Counting Down Christmas With Now!

 

There's just a few days to go until my favorite holiday of the year, and I can't think of a better way to help get through those long waiting hours than by popping on a slew of 80's hits. Sure, I could create my own playlist from my own curated collection of 80's albums. But, I think I'll let EMI do the work for me, and in the process take a listen to the classic 1983 compilation album that spawned a series of over one hundred albums to date.

When Now That's What I Call Music hit the scene, it was limited to not only vinyl and cassette releases, but UK shores. Each track was carefully selected to capture a snapshot in time of hits, specifically those being played on airwaves for our British neighbors. Of course, with the wide spectrum that these songs reached, most will be familiar to your average 80's fan. Occasionally, there's a hidden obscure gem in there, and those are the moments I like most about the series, and what ultimately drew me to it.

CD versions would eventually be released, with the first being volume four. However, this particular disc contained a completely different track listing from the original cassette and vinyl versions. As a result, many tend to favor volume eight as the first official CD release. However, it is worth noting that while volume eight and nine were released on CD, these were condensed versions, which were only on one disc, and did not contain all the tracks available on the LP's or cassettes. It wouldn't be until volume ten and on, that two CD's would be used, thus allowing for the entire album to be available on all formats.

In 2018, Sony Music began re-releasing the albums on duel CD's. While all the songs from the original lineup are present, there are noticeable differences in the versions, and perhaps not for the better. Part of the draw to the original LP and cassette versions were the use of 7" or single versions, and these rare cuts are sorely exempt from the CD's. Though it still delivers on hit after hit, these omissions dilute how special these compilations could have been upon re-release. Additionally, due to licensing rights, some of the tracks are missing in their entirety from these re-released versions. The quality of CD is unmistakably superior to the original vinyls and cassettes, but the overall presentation is not.

With that said, if you're looking for a fantastic lineup of hits, those are definitely to be found here, and are nothing to balk at. My personal echo chamber includes volumes one through sixteen, which fall in the realm of those released in the 80's. Future volumes, most notably those released in the early 90's still contain a fair share of hits from the 80's, but tend to favor the new era more, as they should. As such, my collection won't surpass volume sixteen.

Additionally, because there are far superior CD pressings available as of volume ten, I am only collecting the re-releases of one through nine. The remaining volumes on my want list will be the originals, though I have not had the opportunity to delve past the re-issues yet for cost reasons. Until that happens, I have plenty of volumes to help me get through the days leading up to Christmas. In the process, my list of want albums keeps growing as I delve deeper and deeper into the more obscure hits favored in the UK.

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