NewsNOW Yearbook 1985-1989: The Final Chapter
NOW ‘mops up’ the late 1980s
NOW Music ‘finished off’ the 1980s in 2025 when it comes to their Yearbook series, but there’s always time for an encore, so as in 2022 there’s a ‘Final Chapter’ release coming designed to mop up half a decade of hits that somehow escaped the clutches of the Yearbooks proper and their ‘Extra’ siblings. This time it’s the second half of the decade, 1985-1989 that’s in focus, rather than 1980-1984.
The formats conform to the usual Yearbook pattern: 4CD versions (79 tracks in this instance) in both deluxe hardcover book and standard card sleeve versions and a 3LP set (42 tracks) in coloured vinyl (silver this time).
A quick glance at the tracklisting (scroll down) and the gut reaction is one of surprise. These are far from leftovers. They aren’t the roast potatoes that have been sitting on the hotplate since noon and are still there at 10 in the evening. Example? Pet Shop Boys feature with both ‘West End Girls’ and ‘It’s A Sin’ – their two biggest hits! Queen are represented by ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ and Freddie Mercury’s UK hit, ‘The Great Pretender’. Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ leads off CD 3 and a-ha, Thompson Twins, Eurythmics, Go West, Sade, Sananda Maitreya (Terence Trent D’Arby) are all represented by tracks that were mostly sizeable hits.
There’s a nice run mid-CD 2 that includes The Stranglers, Big Country, Simple Minds, R.E.M., The Cure, New Order and The Sisters of Mercy and Paul McCartney’s last US top 10 single, ‘Spies Like Us’, pops up on the third disc (we’re still waiting for the seven-inch mix of ‘Pretty Little Head’ although that’s arguably more of a ‘Vault’ track since it was what we’ll politely refer to as a ‘non-hit’).
It’s not all from the top tier, but who doesn’t enjoy Hollywood Beyond’s ‘What’s The Colour of Money’, Alexander O’Neal’s excellent ‘If You Were Here Tonight’, China Crisis’ ‘King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)’, The Art of Noise with Tom Jones doing ‘Kiss’, Swing Out Sister’s ‘Twilight World’ and a special treat at the end Cliff Richard – and The Young Ones – doing ‘Living Doll’ (one for the UK fans).
So that’s it then… at least until we get an ‘Extra’ version of NOW Yearbook 1985-1989: The Final Chapter. You know it’s going to happen. Until then, this is out on 13 February 2026.
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Various Artists
4CD deluxe hardcover book
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3LP silver vinyl
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4CD standard edition
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Tracklisting
NOW Yearbook 1985-1989: The Final Chapter Various Artists / 4CD set
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CD 1
- Queen – Who Wants To Live Forever
- Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls
- Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart – It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)
- Thompson Twins – King For A Day
- a-ha – Train Of Thought
- Go West – Call Me
- Bananarama - I Can’t Help It
- Taylor Dayne – Prove Your Love
- Gloria Estefan – Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
- Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman (Remix Edit)
- Michael Jackson & Jackson 5 – I Want You Back (PWL Remix)
- Bill Withers – Lovely Day (7″ Sunshine Mix)
- Bobby Brown – Every Little Step
- De La Soul – Me Myself And I
- Five Star – Find The Time
- Sananda Maitreya – Dance Little Sister
- Level 42 – To Be With You Again
- Bryan Ferry – The Right Stuff
- Sade – Is It A Crime
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CD 2
- Freddie Mercury – The Great Pretender
- Heart – Alone
- Chicago – You’re The Inspiration
- T’Pau – I Will Be With You
- Tina Turner – I Can’t Stand The Rain
- Texas – I Don’t Want A Lover
- The Stranglers – All Day And All Of The Night
- Deacon Blue – Wages Day
- Big Country – Look Away
- Simple Minds – Ghostdancing
- R.E.M. - Stand
- The Cure – Catch
- New Order – State Of The Nation
- The Sisters Of Mercy – Dominion
- Dead Or Alive – In Too Deep
- China Crisis – King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)
- King – Alone Without You
- Fuzzbox – International Rescue
- Amazulu – Excitable
- Aswad – Give A Little Love
- UB40 – Don’t Break My Heart
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CD 3
- Bruce Springsteen – Dancing In The Dark
- Bon Jovi – Born To Be My Baby
- Gary Moore & Phil Lynott – Out In The Fields
- Paul McCartney – Spies Like Us
- Mike + The Mechanics - Silent Running
- Belinda Carlisle – World Without You
- The Bangles – Walking Down Your Street
- The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
- Status Quo – Burning Bridges (On And Off And On Again)
- The Art Of Noise, Tom Jones – Kiss
- D-Mob - We Call It Acieed (feat. Gary Haisman)
- Bomb The Bass – Don’t Make Me Wait
- Cameo – Back And Forth
- Midnight Star – Midas Touch
- Jaki Graham – Round And Around
- The Christians – Ideal World
- Alexander O’Neal- If You Were Here Tonight
- Natalie Cole - Miss You Like Crazy
- Whitney Houston – Didn’t We Almost Have It All
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CD 4
- Pet Shop Boys – It’s A Sin
- The Communards - So Cold The Night
- Bronski Beat - Hit That Perfect Beat
- Trans-X - Living On Video
- The Reynolds Girls – I’d Rather Jack
- Samantha Fox – I Only Wanna Be With You
- Sinitta – Cross My Broken Heart
- Sonia – Can’t Forget You
- Eighth Wonder – Cross My Heart
- Wet Wet Wet – Angel Eyes (Home And Away)
- Johnny Hates Jazz – Turn Back The Clock
- Swing Out Sister – Twilight World
- Hollywood Beyond – What’s The Colour Of Money
- Living In A Box – Blow The House Down
- Bros – I Quit
- Tiffany – Radio Romance
- Debbie Gibson – Foolish Beat
- Jimmy Nail – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore
- Rick Astley – When I Fall In Love
- Cliff Richard, Hank Marvin, The Young Ones – Living Doll
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CD 1
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By Paul Sinclair
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