Now That's What I Call Music II (UK series)

This article describes the second album in the UK Now! series. It should not be confused with identically-numbered albums from other Now! series. For more information, see Now That's What I Call Music! 2 and Now That's What I Call Music! discography.
Now That's What I Call Music II
Compilation album by Various artists
Released 26 March 1984
Recorded 1983 - 1984
Genre Pop, rock, new wave
Length 60:55
Label Virgin/EMI Sony Music Entertainment
Series chronology

Now That's What I Call Music
(1983)		 Now That's What I Call Music II
(1984)		 Now That's What I Call Music 3
(1984)

Now That's What I Call Music II or Now 2 was released on 26 March 1984.[1] The album is the second edition of the (UK) Now! series. It was only released on vinyl & audio cassette. Now 2 debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and then climbed to number one a week later, staying there for five weeks.

Now 2 was the first album in the series to be compiled by Ashley Abram, who compiled every Now album in the series, up until Now 81 in 2012.

Now 2 features four songs which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart: "Only You", "99 Red Balloons", "Relax" and "Pipes Of Peace".

Now 2 is one of only two Now! albums to feature Roman numerals in the title as opposed to numbers, Now 13 being the other.

Track listing

Record/Tape 1 Side 1 (1)

  1. Queen : "Radio Ga Ga"
  2. Nik Kershaw : "Wouldn't It Be Good"
  3. Thompson Twins : "Hold Me Now"
  4. Matt Bianco : "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed"
  5. Carmel : "More, More, More"
  6. Madness : "Michael Caine"
  7. Flying Pickets : "Only You"

Record/Tape 1 Side 2 (2)

  1. Nena : "99 Red Balloons"
  2. Cyndi Lauper : "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"
  3. Tracey Ullman : "My Guy's Mad at Me"
  4. Matthew Wilder : "Break My Stride"
  5. Julia & Company : "Breaking Down"
  6. Joe Fagin : "That's Livin' Alright"
  7. Hot Chocolate : "I Gave You My Heart (Didn't I)"
  8. Snowy White : "Bird of Paradise"

Record/Tape 2 Side 1 (3)

  1. Frankie Goes to Hollywood : "Relax"
  2. Eurythmics : "Here Comes the Rain Again"
  3. Howard Jones : "What Is Love?"
  4. The Smiths : "What Difference Does It Make?"
  5. Fiction Factory : "(Feels Like) Heaven"
  6. Re-Flex : "The Politics of Dancing"
  7. Thomas Dolby : "Hyperactive!"
  8. China Crisis : "Wishful Thinking"

Record/Tape 2 Side 2 (4)

  1. David Bowie : "Modern Love"
  2. Culture Club : "It's a Miracle"
  3. Rolling Stones : "Undercover of the Night"
  4. Big Country : "Wonderland"
  5. Slade : "Run Runaway"
  6. Duran Duran : "New Moon on Monday"
  7. Paul McCartney : "Pipes of Peace"

VHS release

A video selection was also released featuring selected tracks from the main album, one track that previously featured on Volume I of the series, one that later featured on Volume IV and seven which did not appear on any Now album.

  1. Nik Kershaw : "Wouldn't It Be Good"
  2. Thompson Twins : "Doctor! Doctor!" ††
  3. Howard Jones : "What is Love?"
  4. Duran Duran : "New Moon on Monday"
  5. China Crisis : "Wishful Thinking"
  6. Tina Turner : "Help" †
  7. Status Quo : "Marguerita Time" †
  8. Carmel : "More, More, More"
  9. Shannon : "Let the Music Play" †
  10. The Icicle Works : "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" †
  11. Bourgie Bourgie : "Breaking Point" †
  12. Re-Flex : "The Politics of Dancing"
  13. Thomas Dolby : "Hyperactive"
  14. Matt Bianco : "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed"
  15. Big Country : "Wonderland"
  16. Marilyn : "Cry and Be Free" †
  17. Snowy White : "Bird of Paradise"
  18. The Flying Pickets : "Only You"
  19. Kajagoogoo : "The Lion's Mouth" †
  20. Culture Club : "Victims" †††

† Never appeared on any NOW album.

†† Later appeared on NOW 4.

††† Previously appeared on NOW 1.

Charts

Chart (1984) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[2] 1

References

  1. ↑ "Lables link up for second compilation". Music Week (London, England: Spotlight Publications): 3. 17 March 1984.
  2. ↑ "Archive Chart (Albums Archive)". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 1984. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links

Preceded by
Can't Slow Down by Lionel Richie		 UK number-one album
8 April 1984 – 12 May 1984 		Succeeded by
Legend by Bob Marley and the Wailers