Now – Yearbook 1979 4CD

Now – Yearbook '79

Since June 2021 we have presented five editions of the NOW – Yearbook series that span the first half of the 1980s. NOW Music is proud to present the newest edition to our ‘Yearbook’ family: NOW – Yearbook 1979. With a re-imagined look that reflects the era, 85 tracks over 4-CDs celebrate a truly spectacular year of chart magic.

Kicking off with one of Queen’s most popular songs ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, Disc 1 includes #1’s from The Police, The Boomtown Rats, Ian Dury & The Blockheads and the defining ‘Heart Of Glass’ from Blondie, as well as timeless hits from Kate Bush, Roxy Music and the debut from Pretenders. There’s early Synth-Pop hits from The Flying Lizards, one of two #1s in 1979 from Gary Numan, and the Top 10 return of Sparks with ‘Beat The Clock’ produced by Giorgio Moroder – who also co-produced ‘Hot Stuff’ for Donna Summer – which is included alongside massive Disco-Floor-Fillers from Chic, Sister Sledge, ABBA’s ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’ and two further iconic #1s from Gloria Gaynor with ‘I Will Survive’ and ‘YMCA’ from Village People.

Disc 2 opens with three Ska/Pop crossover hits from Madness, The Selecter and The Specials, leading into sublime ‘Lovers-Rock’ from Janet Kay with ‘Silly Games’, before taking in some Classic Rock including Meat Loaf, Electric Light Orchestra and the collaboration between Gary Moore and Phil Lynott. Next up is an astonishing run of New Wave and Post-Punk hits including Squeeze, The Jam, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Cure, Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Clash and Sex Pistols, before closing with two of the year’s most unforgettable chart debuts: ‘Lucky Number’ from Lene Lovich and ‘Rock Lobster’ from The B-52’s.

Four of 1979s most beautiful songs open Disc 3 from ABBA with ‘Chiquitita’, ‘Every Day Hurts’ from Sad Café, Elton John’s ‘Song For Guy’, and the best-selling single of the year: ‘Bright Eyes’ by Art Garfunkel, before presenting a stellar line-up of dance-floor gold including massive hits from Amii Stewart, The Crusaders, The Real Thing, Eruption and Earth, Wind & Fire With The Emotions on the epic ‘Boogie Wonderland’, before finishing with one of the most influential singles of all time: ‘Rapper's Delight’ from The Sugarhill Gang.

The final disc in this collection features four more of the year’s #1s and opens with one of them – Cliff Richard’s ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’, before further pop brilliance from Wings, Olivia Newton-John, Neil Diamond, Suzi Quatro, Boney M. and the winner of 1979’s Eurovision Song Contest – the Top 5 hit ‘Hallelujah’ from Milk & Honey. Smooth Soul ballads from Commodores, Peaches & Herb and The Three Degrees follow, as does a Country Pop #1 from Dr. Hook. The disc concludes with three Synth-Pop smashes that pointed the way to the upcoming decade – ‘Pop Muzik’ from M, and the two final #1s featured: ‘Are Friends Electric?’ – the first of the aforementioned two chart-toppers for Gary Numan in 1979 – and closing with ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ by The Buggles. This track was co-written, produced and performed by Trevor Horn whose work would define the Pop landscape over the next few years – whilst the song would be the first to be played on MTV in the US when it launched in 1981. NOW – Yearbook 1979 – A celebration of the diversity of the charts, and the creative brilliance of the year in pop.

Tracklist:
CD1:
1-1 Queen– Don't Stop Me Now 3:31
1-2 The Police– Walking On The Moon 5:00
1-3 The Boomtown Rats– I Don't Like Mondays (Album Version) 3:46
1-4 Kate Bush– Wow 3:44
1-5 Ian Dury And The Blockheads– Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick 3:43
1-6 Blondie– Heart Of Glass (Original Single Version) 4:10
1-7 ABBA– Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) 4:49
1-8 Chic– Good Times (7" Edit) 3:45
1-9 Sister Sledge– We Are Family 3:38
1-10 Earth, Wind & Fire– September 3:35
1-11 Gloria Gaynor– I Will Survive (Single Version) 3:11
1-12 Village People– YMCA 3:43
1-13 Donna Summer– Hot Stuff (Single Version) 3:48
1-14 Sparks– Beat the Clock 4:23
1-15 Gary Numan– Cars 3:57
1-16 The Flying Lizards– Money (Edit) 2:31
1-17 Pretenders– Stop Your Sobbing 2:39
1-18 Dave Edmunds– Girls Talk 3:25
1-19 Gerry Rafferty– Night Owl (Edit) 4:23
1-20 Billy Joel– My Life 3:52
1-21 Roxy Music– Dance Away (Single Version) 3:45

CD2:
2-1 Madness– One Step Beyond (7" Single Version) 2:20
2-2 The Selecter– On My Radio 3:06
2-3 The Specials– Gangsters 2:47
2-4 Janet Kay– Silly Games 3:57
2-5 Gary Moore & Phil Lynott– Parisienne Walkways 3:22
2-6 Meat Loaf– Bat Out Of Hell 4:44
2-7 Electric Light Orchestra– Don't Bring Me Down 4:04
2-8 Rainbow– Since You've Been Gone 3:17
2-9 The Charlie Daniels Band– The Devil Went Down To Georgia 3:36
2-10 The Knack – My Sharona 4:01
2-11 The Tourists– I Only Want To Be With You 2:23
2-12 Squeeze – Cool For Cats (Single Edit) 3:11
2-13 Skids– Into The Valley 3:09
2-14 Sex Pistols– Something Else 2:10
2-15 The Clash– I Fought The Law 2:40
2-16 The Jam– The Eton Rifles (Single Edit) 3:27
2-17 Elvis Costello & The Attractions– Accidents Will Happen 3:00
2-18 XTC– Making Plans For Nigel 4:12
2-19 Joe Jackson– Is She Really Going Out With Him (Album Version) 3:35
2-20 The Cure– Boys Don't Cry 2:36
2-21 Siouxsie & The Banshees– The Staircase (Mystery) 3:09
2-22 Lene Lovich– Lucky Number 2:47
2-23 The B-52's– Rock Lobster 4:54

CD3:
3-1 ABBA– Chiquitita 5:27
3-2 Art Garfunkel– Bright Eyes 3:56
3-3 Elton John– Song For Guy (Single Edit) 5:00
3-4 Sad Café– Every Day Hurts 3:58
3-5 Eruption– One Way Ticket 3:33
3-6 Amii Stewart– Knock On Wood (7" Edit) 3:46
3-7 Chic– I Want Your Love (7" Edit) 3:31
3-8 Sister Sledge– He's The Greatest Dancer 3:33
3-9 Donna Summer– Bad Girls 3:55
3-10 The Crusaders– Street Life (Edit) 3:56
3-11 Earth, Wind & Fire With The Emotions– Boogie Wonderland 4:48
3-12 McFadden & Whitehead– Ain't No Stopping Us Now (Single Version) 3:35
3-13 Kool & The Gang– Ladies Night (Edit) 3:15
3-14 The Real Thing– Can You Feel The Force 4:07
3-15 Edwin Starr– Contact (UK 7" Single Version) 3:31
3-16 Leif Garrett– I Was Made For Dancin' 3:14
3-17 The Dooleys– Wanted 3:41
3-18 Frantique– Strut Your Funky Stuff (Single Version) 3:37
3-19 Dynasty– I Don't Want To Be A Freak (But I Can't Help Myself) (Radio Version) 3:29
3-20 Sugarhill Gang– Rappers Delight 3:59

CD4:
4-1 Cliff Richard– We Don't Talk Anymore 4:14
4-2 Neil Diamond– Forever In Blue Jeans (Single Version) 3:37
4-3 Wings – Goodnight Tonight 4:20
4-4 Electric Light Orchestra– Shine A Little Love 4:09
4-5 Olivia Newton-John– A Little More Love 3:28
4-6 Blondie– Dreaming 3:06
4-7 Suzi Quatro– She's In Love With You 3:32
4-8 Dr. Hook– When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman 2:57
4-9 The Korgis– If I Had You 3:54
4-10 Dollar– Love's Gotta Hold On Me 3:32
4-11 Milk And Honey– Hallelujah 3:25
4-12 The Three Degrees– Woman In Love 4:11
4-13 Peaches & Herb– Reunited (Single Version) 3:56
4-14 Commodores– Still (Single Version) 3:43
4-15 Racey– Lay Your Love On Me 3:17
4-16 B. A. Robertson– Bang Bang 3:23
4-17 Village People– In The Navy 3:43
4-18 Boney M.– Hooray! Hooray! It's A Holi-holiday (7" Version) 3:56
4-19 M – Pop Muzik 3:19
4-20 Tubeway Army– Are 'Friends' Electric? 5:22
4-21 The Buggles– Video Killed The Radio Star (Single Version) 3:19

Label: Now Music
Released: 2022