Hits!

Into October and the start of a new entry I'll add to over time.

The Hits Album otherwise know as The Hits was a series of albums in a similar vain to the Now series started in 1984 by CBS and WEA records in the UK that run to ten numbered editions, then had a few restarts and eventually fizzled out by the naughties.

Both CBS and Warner (WEA) had contributed tracks to the Now series but generally they didn't not include US acts possibly for contractual reasons and sought to capitalize on the UK markets fascination with compilations of chart hits by establishing their own series.

My brother bought a few of the earlier ones that I taped and to which the recordings have long gone and I bought Hits 8 and 9 myself at the time as there was very little overlap between them and the NOW series.The cassettes of the first three versions had the main artwork on a double case to the left and a list of artists feature toward the right as the lps used pictures that would not of worked scaled down.

What I am doing is slowly restoring some of those HITS albums I had on tape aiming to complete the series to HITS 9 making entries about each volume on this page as I go along.

HITS1. In part a Greatest Hits of 1984 but with other songs added like Alphaville's Big In Japan.

HITS2 . This two disc set is in some respects a Now4B as a number of tracks that came out on the Now Dance album at the same time in 12" versions appear here in their standard mixes with all the main chart hits added such as Close (To The Edit), I Want To Know What Love is, 1999, A New England and Since Yesterday amongst others.

HITS3 Hits from the tail end of 1985 including several number ones this always was one of the strongest ones in the series

HITS4 A selection of hits from early 1986 from the likes of the Bangles, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys (single mix of West End Girls) and The Damned

HITS5: Taking in the later half of '86 we're treated to such gems as You Can Call Me Al, Walk Like An Egyptian, Thorn In My Side, Anotherloverholeinyohead, Rage Hard and Julian Cope's classic World Shut Your Mouth

I have the single cd version too.

HITS6 Hits from spring of 1987 which I own the cd version of notable for the only cd with the single remix of Madonna's Isla Bonita and added the double lp.

HITS7 Less hit laden but with a good number of memorable songs like You Win Again, the counter part to NOW 10 and both were double cd issues.

This one covered chart hits in the second half of 1987 by Prince and Fleetwood Mac as well as being the first to come out on double compact disc which is what my brother bought and I later picked up a used copy.

HITS8 A selection of hits from the Summer of '88 when Acid House was all the rave which I own the cd version of

HITS9 Hits from the second half of 1988 and a counterfoil to NOW 13 with more big hits and also runs like Bros's Cat Among the Pigeons and A-ha's You Are The One which originally I bought on lp but now have the cd version.