Now That's What I Call Music II (UK series)

Now That's What I Call Music II or Now 2 was released in 1984. The album is the second edition of the (UK) Now! series. It was only released on vinyl & audio cassette. Now 2 debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and then climbed to number one a week later, staying there for five weeks. This was the first album in the series that Ashley Abram compiled, who continued to compile Now albums up until Now 81, 28 years later.

Now 2 features nine songs which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart: "Only You", "99 Red Balloons", "Relax", "Goodbye", "Millennium", "You Give What You Give", "My Favourite Mistake" "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" and "Pipes Of Peace".

Now 2 is one of only two Now! albums to feature Roman numerals in the title as opposed to numbers, Now 13 being the other.

Side One

 * 1) Frankie Goes To Hollywood : Relax
 * 2) Culture Club : It's A Miracle
 * 3) Nik Kershaw : Wouldn't It Be Good
 * 4) Howard Jones : What Is Love
 * 5) Queen : Radio Ga Ga

Side Two

 * 1) David Bowie : Modern Love
 * 2) Nena : 99 Red Balloons
 * 3) Flying Pickets : Only You
 * 4) Cyndi Lauper : Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
 * 5) Paul McCartney : Pipes Of Peace
 * 6) Thompson Twins : Hold Me You
 * 7) Madness : Michael Caine

Side Three

 * 1) Britney Spears : ...Baby One More Time
 * U2 : Sweetest Thing
 * 1) Spice Girls : Goodbye
 * 2) Robbie Williams : Millennium
 * 3) Semisonic : Closing Time
 * 4) Backstreet Boys : I'll Never Break Your Heart
 * 5) Fatboy Slim : Praise You
 * 6) New Radicals : You Get What You Give
 * 7) Sheryl Crow : My Favorite Mistake
 * 8) Jay-Z : Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
 * 9) 98° : Beacause of You

VHS release
A video selection was also released featuring selected tracks from the main album, one track that previously featured on Volume I of the series, one that later featured on Volume IV and seven which did not appear on any Now album.


 * 1) Nik Kershaw : "Wouldn't It Be Good"
 * 2) Thompson Twins : "Doctor, Doctor"
 * 3) Howard Jones : "What is Love?"
 * 4) Duran Duran : "New Moon on Monday"
 * 5) China Crisis : "Wishful Thinking"
 * 6) Tina Turner : "Help"
 * 7) Status Quo : "Marguerita Time"
 * 8) Carmel : "More, More, More"
 * 9) Shannon : "Let the Music Play"
 * 10) Icicle Works : "Birds Fly"
 * 11) Bourgie Bourgie : "Breaking Point"
 * 12) Re-Flex : "The Politics of Dancing"
 * 13) Thomas Dolby : "Hyperactive"
 * 14) Matt Bianco : "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed"
 * 15) Big Country : "Wonderland"
 * 16) Marilyn : "Cry and Be Free"
 * 17) Snowy White : "Bird of Paradise"
 * 18) The Flying Pickets : "Only You"
 * 19) Kajagoogoo : "The Lion's Mouth"
 * 20) Culture Club : "Victims"