VA - NOW Yearbook '85 (2022)

NOW Music is proud to present the newest edition to our ‘Yearbook’ family: NOW – Yearbook 1985, the 6th addition to our Yearbook 80s series and 7th addition including NOW – Yearbook 1979. This Special Edition CD is housed in ‘hard-back-book’ packaging, including a 28-page booklet featuring a summary of the year, a track-by-track guide, a quiz, and original singles artwork.

1985 was a huge year for Queen, including a career-defining performance at ‘Live Aid’ and Disc One opens with ‘One Vision’ – and is followed with three of the year’s #1s from Eurythmics with ‘There Must Be An Angel’ and two collaborations: UB40 & Chrissie Hynde on ‘I Got You Babe’, and Philip Bailey & Phil Collins with ‘Easy Lover’. The first single from Sting’s debut solo album is included alongside massive trans-Atlantic hits from Tears For Fears, Simple Minds, The Power Station and Tina Turner – plus some of the decades’ most iconic hits including a-ha with ‘Take On Me’ and Dead Or Alive delivering the first #1 for producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman. Sophisticated Ballads from Bryan Ferry, Elton John, Paul Young and the #1 ‘Move Closer’ from Phyllis Nelson feature before the disc closes with the epic ‘The Unforgettable Fire’ from U2.

Disc 2 begins with 1985’s Power Ballads and Soft Rock hits. Kicking off with the #1 from Foreigner ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’, and Marillion’s ‘Kayleigh’ before huge radio friendly Rock-Pop from ZZ Top, Pat Benatar and Billy Idol and massive movie-theme smashes from Huey Lewis & The News, Bonnie Tyler, John Parr, Dan Hartman, Maria Vidal and DeBarge. The second half of the disc celebrates the year’s Soul driven line-up including Ashford & Simpson with ‘Solid’, Princess with ‘Say I’m Your Number One’, ‘Hangin’ On A String’ from Loose Ends, along with classic slow-dance Ballads from Kool & The Gang, Lionel Richie and the debut #1 ‘Saving All My Love For You’ from Whitney Houston.

The third disc opens with the breath-taking ‘Cloudbusting’ from Kate Bush, and Indie anthem ‘How Soon Is Now?’ from The Smiths – setting the tone for a run of ‘Alternative’ hits including The Cure with ‘Close To Me’, ‘Duel’ from Propaganda, and ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ from The Cult. Mid-1980s Synth and Pop from Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw, Red Box, Scritti Politti and Stephen Duffy follow – as does the debut ‘Election Day’ from Duran Duran side project Arcadia. More chart debuts from King, Simply Red, Fine Young Cannibals, and The Dream Academy lead toward the disc’s closing track from Strawberry Switchblade with the Pop classic ‘Since Yesterday’.

The final disc gets underway with massive Electro-Pop hits from Paul Hardcastle with #1 ‘19’, Harold Faltermeyer with ‘Axel F’ and Colonel Abrams ‘Trapped’ before floor-filling HI-NRG from Bronski Beat with Marc Almond and Divine. A trio of beautiful tracks from Dee C Lee, Sade and Alison Moyet are featured leading into the #1 ‘A Good Heart’ from Feargal Sharkey before a run of upbeat Pop classics from Katrina & The Waves, Sheila E, Level 42, Billy Ocean, Five Star, and the #1 ‘Frankie’ from Sister Sledge. Three #1s close out this Yearbook: Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson’s ‘I Know Him So Well’, the year’s biggest selling single ‘The Power Of Love’ from Jennifer Rush, and 1985’s Christmas chart-topper that has become an all-time seasonal favourite, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ from Shakin’ Stevens.

NOW – Yearbook 1985 – A celebration of the diversity and creative magic of the year in Pop.