VA Now Yearbook 1982 Extra

Following the recent release of ‘NOW – Yearbook 1982’, we are continuing the celebration of that phenomenal year of pop with ‘Now – Yearbook Extra 1982’; a limited edition 3CD.
62 essential tracks that we couldn’t fit on ‘Yearbook 1982’ include smash hits from The Jam, Soft Cell, Madness, Monsoon, Trio, Simple Minds, Japan, The Stranglers and Dexys Midnight Runners.
1982 saw a huge influx of new synth and pop bands in the charts – with many finding worldwide success complimented by the rise of MTV. Duran Duran cemented their success with the release of their ‘Rio’ album, and its title track is the perfect first track here. ABC, Adam Ant, Spandau Ballet and Culture Club with their Top 3 ‘Time (Clock Of The Heart)’ all follow, as do ABBA with ‘Head Over Heels’, the second single released from ‘The Visitors’ – the last studio album from the band for nearly 40 years. Disc 1 signs off with Captain Sensible’s No. 1 cover of ‘Happy Talk’, and Chas & Dave’s biggest ‘Ain’t No Pleasing You’.

The Now That’s What I Call Music team are effectively issuing a companion 3CD set to Now Yearbook 1980-1984: The Final Chapter, itself a companion to the ten previous Yearbook releases covering those five years.The ‘Extra’ version of Yearbook 1980-1984 is, as usual, a 3CD set in a card sleeve and this one features 63 “essential hits” from the period. Remarkably, the early 1980s can handle what is in effect a ‘fourth level’ of examination (Yearbook > Yearbook Extra > Final Chapter > Final Chapter Extra) and this is far from ‘the dregs’ of the era with loads of classic pop hits from Queen, Eurythmics, Pretenders, Elvis Costello, The Smiths, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Japan, Heaven 17, Level 42, Nik Kershaw, XTC, Elton John and more.