VA - Now Yearbook '87 (2024)

NOW is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series – and looks back to 37 years ago – with 80 tracks on 4 CDs, to celebrate an incredible year of Pop singles… NOW – Yearbook 1987.

Kicking off with a run of huge hits that truly underline just how stellar a year for the singles chart 1987 was: George Michael opens the collection with the title track from his debut solo album ‘Faith’, and is followed by the years’ Christmas #1, Pet Shop Boys with their version of ‘Always On My Mind’, and ‘True Faith’, a defining single in the rich discography of New Order. Dance music was evolving and M/A/R/R/S with their #1 ‘Pump Up The Volume’ was one of the first sample-led club tracks to become a mainstream hit and would be instrumental in paving the way for how dance music was often constructed going forward. In their fifth year of hits Eurythmics continued to deliver stunning singles and ‘Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)’ still sounds breathtakingly original today… Established hitmakers Duran Duran, A-ha and ABC were sharing the charts in 1987 with a great line-up of new pop bands, including here, Curiosity Killed The Cat, Johnny Hates Jazz and Wet Wet Wet – all enjoying their first hits. With use in tv ads for jeans, soul classics originally released in the ‘60s became even bigger hits in 1987: Ben E. King with ‘Stand By Me’ and Percy Sledge with ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’. The year saw continued success for the Pretenders and Alison Moyet, whilst Suzanne Vega and Swing Out Sister consolidated chart success from the previous year, the superb ‘Wonderful Life’ from Black was a hit on re-release, Rosie Vela debuted with ‘Magic Smile’ – and closing the disc, T’Pau’s second hit ‘China In Your Hand’ became the UK’s 600th #1 single.

A second appearance for George Michael opens Disc 2 – this time in partnership with Aretha Franklin on their #1 ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)’ ahead of Whiney Houston’s floor-filler and second #1 ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)’ and the lead track from the hugely popular film ‘Dirty Dancing’ – ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’ by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes. Next up ‘87’s biggest selling single – ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, the debut for Rick Astley, and another huge hit for writers and producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman….roles they also performed on Mel & Kim’s #1 ‘Respectable’ and ‘Toy Boy’ from Sinitta, and who were also producers on Bananarama’s ‘Love In The First Degree’, and Dead Or Alive’s ‘Something In My House’. Man 2 Man had a huge HI-NRG hit with ‘Male Stripper’, The Communards continued their run of hits with a cover of ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ and Boogie Box High took disco classic ‘Jive Talkin’ into the Top 10. 1987 saw Top 40 debuts for Living In A Box, Jellybean (& Elisa Fiorillo) and the first solo track from Shalamar singer Jody Watley. Donna Summer continued her massive run of hits with ‘Dinner With Gershwin’, and one of the most successful debuts was from Sananda Maitreya with his album ‘Introducing The Hardline…’ which included Disc 2 closer ‘Wishing Well’.