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Back in the 1990s, Now That's What I Call Music! was almost everywhere. With a new compilation album released every few months, it was a successful series in a chart world dominated by CD and cassette singles - collecting together dozens of hits for little more than the price of a standard album. It almost served as a time capsule of musical success at the time. The range of music featured on a typical release sometimes offered listeners a pleasant discovery or two they would not have otherwise come across.
Many music aficionados have long since scoffed at a compilation series that recognises popularity over anything else, but Now!'s enduring presence suggests there's still many people out there who enjoy the releases. 30 years-old today, the series has managed 86 core series releases in the UK and Ireland, as well dozens of spin-off releases (including an ever popular Christmas compilation). For more on the series' history, click here.
One might think the prevalence of individual song downloads has rendered something like Now! redundant. But the series has continued into the digital age. On iTunes, Now! compilations are still a significantly cheaper option than buying even half the included songs individually. However, as compilation critics are likely to point out, any given listener can always expect a significant percentage - if not a majority - of duds: music compilations are by their very nature uneven, unless carefully curated.
The original Now! collected together 30 songs on vinyl and cassette. The tracklist consists of many instantly recognisable songs, including Total Eclipse of the Heart, Karma Chameleon, Down Under, The Love Cats and The Safety Dance. Now! 86, meanwhile, was released on November 18th - the third release of the year. It includes songs from the likes of Katy Perry, Arctic Monkeys, One Direction and Tinie Tempah. Music fans would surely offer strong opinions on whether the quality of popular music has changed over the series' lifespan.
Do you think there's still a place for compilation albums in 2013? Have they been superseded by streaming, music discovery sites and individual song downloads? Do you have fond memories of Now!, or are there other compilation series you prefer? Did Now! have anything on the humble homemade mix-tape? Vote in our poll and leave your comments below.
