NOW That’s What I Call USA: The 80s

NOW Music is proud to present NOW That’s What I Call USA: The 80s – 4CDs packed with 79 massive U.S. hits – Whilst some were big hits on both sides of the Atlantic, we shine a spotlight on huge hits from America at the time, that have gone on to be as legendary in the UK as they were in the US. Kicking off with ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ from Bon Jovi – a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US Bruce Springsteen scored his first Top 10 single with ‘Hungry Heart’ in 1980, and John Mellencamp took ‘Jack & Diane’, a Top 30 UK single, to #1 in America in 1982, whilst in 1983 The Police enjoyed a trans-Atlantic chart-topper with ‘Every Breath You Take’. FM Rock ruled the US charts of the first few years of the decade and Rick Springfield, Journey, Toto, Christopher Cross, and Daryl Hall & John Oates with ‘You Make My Dreams (Come True)’ had huge singles in the States, that have gone on to become equally appreciated in the UK – whilst REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, and Kim Carnes hit the Top 20 in both countries, and in 1984, Tina Turner saw the career-defining ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ hit the Top 3 in the UK and become her first #1 in the US. Anita Baker had a US Top 3 smash with ‘Giving You The Best That I Got’, Juice Newton hit the Top 5 with ‘Angel Of The Morning’ and Kenny Rogers had a 6-week run at #1 with the Lionel Richie-penned ‘Lady’ in 1980, whilst Paul Simon was back in the US Top 10 with ‘Late In The Evening’, and the aptly titled ‘America’ which gave Neil Diamond his third Top 10 single in the US from the soundtrack of his film ‘The Jazz Singer’. The massive transatlantic hit ‘Say Say Say’ from Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson, reaching #1 and #2 in the US and UK respectively kicks off CD 2. Classic soundtrack smashes follow from Irene Cara with ‘Flashdance’ and ‘Ghostbusters’ from Ray Parker Jr., plus R&B/Soul from international favourites Diana Ross, Eddie Murphy and Aretha Franklin. Pure Pop from Olivia Newton-John with her 10-weeks at US #1 ‘Physical’, and dancefloor classics from Lipps Inc., Company B and The S.O.S. Band lead to Hip-Hop from British-American Rapper Young MC with his Grammy award-winning US Top 10 smash ‘Bust A Move’ and the UK Top 10 smash ‘I Need Love’ from legendary rapper LL Cool J. The US New Wave scene is celebrated with acts including the Go-Go’s, The Romantics, The Bangles’ first US #1 ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’ and Culture Club with ‘I’ll Tumble 4 Ya’ – a huge US hit, but not released as a single in the UK. Duran Duran’s epic floor-filler ‘The Reflex’ reached #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and Nena whilst having a UK #1 with ’99 Red Balloons’ reached #2 in the US with the German language version ‘99 Luftballons’. Paula Abdul’s third consecutive US #1 features alongside Gloria Estefan’s breakthrough US hit ‘Conga’ plus a US smash from Lionel Richie and the debut single by Whitney Houston ‘You Give Good Love’ which hit the US Top 3 in 1985. The final disc opens with 3 iconic film-themes, Survivor and Blondie - both were #1s in the UK and the US and Kenny Loggins’ features with his US #2 ‘Danger Zone’. Belinda Carlisle’s solo debut alongside US single ‘Show Me’ from The Pretenders and ‘Simply Irresistible’ from Robert Palmer were all big stateside hits, and drawing to a close, huge ballads from Chicago and Foreigner, were big hits in both the UK and the US.