Blast from the past: Now That’s What I Call Music!
That was the first year of the Now That’s What I Call Music compilations, and all the kids wanted a copy to play on their cassette recorder.
Along with Top of the Pops, the Now compilations, were a portal into another world of heartbreak and hedonism for youngsters.
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Hide AdThose youngsters, now most probably in their 50s and older, will recall with affection that random compilation that mixed chart-topping bands like Duran Duran and Culture Club, with unspeakably naff acts like Kajagoogoo and Tracy Ullman, alongside credible bands like The Cure, Madness and Simple Minds. That first ‘Now’ and its smorgasbord of acts set the template for the next four decades of ‘Nows’.
The first garish cover featured photos of all the artists (all big hair, and even bigger shoulder pads) pasted into the word ‘Now’.
Stuffed with songs, both cheesy (Bonnie Tyler’s power ballading ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’) and classic (UB40’s ‘Red Red Wine’), the Now compilations are the soundtrack to our lives, whisking us back to our youth….
So, now, I’m off to put my back out breakdancing to the Rock Steady Crew.
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