Dark 80s

NOW Music are excited to present a brand-new series - ‘NOW 12” 80s’. The first instalment – 1980 – is released on July 14th 2023. The 12” single was a dynamic and increasingly essential part of the release schedule as the decade progressed. Incorporating extended (sometimes the full album) versions, remixes, and re-inventions – they not only gave the dance-floor a longer version, and the listener an alternative take, but also highlighted the artistry of the producer – bringing together all kinds of elements to create new soundscapes woven together with the original track, either vocal or instrumental, to present another reason to be excited on release date.

Dark Side of the 80s is a stunning double-disc set spanning the mingling sounds of goth rock, indie rock, and alternative rock. Standout cuts from Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Cure, the Sisters of Mercy, and the Cult round out some of the collection's more blackish desire while tunes from the Pixies, Talk Talk, and Killing Joke highlight the frigid shifts within new wave and college rock.

80’s music remains as popular as ever and this 3CD, 60 track collection highlights some of the greatest hits of all time, including 24 UK Chart No. 1 singles!

Encompassing the very best of 80s pop & rock bands.
These are all artists that unquestionably defined the sound of a generation.
From the live music clubs of london to the miami coast, the synth and guitar based sound dominated the charts, and this album serves as a time capsule for that unforgettable era. Timeless classics from the likes of omd, simple minds, queen, abc, the human league, the cure & many more solidify just how iconic this music was.

When Johnny Adams signed with Rounder in the mid-'80s, few outside the R&B/soul and blues world were aware of his skills or eclectic range. After Dark was Adams' second Rounder session. It included amazing covers of Doc Pomus' "I Don't Know You" and "Give a Broken Heart a Break," John Hiatt's "Lovers Will," and the Dan Penn/Chips Moman soul classic "Do Right Woman – Do Right Man." This was one of the first records on which Adams' wondrous voice, with its extensive range at the top and bottom, was both well-produced and effectively mastered and recorded.

Soul Steppin': '80s Soulful Steppers Review by Thom Jurek
Backbeats Records is strictly a compilation company based in the U.K. whose releases are distributed throughout the European Union at a budget prices. What they do is simply compile collections of dance music by well-known and obscure artists from the disco era to the latter '90s. And for what it’s worth, when it comes to licensing, they do a terrific job, and this set is a case in point. Compiled by Ian Dewhirst, Soul Steppin' collects 14 jams from the disco era – many of them extended 12" versions such as the Dells’ “All About the Paper,” the original 12” mix of the Impressions' “Fan the Fire,” Walter Jackson's lone entry into the period with the killer “Touching in the Dark,” a midtempo romantic stepper done in that killer baritone of his. Dee Dee Sharp turns in “Easy Money,” and Teddy Pendergrass’ slick, funky “You and Me Right Now” is also here. But along with the bigger names are one-offs, tracks by artists that were a hit on the dancefloor but never really went anywhere else, such as Sound Troupe's trippy meld of smooth future funk, Latin rhythms, jazz, and disco strings for “Can You Really See Me.” Also included is Greg Henderson's lone club classic, “Dreamin,” with its Latin congas, Chic-esque handclaps, and Larry Graham-styled bass solo. This set is pure nostalgia to be sure, but it’s a gas from start to finish.

"Music is shaped by the time and place its created And in the 80s, changes in politics, technology, art and culture came together to produce an explosion of new sounds that have come to define a generation. Ministry of Sound are proud to present Electronic 80s - The Collection. The definitive 4CD 80 track collection that charts the birth of the electronica sound that has shaped the sound of modern day dance. The importance and continued popularity of the 80s cant be underestimated, from the pioneering producers of synthesised music like New Order, Eurythmics, Ultravox, The Human League, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Soft Cell, Visage, Gary Numan and Simple Minds. These bands & artists perfectly summarise the mood of 80s Britain during an era that changed the sound of the world. This CD/ Digital collection is also accompanied by a double LP vinyl collection, available from 24th November. Electronic 80s - The Collection - The sound that shaped the world. "