In 2025 Now was proud to complete the Yearbooks for the individual years from the 1980’s… however, they haven’t finished quite yet with the superb pop years 1985-1989. As they did with the decades’ first half, they present some of the brilliant songs that they didn’t get to feature… yet…

So now comes Now – Yearbook 1985-1989: The Final Chapter– a 79-track 4CD set or 42 track 3LP Set celebrating more pop magic from an exceptional time in the UK charts.

 Opening with Queen’s beautiful ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ ahead of Pet Shop Boys’ debut hit, the #1 ‘West End Girls’ – and Eurythmics with elegant synth-pop on ‘It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)’. A run of gems come next including from a-ha, Go West and Bananarama. Taylor Dayne and Gloria Estefan provide huge pop-dance anthems while remixes of ‘70s classics proved very popular for Chaka Khan, Bill Withers and Michael Jackson & Jackson 5. Hits from Bobby Brown, De La Soul, Five Star and Sananda Maitreya lead toward the first disc’s closing trio of sophisticated pop from Level 42, Bryan Ferry and Sade with 1985’s stunning ‘Is It A Crime’.

The second disc opens with Freddie Mercury’s incredible cover of ‘The Great Pretender’, and is followed by one of the greatest power-ballads ever from Heart with ‘Alone’. More ballads from Chicago, T’Pau and Tina Turner’s cover of ‘I Can’t Stand The Rain’ lead to the 1989 debut hit from Texas ‘I Don’t Want A Lover’, along with more hits from The Stranglers, Deacon Blue, Big Country and Simple Minds. A run of some of the era’s best alternative pop is next including outstanding tracks from R.E.M., The Cure, New Order and The Sisters Of Mercy. Dead Or Alive, China Crisis, and King enjoyed continued hits in the mid-80s and Fuzzbox celebrated their Top 20 debut in 1989 – as Amazulu had done in 1985… The disc closes with a pair of pop-reggae smash hits from Aswad and UB40 who hit the Top 3 with ‘Don’t Break My Heart’.

 

Bruce Springsteen made one of the era’s defining albums with ‘Born In The USA’, and its’ lead single ‘Dancing In The Dark’ opens Disc 3, ahead of rock from Bon Jovi and the collaboration ‘Out In The Fields’ from Gary Moore & Phil Lynott. Paul McCartney’s film theme ‘Spies Like Us’ is next along with Mike + The Mechanics, Belinda Carlisle and The Bangles. Huge hits from The Proclaimers, Status Quo and The Art Of Noise & Tom Jones’ version of ‘Kiss’ come ahead of massive dance-floor tracks from D-Mob, Bomb The Bass, Cameo, Midnight Star, Jaki Graham, plus soulful vocals from The Christians, Alexander O’Neal and Natalie Cole – with a powerful performance from Whitney Houston on the disc closer ‘Didn’t We Almost Have It All’.

The final disc kicks off with a second appearance on this collection and with another #1 – Pet Shop Boys with the peerless ‘It’s A Sin’… Next up The Communards ‘So Cold The Night’ and Bronski Beat with ‘Hit That Perfect Beat’ leading into another synth driven club smash from Trans X. A huge run of pure-pop follows, opening with Stock-Aitken-Waterman produced hits for The Reynolds Girls, Samantha Fox, Sinitta and Sonia ahead of gems from Eighth Wonder, Wet Wet Wet and Johnny Hates Jazz… Swing Out Sister continued their hits in 1987 with ‘Twilight World’, whilst 1986 saw the debut for Hollywood Beyond, and Living In A Box enjoyed their second Top 10 success in 1989 – plus more pop hits from Bros and Tiffany… ‘Foolish Beat’ in 1988 made Debbie Gibson the youngest female artist to write, produce and perform a U.S. #1…whilst the final three tracks on the collection are all covers: Jimmy Nail took ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’ to #3 in 1985, and at Christmas 1987 Rick Astley competed with the re-released original and made #2 with ‘When I Fall In Love’…but the final word goes to Cliff Richard, who with Hank Marvin and stars of the TV show ‘The Young Ones’ hit #1 in 1986 for Comic Relief with ‘Living Doll’ – twenty-seven years after it topped the chart in its’ original version.

A continued celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of this magical era in pop.

 

Track List:

 

CD1:
 

1. Queen - Who Wants To Live Forever  

2. Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls  
3. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)  

4. Thompson Twins - King For A Day  
5. a-ha - Train Of Thought   

6. Go West - Call Me  

7. Bananarama - I Can’t Help It   

8. Taylor Dayne - Prove Your Love 

9. Gloria Estefan - Rhythm Is Gonna Get You  

10. Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman (Remix Edit)  

11. Michael Jackson & Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (PWL Remix) 

12. Bill Withers - Lovely Day (7" Sunshine Mix) 

13. Bobby Brown - Every Little Step 

14. De La Soul – Me Myself And I 

15. Five Star - Find The Time 

16. Sananda Maitreya - Dance Little Sister 

17. Level 42 - To Be With You Again 

18. Bryan Ferry – The Right Stuff 

19. Sade - Is It A Crime 

 

 

CD2:

 

1. Freddie Mercury - The Great Pretender 

2. Heart – Alone  

3. Chicago - You're The Inspiration 

4. T'Pau - I Will Be With You 

5. Tina Turner - I Can't Stand The Rain 

6. Texas - I Don't Want A Lover 

7. The Stranglers - All Day And All Of The Night 

8. Deacon Blue - Wages Day 

9. Big Country - Look Away 

10. Simple Minds - Ghostdancing 

11. R.E.M. - Stand  

12. The Cure - Catch 

13. New Order – State Of The Nation  

14. The Sisters Of Mercy - Dominion 

15. Dead Or Alive - In Too Deep 

16. China Crisis - King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up) 

17. King - Alone Without You 

18. Fuzzbox - International Rescue 

19. Amazulu - Excitable 

20. Aswad - Give A Little Love  

21. UB40 - Don't Break My Heart 

 

CD3:
 

1. Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark  
2. Bon Jovi - Born To Be My Baby 

3. Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields 

4. Paul McCartney - Spies Like Us  

5. Mike + The Mechanics - Silent Running  

6. Belinda Carlisle - World Without You  

7. The Bangles - Walking Down Your Street  

8. The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) 

9. Status Quo - Burning Bridges (On And Off And On Again)  

10. The Art Of Noise, Tom Jones - Kiss       

11. D-Mob - We Call It Acieed (feat. Gary Haisman)  

12. Bomb The Bass - Don't Make Me Wait 

13. Cameo - Back And Forth  

14. Midnight Star - Midas Touch  

15. Jaki Graham - Round And Around 

16. The Christians - Ideal World  

17. Alexander O'Neal- If You Were Here Tonight  

18. Natalie Cole - Miss You Like Crazy  

19. Whitney Houston - Didn't We Almost Have It All  

 

CD4:

1. Pet Shop Boys – It’s A Sin 

2. The Communards - So Cold The Night  
3. Bronski Beat - Hit That Perfect Beat  

4. Trans-X - Living On Video  
5. The Reynolds Girls - I'd Rather Jack  

6. Samantha Fox - I Only Wanna Be With You 

7. Sinitta - Cross My Broken Heart 

8. Sonia - Can't Forget You  

9. Eighth Wonder - Cross My Heart 

10. Wet Wet Wet - Angel Eyes (Home And Away)  

11. Johnny Hates Jazz - Turn Back The Clock 

12. Swing Out Sister - Twilight World  

13. Hollywood Beyond - What's The Colour Of Money 

14. Living In A Box – Blow The House Down  
15. Bros - I Quit 

16. Tiffany - Radio Romance  
17. Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat 

18. Jimmy Nail - Love Don't Live Here Anymore 

19. Rick Astley - When I Fall In Love  

20. Cliff Richard, Hank Marvin, The Young Ones - Living Doll 

 

Track List:

 

LP1 / Side A:

1. Queen - Who Wants To Live Forever  

2. Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls  

3. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)  

4. UB40 - Don't Break My Heart 

5. Go West - Call Me  

6. Living In A Box – Blow The House Down  
7. Level 42 - To Be With You Again  

 

LP1 / Side B:

1. a-ha - Train Of Thought  

2. Thompson Twins - King For A Day  

3. China Crisis - King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up) 

4. Simple Minds - Ghostdancing 

5. New Order – State Of The Nation  

6. The Cure - Catch 

7. R.E.M. - Stand  

8. The Stranglers - All Day And All Of The Night 

 

 LP2 / Side A:

1. Freddie Mercury - The Great Pretender 

2. Heart – Alone  

3. Texas - I Don't Want A Lover 

4. Mike + The Mechanics - Silent Running  

5. Bryan Ferry – The Right Stuff  

6. Paul McCartney - Spies Like Us  

 

LP2 / Side B:

1. Wet Wet Wet - Angel Eyes (Home And Away) 
2. Johnny Hates Jazz - Turn Back The Clock 

3. Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat 

4. Gloria Estefan - Rhythm Is Gonna Get You  

5. Five Star - Find The Time 

6. Bobby Brown - Every Little Step 

7. De La Soul – Me Myself And I  
 

LP3 / Side A:

1. Pet Shop Boys – It’s A Sin 

2. The Communards - So Cold The Night  
3. Bronski Beat - Hit That Perfect Beat  

4. Bananarama - I Can’t Help It  

5. Eighth Wonder - Cross My Heart 

6. Dead Or Alive - In Too Deep 

7. The Sisters Of Mercy - Dominion 

 

LP3 / Side B:

1. Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark 

2. Bon Jovi - Born To Be My Baby 

3. Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields 

4. Tina Turner - I Can't Stand The Rain 

5. Alexander O'Neal- If You Were Here Tonight  

6. Natalie Cole - Miss You Like Crazy  

7. Whitney Houston - Didn't We Almost Have It All