Now USA 80 - any good?

Sometimes it seems those people at Now That's What I Call Music seem to have a release most weeks in any given month.

Having given us the first in a volume of year by year 80's 12" mixes, recently they've concocted this broad spread of American hits from the 80's across four well filled cds although it has a plain card sleeve and no track notation which might of helped the casual fan.

Given the small type, I'll post a full tracklist.

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1 Jennifer Holliday - And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going 

2 Anita Baker- Giving You The Best That I Got 

3 Tina Turner- What's Love Got To Do With It 

4 REO Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You 

5 Toto - I Won't Hold You Back 

6 Journey - Open Arms 

7 Kenny Rogers - Lady 

8 Juice Newton - Angel Of The Morning 

9 Christopher Cross- Ride Like The Wind 

10 Paul Simon - Late In The Evening 

11 Neil Diamond - America (From "The Jazz Singer" Soundtrack) 

12 Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer 

13 John Mellencamp - Jack & Diane 

14 Bruce Springsteen - Hungry Heart 

15 Pat Benatar - Love Is A Battlefield 

16 The Police - Every Breath You Take 

17 Daryl Hall & John Oates - You Make My Dreams (Come True) 

18 Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl 

19 Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes 

20 Billy Joel - A Matter Of Trust 

Disc: 2

1 Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine - Conga 

2 Wang Chung - Everybody Have Fun Tonight

3 A Flock Of Seagulls - I Ran (So Far Away) 

4 Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night 

5 Nena - 99 Luftballons 

6 Stacey Q- Two Of Hearts 

7 El DeBarge - Who's Johnny 

8 Smokey Robinson - Being With You

9 Debbie Gibson- Foolish Beat 

10 Paula Abdul - Cold Hearted 

11 Whitney Houston - You Give Good Love 

12 Lionel Richie - My Love

13 The Fixx - One Thing Leads To Another 

14 R.E.M. - Stand 

15 Peter Schilling - Major Tom (Coming Home) 

16 Duran Duran- The Reflex 

17 Go-Go's - We Got The Beat

18 Culture Club - I'll Tumble 4 Ya 

19 The Cars- Shake It Up 

20 The Romantics - Talking In Your Sleep 

21 The Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian 

Disc: 3

1 Exposé - Seasons Change 

2 LL COOL J - I Need Love 

3 Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - Lost In Emotion 

4 Irene Cara - Flashdance...What A Feeling 

5 Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters 

6 Let's Hear It For The Boy - Deniece Williams

7 Diana Ross - Upside Down 

8 Lipps Inc. - Funkytown 

9 Olivia Newton-John - Physical 

10 Michael Sembello - Maniac 

11 Eddie Murphy - Party All The Time 

12 Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson - Say Say Say

13 Ready For The World - Oh Sheila 

14 The S.O.S Band - Take Your Time (Do It Right) 

15 Aretha Franklin - Freeway Of Love (Singles edit)

16 Sheila E.- The Glamorous Life, Pt. 1 

17 Company B- Fascinated 

18 Pebbles - Mercedes Boy 

19 Young MC - Bust A Move 

Disc: 4

1 Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra 

2 Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger 

3 Belinda Carlisle - Mad About You 

4 Blondie - Call Me (Theme From "American Gigolo") 

5 Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone (From "Top Gun" Original Soundtrack) 

6 Yes- Owner of a Lonely Heart 

7 Pretenders- Show Me 

8 Laura Branigan- Spanish Eddie

9 Eric Carmen - Hungry Eyes (From "Dirty Dancing" Soundtrack) 

10 Robert Palmer- Simply Irresistible 

11 John Waite - Missing You 

12 The J. Geils Band - Centerfold 

13 Don Johnson - Heartbeat 

14 Night Ranger - Sister Christian 

The set is not perfect, for instance we really don't need Duran Duran's The Reflex (remix) even though this was a US no.1 as it was too in the UK and has a place in Now 3 where something like Talk Talk's It's My Life or Def Leppard's Photograph big US hits that did little in the UK do fit better.

King Of Pain also would of been a better choice than Every Breath You Take being a big hit over there for a Police track but overall it does work adding often missed off tracks by Corey Hart. Bruce Springsteen, Belinda Carlisle, Laura Branigan and The Fixx that I loved following the US Charts back then.

Talking In Your Sleep was good example of  massive US hit that did nothing as much as I bought the 12" in late 1983 from my local record store and was covered in 1986 by Bucks Fizz and is exactly the sort of track that does belong on such a set.

For the modest price, it's worth some shelf space.