T.V. advert for the first NOW, around Christmas 1983. I was 11 the day after the first album was released that year. Tracey Ullman did the voiceover for it and it looked very glamorous featuring those (very '80s graphics) tracks and images from the album. I don’t remember asking for it for Christmas that year, however I did borrow a copy from a friend’s big sister early in 1984 and ‘may have’ accidentally copied it to cassette. I certainly remember making an inlay sleeve for it, faithfully recreating that iconic first NOW white font on black background, with plenty of felt tips. But my first purchase was a cassette copy of NOW3 in the summer of 1984. WH Smith, I think - holiday money. Having all of those songs in their entirety, the ability to rewind, fast forward and play repeatedly, pouring over the chart stars in the fold out inlay, that cover with the pig in sunglasses (for the first time) and the Day-Glo colour scheme was so exciting.
I was born six months before NOW was launched. It seems strange being the same age. My favourite compilation is 1993’s NOW24. Have you got a personal favourite or a top three?
NOW24 is a great entry to the series! And happy 40th to you too! Some of the albums are more special for different reasons, and whilst I drifted a bit from the NOW series in the mid-to-late-1990s (purchased them all since!), there are some that I would call favourites. * NOW3 - the first for me as stated above. * NOW7 - 1986 often gets a raw deal when people review the '80s (post-Live Aid, cynicism of the record industry, C.D.s evolving etc), but for me this album is awash with my 13-year-old Pop heaven. * NOW Dance 901/902/903 - (is this cheating, picking three here?) - My first year as a student (1990) and also starting out DJing, these three albums highlighted NOWs interest in the dance scene and featured 12’ mixes (which I loved) and actually, for me, say more about 1990 than the actual numbered NOWs of that year - 17 and 18. Blissful!
“Duran, UB40, Culture Club et al were all relatively new acts, but in 1983 they all seemed to move up a gear in image and sound”
It was quite revolutionary in 1983. Why do you think that that year was the right one for NOW to come about? How did it change the way we looked at chart music?
I think that 1983 marked a point where the ‘80s found their identity. The first three years of the decade had been full of swagger, excitement and experimentation in Pop, and by 1983 there was a genuine '80s legacy starting to emerge. Duran, UB40, Culture Club et al were all relatively new acts, but in 1983 they all seemed to move up a gear in image and sound. I also think that EMI/Virgin had such a presence in the singles chart that it made perfect sense to pull forces and celebrate their success (as opposed to licensing out to other compilation companies). It kind of equates to a decade earlier in 1973 when singles sales were equally huge and similarly the '70s got into their stride properly too.
The NOW brand signified a new quality for compilation albums; not just the biggest hits but also how the landscape was producing new and exciting acts too that could easily sit alongside no.1s of the year (enter The Cure, Simple Minds and, on NOW2, The Smiths, Big Country etc). Chart music was obviously big business by this point of the '80s, but it was also a huge part of our lives. T.V., newspapers and the media at large were just as interested in the likes of Simon Le Bon and Boy George as Smash Hits were. For me, NOW captured that presence and excitement in that glossy, colourful gatefold vinyl.
I am not sure whether any specific plans are afoot for the fortieth anniversary? How will you be marking it?
I am currently pulling together the annual end-of-year review episode with regular guests and great supporters of the podcast Ian Wade, Mark Wood and Johnny Kalifornia. But, as well as reviewing 2023 and the NOW releases, we are planning to celebrate the 40th anniversary too, with some special guests contributing and general pop nostalgia sprinkled across the episode!
Before carrying on, tell me about the Back to NOW podcast and why that was set up. Are there any new episodes in the offing?
The podcast started back in 2020. The idea had been floating around for a couple of years, and the pandemic probably gave me more time to get it up and running. The premise of the podcast is for guests to select a NOW compilation L.P. that reminds them of important time in their life. Guests don’t have to have owned it…because as well as discussing the tracks, of equal interest is to discuss the wider cultural contexts of the chosen L.P. or time period in Pop: memories of the time, track anecdotes, sequencing of songs and cultural contexts of the music and the world around it at that time. The U.K.’s love of compilation L.P.s means that we have a rich tapestry of curated time capsules representing the changing sounds and styles of our Pop listening landscapes - warts and all!
Episodes have been just as interesting (if not often more so) with the stories of how particular times in our lives are so memorably soundtracked by the music we listen to and often influence our own musical journeys. I’ve been hugely fortunate to have some great guests so far such as Pete Paphides, Alexis Petridis, Bob Stanley, Siän Pattenden, Jude Rogers, Michael Cragg and Will Hodgkinson. More than anything, it has been great chatting with guests who share a love of both Pop music (in all its forms) and pop culture - and have been generous enough to give over an hour or so of time to chat about it over Zoom. As long as I can continue to find interesting guests who are happy to share their memories, and an audience happy to join us, then hopefully the podcast will continue to find its place in peoples’ listening spaces. I’m always incredibly grateful to everyone that connects and chooses to come along with us.
I guess the NOW albums document the best of that year’s chart music. The series has broadened from year-based albums to concentrate too on genres. It has got more thematic. How do you see NOW expanding and evolving through the years?
I have loved the diversification, and I know from speaking to listeners and other fans that the evolution of the brand has been well received. I believe that one of the strengths of the brand is its identification with quality. Whether it was picking up a cassette copy in 1984 or a C.D. in 1994 or a new vinyl retrospective in 2023, the logo/name always lets people know that the content will be well-curated, the correct versions, thoughtfully sequenced. Plus, the team at NOW know their audience and are keen to provide a range of genres, themes etc. based on what people want. The genre-hopping also enables the team to really get creative with their sequencing and track selection. This, and the fact that music can always be viewed through ever- evolving sets of lenses and new contexts, I think creates a vibrant template (with such recognisable brand identity) for so much music to be revisited.
“This emotional response is harder to replicate on a streaming service!”
In a streaming age, it is remarkable that the series continues to flourish and remain in the consciousness! Why do you feel people of all ages keep on buying the physical NOW albums when they could stream the songs individually?!
I suppose, connected to the point above, there is still (to many music lovers) something tangible about physical product. If it is high quality (and I believe that the NOW albums are), then it will always be desirable. The recent expansion into Yearbook editions has been wonderful example of that. Coloured vinyl, hardback C.D.s with sleeve notes and photos - these have highlighted a real love for Pop nostalgia and sparked a great response in fans. Personally, there is still something very exciting about unwrapping a new NOW record/C.D.! This emotional response is harder to replicate on a streaming service!
The NOW series is available on vinyl and C.D. I don’t think that every edition is on those formats. Is this something you feel would be beneficial? Maybe transferring some to cassette – or would it prove too expensive?!
I think the team at NOW have done a great job in expanding the offer for compilation fans in recent years. I think that you will always find someone, somewhere that would find something else they’d like! But for me, the choice is fabulous. No return to VHS compilations that I can see! (I have a box full of them in the loft, so no worry there!). On that note, the NOW TV channels are also worth mentioning as an interesting addition to the brand. Channel-surfing and finding a show called ‘Every Track from NOW2’ or likewise will always catch my attention!
“Wow, I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it”
Looking back on forty years of Now That’s What I Call Music!, how important has it been in your life in terms of your childhood and teenage years and, indeed, your adulthood? What does it mean to you and your love of music in general?
Huge. NOW always makes me smile for different reasons. Growing up into early-teens, the NOW albums were a massively exciting (and accessible) touchpoint for pop culture throughout the years. In a pre-social media/Internet world, anticipating the double-page glossy advert spread in Smash Hits the week before release was (for me) like nothing else. First chance to see the artwork and tracklist. What songs had made it, how were they sequenced, what surprises were included. Wow, I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. As an adult they mean different things. Memory time capsules - as I said earlier with warts and all - which make them even better! I have fond memories of (early-2000s) filling in gaps in my collection via eBay. Now, it’s a joy to see how decades, years, genres etc. are revisited and celebrated again. Often, different tracks are highlighted.
Finally, and maybe an impossible question, you can choose any song from any of the NOW albums and I will include it here. What shall we go for?
I CANT ANSWER THAT! Actually, I can. The Reflex by Duran Duran. NOW3. Side 1, Track 1. Unbridled Pop joy. (As celebrated with great gushing with BBC Music correspondent Mark Savage earlier this year - shameless episode plug! – I hope these rambles are useful. That was a blast! lain x
In the final interview before I wrap up this feature, I have been asking journalist and writer Cath Holland about her experience and memories of the iconic Now That’s What I Call Music! series. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter/X. It has been fascinating discovering her impressions and perspectives about a compilation that means so much to so many people. We all have different takes and favourites. Like me, the compilations of the 1990s are particularly dear to Holland:
Hey Cath. I hope you are well. As the Now That’s What I Call Music! series turns forty on 28th November, I wondered if you could tell me when you first discovered the series.
For me, it was the compilations of the 1990s that was the most impactful and enduring.
When do you think the peak was? Do you have a favourite number in the series?
The 1990s would be for me, too. I think the value of the series is that each album is a summing up of the Pop hits for the weeks or months each compilation covers. Because the content is largely mainstream and mass market, the quality of each depends on what we each individually view as quality Pop! In the 1990s the sort of music nearer the top of the charts broadened away from cash cow teen fodder, which makes it more interesting, I guess.
PHOTO CREDIT: amyofdarkness
I remember discussing the latest Now That’s What I Call Music! series at school. Was it a big part of your childhood and social circles?
I like the way Alternative music – in its broadest sense - sneaks in: The Cure, Blur, Skunk Anansie, Radiohead, The Sundays, Gorillaz making unexpected appearances. It allowed me to feel smug and knowledgeable because I knew who they were, and others in my social circle had no idea. If you listen to the 1980s Now albums, they are largely glossy and quite horrible, but then an artist like Yello pops up, bonkers and defiant. Square peg, round hole. I like the anarchy of that, creators of innovative and influential works sharing a space with the disposable, and the idea those buying the Now albums would happily consume something musically and creatively quite different simply because the music was included within the brand. Whether many people went on and did a deep dive into the work of many of the more left-field artists featured and became/become enthusiasts, I wouldn’t know! It’s nice to think that might be the case.
I think it would have been pretty monumental having a compilation of chart hits on an album in 1983. It is still popular today - when we can make our own playlists. Why do you feel Now That’s What I Call Music! remains and has this relevance in 2023?
Sometimes it’s quite an experience to close your eyes, run your fingers along a row of albums at home, feel the cardboard of the vinyl spine, stop at a random one, pull it out and play it. It’s like a luky dip, even if it’s one of your own purchases. To sit there and be presented with a series of songs curated by someone else, Now or not, reminds us of music and creators’ authority - something which we should respect but don’t. Rather than us as individuals putting together a playlist and becoming dependent on the familiar and having the arrogance to believe we are the true tastemakers!
“I kinda like the thought of a Wham! song right in the middle, confusing everyone”
I guess the quality fluctuates. It may not be as exciting today as in past years. Even so, would you say people still buy Now That’s What I Call Music! because it has that almost nostalgic quality?
If I was 14 now, I’d probably think contemporary compilations are the best. That’s the way it should be at that age.
Nostalgia is definitely a substantial part of the Now identity for adults in contemporary times. I see well-thumbed copies in charity shops and car boot sales which makes me a bit sad, a piece of someone’s teen years lashed into a Sally Army shop, left to languish, covered in dust, its glory days of being excitedly played at parties well behind it.
I am not sure what is planned for the fortieth anniversary. What would be the most fitting way to mark its big birthday?
A gloriously Alternative Now compilation would be an inspiration, and great fun. I kinda like the thought of a Wham! song right in the middle, confusing everyone.
The series has a different meaning to every person. What does it mean to you personally?
Each album is a time capsule of sorts. A musical encyclopaedia of the most commercial Pop.
This is a harsh question, but choose your favourite song from a Now That’s What I Call Music! album and I will play it here.
The Smiths – What Difference Does It Make?
As the sensational, legendary and hugely important Now That’s What I Call Music! series celebrates its fortieth birthday/anniversary forty on 28th November, ensuring that this phenomenal series is committed to streaming sites and is availably physically would be a real treat for the fans. I am curious whether this is something the makers are considering that for the future. I was going to just have this feature discuss that point. I thought about expanding it and speaking to different people and learning their opinions about the compilation album. We all have our own memories, so thanks enormously to Lee Campbell, Iain McDermott and Cath Holland for taking the time to go into depth about Now That’s What I Call Music! and what it means to them. After forty years, it is still this exciting and curious yearbook of the best Pop around! I am curious to see how many more years it will survive. I think that we all hope that it will endure…
FOR decades more.