VA - NOW 80s Alternative (2023)

A new Now That’s What I Call Music compilation is on the way next month which shines a spotlight on the diverse ‘alternative’ music scene of the 1980s.

NOW 80s Alternative is available as an 80-track 4CD set or as a 30-song 2LP pink coloured vinyl offering and even though these kinds of compilations are fairly common these days, this one looks pretty good!

It features music from New Order, Eurythmics, The Associates, Joy Division, The Jam, Echo and the Bunnymen, Pretenders, The Creatures, R.E.M., The Pixies, The Psychedelic Furs, David Sylvian, Marc Almond, Aztec Camera, Yello, Propaganda, Act, Japan, Sisters of Mercy, The Clash, The Sugarcubes and more.

Now Music proudly presents Now – 80s Alternative: 80 tracks across 4 CDs encapsulating the era and celebrating an incredibly diverse decade for ‘Alternative’ music.

CD1 showcases genre-defining bands and kicks off with New Order’s sublime ‘Thieves Like Us’, Eurythmics stunning ‘Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)’ and Joy Division’s era defining ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’. Post-Punk New Wave exploded on to the charts, and The Associates, The Jam, Echo And The Bunnymen, Pretenders, and Siouxsie’s side project The Creatures are all included. The U.S. Alt scene provided R.E.M., Pixies, The Psychedelic Furs, and the David Bowie co-write ‘Shades’ from Iggy Pop. Plus, some of the best written Pop songs ever, represented here by David Sylvian, Marc Almond, Aztec Camera, Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH!, The Adventures, Tom Robinson, and the Elvis Costello co-write ‘Shipbuilding’, beautifully realised by Robert Wyatt.

The (still) incredible ‘O Superman’ from Laurie Anderson opens the second disc, along with other synth-based classics from Yello, Propaganda, Midge Ure & Mick Karn, Japan, Electronic and a brilliant single from Japanese band Sandii & The Sunsetz. DEVO produced the defining U.S. New Wave smash with ‘Whip It’, and fantastic unique hits from Scarlet Fantastic, Split Enz, Our Daughter’s Wedding, Anne Pigalle and ‘Flowers’ by Zaine Griff (featuring Kate Bush on backing vocals) are all included.

The epic ‘This Corrosion’ from Sisters Of Mercy starts CD3 in grandiose style – and is followed with atmospheric masterpieces from Siouxsie And The Banshees, Bauhaus, The Cure and a second appearance from Joy Division – before some late-80s Alternative essentials, including Bjork’s band The Sugarcubes, Act, The Mission, All About Eve, The Cult’s ‘Edie (Ciao Baby)’, ‘This Is England’ from The Clash, and The Fall’s version of ‘There’s A Ghost In My House’, before closing with two more great examples of U.S. Alt Pop from The Go-Go’s, and The Waitresses.

Opening with the song that launched one of the defining bands of the era, The Smiths, with ‘Hand In Glove’ the final CD features a stellar line up of 80s Alternative Chart hits – The Icicle Works, It’s Immaterial, B-Movie, Kissing The Pink and Gang Of Four are all featured with timeless singles… Altered Images, Toyah and Adam & The Ants would go on to find huge mainstream success in the early ‘80s – and we celebrate these artists with their earlier singles. Big Audio Dynamite, Julian Cope and XTC are also included before the collection draws to a close with Latin Quarter’s ‘Radio Africa’ – and Scritti Politti’s 1981 single ‘The “Sweetest Girl”’.

Now – 80s Alternative – A celebration of a different view of the decade’s charts - the lesser-compiled 1980’s singles.