VA - NOW Yearbook '78 (2023)

NOW Music is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series, NOW – Yearbook 1978; 85 tracks from a magical year in Pop! This special edition CD is housed in ‘hard-back-book’ packaging, including a 28-page booklet featuring a summary of the year, a track-by-track guide, a quiz, and original singles artwork.

Opening with the epic ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ from Electric Light Orchestra, the timeless ‘Baker Street’ from Gerry Rafferty, and Rod Stewart’s massive #1 ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?’ More #1s follow from ABBA with the brilliant Pop of ‘Take A Chance On Me’ and 1978’s biggest selling single, ‘Rivers Of Babylon’ from Boney M. Pop-Reggae chart-toppers from 10cc and Althea and Donna are up next, before a run of dancefloor fillers including ‘I’m Every Woman’ from Chaka Khan, and Donna Summer’s incredible version of ‘Macarthur Park’, before a couple of Soul ballads from Rose Royce and the huge #1 ‘Three Times A Lady’ from Commodores. The first disc draws to a close with a stack of Pop classics from Marshall Hain, Clout, Bonnie Tyler and Suzi Quatro and Wings, before the peerless ‘The Man With The Child In His Eyes’ from Kate Bush.

The second disc pays tribute to the incredible line-up of artists in the charts of 1978 with their roots in Punk and beginning the burgeoning EnhancedWave movement , kicking off here with the stunning #1 ‘Rat Trap’ from The Boomtown Rats, the era-defining ‘Teenage Kicks’ from The Undertones, ‘Ever Fallen In Love…’ from Buzzcocks, and ‘Hanging On The Telephone’ from Blondie, alongside classic singles from Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Rezillos, The Clash, The Jam, Elvis Costello and The Attractions, and Ian Dury and The Blockheads… and US EnhancedWave saw Patti Smith and The Cars score huge hits. The remainder of Disc 2 features some of the year’s biggest Pop-Rock songs including hits from Billy Joel, The Who, Elton John, and Justin Hayward’s ‘Forever Autumn’ from the massive ‘Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds’ album.

Disc 3 is a fabulous celebration of Disco in 1978. A stunning run of Disco gold, led by the sophisticated groove of ‘Le Freak’ from Chic, alongside ‘Boogie Oogie Oogie’, ‘Instant Replay’, ‘Let’s All Chant’ and ‘More Than A Woman’ by Tavares from the soundtrack of ‘Saturday Night Fever’. European created Pop/Disco from Baccara, Sheila and B Devotion, The Three Degrees, Eruption, and Voyage are included before a group of floor-fillers paying tribute to the sci-fi craze of the time: ‘I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper’, ‘Galaxy Of Love’, and ‘Automatic Lover’. More Dance-oriented hits from Hot Chocolate and Earth, Wind and Fire feature, before the disc closes with two of the year’s most beautiful ballads from Heatwave and the timeless ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’ from Rose Royce.

The final disc is all about the Pop smashes of the year – opening with ‘Denis’ the chart breakthrough from Blondie, and two huge hits from the soundtrack to ‘Grease’ from Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. Darts paid tribute to 50s doo-wop, and Bill Withers and John Paul Young produced two of the most uplifting songs ever (‘Lovely Day’ and ‘Love Is In The Air’). Unique hits from Renaissance, Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley, and Barry Manilow are followed by a run of Pop gems from Dollar, Andrew Gold, Boney M., a #1 from Brotherhood Of Man, and the year’s UK Eurovision entry from Co-co, before a sublime run of Easy Listening Pop including ‘Lucky Stars’ from Dean Friedman w/ Denise Marsa, The Manhattan Transfer, Crystal Gayle, David Soul and Elkie Brooks. This incredible collection draws to a close with ‘Oh What A Circus’ a massive hit for David Essex, Brian and Michael’s #1 ‘Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs’, and what better way to sign-off such a diverse year in the charts than with 1978’s best-selling #2 peaking single – Father Abraham with the ‘Smurf Song’.

NOW – Yearbook 1978 – A celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of the year in Pop.