Now Yearbook: Vault ’81
Lesser compiled hits from 1981

NOW That’s What I Call Music will issue the fourth in their Vault series, with a release that focuses on the year 1981.
These collections are about singles that are “lesser compiled” mostly because either they were not big hits; they missed the chart entirely, or were big hits across the Atlantic but not in the UK. The formats remain the same, with deluxe and standard 4CD formats (82 tracks) and a 3LP set which is pressed on translucent purple vinyl (45 tracks).
CD 1 includes Heaven 17’s ‘(We Don’t Need) This Fascist Groove Thang’ (well known, but not a hit), ‘Never Gonna Cry Again’ from Eurythmics‘ excellent, but hit-free, first album In The Garden, Debbie Harry’s ‘The Jam Was Moving (from Kookoo)’, ‘Paint Me Down’ from Spandau Ballet’s second album Diamond, a single which fared poorly (No 30 in the UK) when compared to its predecessor [‘Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)’ made the top 5], Generation X’s ‘Dancing With Myself’ and Adam & The Ants’ ‘Young Parisians’.

The second disc features rock acts like Bruce Springsteen (‘The River’), John Cougar Mellencamp (‘Ain’t Even Done With The Night’), Rush (‘Tom Sawyer’), Rainbow (‘Can’t Happen Here’) and Thin Lizzy (‘Trouble Boys’) and later heads into a soul/R&B zone with tracks from Sister Sledge, Commodores, Rick James, Chaka Khan and Evelyn “Champagne” King.
CD 3 goes a bit ‘indie’ and includes songs from The Cure, New Order, The Creatures, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, The Stranglers, The Clash and more.
Vault ’81’s final CD features ‘lesser compiled’ tracks from the likes of Pretenders, Pat Benetar, REO Speedwagon, Rick Springfield, Jim Steinman, Kim Carnes, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross and Christopher Cross.
Now Yearbook Vault ’81 will be released on 13 June 2025.
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Various Artist
The Vault 1981 - 4CD deluxe hardcover book edition
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Various Artist
The Vault 1981 - 3LP purple vinyl
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Various Artist
The Vault 1981 - 4CD standard edition

Tracklisting

NOW Vault 1981 Various Arists /
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CD 1
- Simple Minds – Sweat In Bullet
- Spandau Ballet – Paint Me Down
- Heaven 17 – (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
- Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart – Never Gonna Cry Again
- Debbie Harry – The Jam Was Moving
- Donna Summer – Cold Love
- Gary Numan & Dramatis – Love Needs No Disguise
- John Foxx – Europe After The Rain
- Classix Nouveaux – Guilty
- Generation X – Dancing With Myself
- Hazel O’Connor – (Cover Plus) We’re All Grown Up
- Bow Wow Wow – Prince Of Darkness
- Honey Bane – Turn Me On Turn Me Off
- Altered Images – Dead Pop Stars
- Adam & The Ants – Young Parisians
- Squeeze – Is That Love?
- Split Enz – History Never Repeats
- The Boomtown Rats – Never In A Million Years
- Rex Smith & Rachel Sweet – Everlasting Love
20. Hot Chocolate – You’ll Never Be So Wrong - Boney M. – We Kill The World (Don’t Kill The World)
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CD 2
- Bruce Springsteen – The River
- John Mellencamp – Ain’t Even Done With The Night
- Steve Winwood – While You See A Chance
- Elton John – Nobody Wins
- Joan Armatrading – I’m Lucky
- Rush – Tom Sawyer
- Rainbow – Can’t Happen Here
- Girlschool – Hit And Run
- Thin Lizzy – Trouble Boys
- Gillan – Mutually Assured Destruction
- Foreigner – Urgent
- Meat Loaf – I’m Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us
- Commodores – Lady (You Bring Me Up)
- Rick James – Super Freak
- Chaka Khan – What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me
- Evelyn “Champagne” King – I’m In Love
- Sister Sledge – All American Girls
- Sharon Redd – Can You Handle It?
- Voggue – Dancin’ The Night Away
- Odyssey – Hang Together
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CD 3
- The Creatures – Mad Eyed Screamer
- The Cure – Primary
- New Order – Procession
- The Psychedelic Furs – Dumb Waiters
- Echo & The Bunnymen – A Promise
- The Teardrop Explodes – Colours Fly Away
- The Undertones – It’s Going To Happen!
- The Stranglers – Thrown Away
- Dexys Midnight Runners & Kevin Rowland – Show Me
- The Clash – This Is Radio Clash
- The Beat – Drowning
- Scritti Politti – The “Sweetest Girl”
- Sheila Hylton – The Bed’s Too Big Without You
- Randy Crawford – Secret Combination
- Central Line – Walking Into Sunshine
- Kleeer – Get Tough
- Freeez – Flying High
- Shakatak – Living In The UK
- Level 42 – Love Games
20. The Manhattan Transfer – Boy From New York City - Joe Jackson – Jumpin’ Jive
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CD 4
- Pretenders – Louie Louie
- Pat Benatar – Fire And Ice
- Billy Joel – Say Goodbye To Hollywood – Live
- Gary U.S. Bonds – This Little Girl
- REO Speedwagon – In Your Letter
- Rick Springfield – I’ve Done Everything For You
- Jim Steinman – Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through
- Journey – Who’s Crying Now
- The Tubes – Don’t Want To Wait Anymore
- The Alan Parsons Project – Time
- Kim Carnes – Draw Of The Cards
- The Motels – Days Are O.K. (But The Nights Were Made For Love)
- Juice Newton – Queen Of Hearts
- Eddie Rabbitt – I Love A Rainy Night
- Dolly Parton – But You Know I Love You
- A Taste Of Honey – Sukiyaki
- Aretha Franklin & George Benson – Love All The Hurt Away
- Diana Ross – One More Chance
- Christopher Cross – Sailing
- Neil Diamond – Hello Again
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CD 1
By Paul Sinclair
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