Anybody else used to like these CDs? I just found my old Now 6 CD, well my pirated Now 6 CD, lol. All my old favorites from back then are on there, I kinda miss 2001. Still a little bit of Y2K era left mixed with the early '00s so much better than today's emo/crunk.

Anybody else used to like these CDs? I just found my old Now 6 CD, well my pirated Now 6 CD, lol. All my old favorites from back then are on there, I kinda miss 2001. Still a little bit of Y2K era left mixed with the early '00s so much better than today's emo/crunk.


I own the first three on tape, they introduced me to popular music c. 1998.

I own the first three on tape, they introduced me to popular music c. 1998.


Yeah that's kind of how I got introduced to it as well, the new Nows really suck, too much rap not enough pop.

They have these CD series all over the world.  The ones in the UK started in 1983, and currently they are now up to Volume 63.  The ones we have in Canada are just called "Now" and I believe we are up to Volume 10

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The first few "Now"s were real cool, but I lost interest in pop a while back.

You know what was a good compilation? The Buzz.

They capture the times. Not my type of music.

The first few "Now"s were real cool, but I lost interest in pop a while back.

You know what was a good compilation? The Buzz.


I liked them up to about Now 10 (late 2002 I think), then they started to suck.

I liked them up to about Now 10 (late 2002 I think), then they started to suck.


Yeah, they became too focused on R&B and Rap.

They do show pretty well how pop music has changed over time.

Now 6 (April 2001)
--1: Stronger - Britney Spears
--2: Gotta Tell You - Samantha Mumba
--3: Bye Bye Bye - N Sync
--4: Around The World (La La La La La) - ATC
--5: Love Don't Cost A Thing - Jennifer Lopez
--6: Independent Women Part 1 - Destiny's Child
--7: It Wasn't Me - Shaggy
--8: No More (Baby I'ma Do Right) - 3LW
--9: Crazy - K-Ci & JoJo
--10: I Wish - R. Kelly
--11: Shape Of My Heart - Backstreet Boys
--12: Crazy For This Girl - Evan & Jaron
--13: Yellow - Coldplay
--14: Again - Lenny Kravitz
--15: Hemorrhage (In My Hands) - Fuel
--16: With Arms Wide Open - Creed
--17: Drive - Incubus
--18: Beautiful Day - U2
--19: AM Radio - Everclear

Now 21 (April 2006)
--1: Don't Forget About Us - Mariah Carey
--2: Stickwitu - Pussycat Dolls
--3: Grillz - Nelly - (featuring Paul Wall/Ali/Gipp)
--4: Run It! - Chris Brown
--5: My Humps - Black Eyed Peas
--6: If It's Lovin' That You Want - Rihanna
--7: Fresh AZIMIZ - Bow Wow - (featuring J-Kwon/Jermaine Dupri)
--8: Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It - Dem Franchize Boyz - (featuring Peanut/Charlay)
--9: Stay Fly - Three 6 Mafia - (featuring Young Buck/Eightball & MJG)
--10: I'm Sprung - T-Pain
--11: One Wish - Ray J
--12: Because Of You - Kelly Clarkson
--13: Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
--14: Photograph - Nickelback
--15: Dirty Little Secret - The All-American Rejects
--16: Dance, Dance - Fall Out Boy
--17: Who I Am Hates Who I've Been - Relient K
--18: Dare - Gorillaz
--19: Honky Tonk Badonkadonk - Trace Adkins
--20: Everytime We Touch - Cascada

;D I love how it takes more then 15 rappers to produce one 4-minute song.

;D I love how it takes more then 15 rappers to produce one 4-minute song.


;D There is always a bunch of them featured on the same song.

You can always tell which songs are the rap songs right away, just look for the hard to understand/terribly mispelled titles and/or artist.

You can always tell which songs are the rap songs right away, just look for the hard to understand/terribly mispelled titles and/or artist.


Makes you wonder what kind of grade these Rap artists got in English Class ;D

Yeah that's kind of how I got introduced to it as well, the new Nows really suck, too much rap not enough pop.


The first Now!, from 97-98, is classic...a great snapshot of that period in music. The 98-99 Now! isn't all that bad either...I think there was a slight decline with the third one, though.

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I have every single 'Now that's what I call music' from 1 to 59 - I'm not too sure whether I am proud of the fact but it has seen so much music since 1983. I have 1 - 17 on cassette (with exception of 13 and 16 which is on CD). The rest from there are all on CD. I can't be bothered with the last 3 just yet . . . I easily find them cheaper in the market.

As Paul rightly said, they are an institution over here in the UK and took over the garish 'Top of the Pops' LPs that my dad and uncle had (I swear they only had them for the sexy women on the front of the sleeves  ;D). I'm not too sure whether the songs were covers of the original hits too so, in a way, 'Now' hit new ground by providing us with the original tracks.

What was interesting from Paul's link was the the evolution of design which featured the 'pig' logo. Not exactly the best marketing strategy for a compilation with chart music but the idea lasted the year at least (1984 I think). I think the covers got more cleverer from Now 11 onwards . . . (though Now 18 and 19 were totally uninspiring to look at).

As Paul rightly said, they are an institution over here in the UK and took over the garish 'Top of the Pops' LPs that my dad and uncle had (I swear they only had them for the sexy women on the front of the sleeves  ;D). I'm not too sure whether the songs were covers of the original hits too so, in a way, 'Now' hit new ground by providing us with the original tracks.


Ah! The dreaded 'TOTP' LPs...

Can still be found at most car boot sales for 10p a ton...

Yes, they were 'dodgy' covers (a practice that went right back to the 1950s), but if you wanted the kosher article (albeit with a few ropey edits), there was always K-Tel & Ronco...

The impact of 'Now' really did put the kibosh on these two...

Hang onto that '13 CD' Rob...it's becoming quite collectable now!

Ah! The dreaded 'TOTP' LPs...

Can still be found at most car boot sales for 10p a ton...

Ha ha! Too true . . .

Yes, they were 'dodgy' covers (a practice that went right back to the 1950s), but if you wanted the kosher article (albeit with a few ropey edits), there was always K-Tel & Ronco...

I was a bit gutted when I heard that at the naive young age of 8. I expected the album to be from the original artist . . . Kind of defeated the objective really but I know that it would be more expensive for the companies to deal with the original artists.

Never heard of Ktel before arriving on the boards.

The impact of 'Now' really did put the kibosh on these two...

I think TOTP went on to about 1982/1983 - I know my dad had an LP from 1981 featuring Joe Dolce's 'Shaddup your face'.

Hang onto that '13 CD' Rob...it's becoming quite collectable now!


Really? Well cool . . . It's not in bad nick and the sleeve notes and the cushiony stuff inside is still there.

I got a bunch of the UK Now's.  The 80's ones I have are on cassette, with the exception of Now 4, and Now 9 I believe (the one with Caravan of Love by Housemartins).  The album versions are 2LP sets, but the CD versions are just 1 CD?  They left out several tracks

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You really have 4 and 9 on CD, Jason?

Yes, Now 4 only had one CD.


Indeed I do.  I found them at a flea market years ago.  Thing is that the owner who previously had them didn't take proper care of them, so the inlays have imprints in them from the CD case.  I almost didn't buy them cuase of this, but I figure they are still collectors items

Speaking of Now, did you ever find it weird how Shakin' Stevens never appeared on a Now compilation?

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