Now This Is Music

Dutch series of hit compilations running from 1984 until 1989 and released approx. 2 times a year. The series was the Dutch equivalent of the Now That's What I Call Music! series. Initial volumes were released on double-vinyl and cassette. After 3 volumes a CD called "Now This Is CD Music" was released in 1985, containing the best tracks of the first 3 volumes. This compilation was released on CD only. Volume 4 was the first volume released on all formats (2LP, 2 MC and CD), although the CD version didn't contain all the tracks of the 2LP. Starting with volume 5, 2 CDs were released of each volume. However the 2 CDs had to be bought separately and were very expensive due to this compared to its vinyl counterpart. Both CD's would cost up to 3 times the amount of the vinyl version, hence very few CDs were sold at the time. Starting volume 9 the CD version was a single disc again, omitting some songs of the vinyl version. The series was released by EVA, a collaboration of EMI, Virgin and BMG Ariola. In parallel, WEA, CBS and Phonogram ran the series "The Hits Album". Both series ended in 1989 and were replaced by "The Greatest Hits". In 1992 EVA tried to re-instate the "Now This Is Music" brand as a best-of 80's compilation which included "Vol. 1" in the title. A volume 2 was never released. In 1997 a second series with the same name was started, now again with the recent hits of the past few months. This second series only lasted two volumes. The series was succeeded by the following Dutch compilation series: - The Greatest Hits (2) (1990 - 1997) - Now This Is Music (2) (1997, 2nd series, only 2 volumes) - Hitzone (1998 - today)