Various Artists - NOW Yearbook 1998 [4CD Standard Edition]

Format: 4 x CD
Catalogue No.: CDYBNOW98
Barcode: 0198028435628
Release Date: 14 Feb 2025
Genre: Pop

The NOW Yearbook series is back, taking you on a musical journey through one of the most dynamic years in pop with NOW – Yearbook 1998 – Out February 14th! This release is available as a standard 4-CD set, and as a special edition 4-CD set in ‘hardback book’ packaging, which includes a 28-page booklet packed with notes about all of the 80 featured tracks that capture the unforgettable sounds from the year. Whether you’re reliving the hits or discovering them for the first time, this collection brings you the best from the singles charts of 1998.
Disc 1 opens with George Michael’s ‘Outside’, the lead track from his massive ‘Ladies And Gentlemen’ collection, followed by Cher’s global smash ‘Believe’ which held the #1 spot for 7 weeks in the UK, becoming the biggest seller of the year. RUN-DMC vs. Jason Nevins’ dance-floor phenomenon ‘It’s Like That’ also claimed the top spot, cementing itself as an era defining track. The chart-topping ‘Never Ever’ from All Saints along with ‘The Boy Is Mine’ from Brandy & Monica showcases some of the best R&B pop from the year, while the Spice Girls’ ‘Stop’, Billie Piper’s ‘Because We Want To’ and B*Witched’s infectious ‘C’est La Vie’ bring a fresh, vibrant pure pop. With more feel-good smashes from Aqua, Steps, and Ricky Martin, before the disc draws to its close with Meja, Ace Of Base and The Corrs, who enjoyed a huge hit with their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s classic ‘Dreams’.
Disc 2 celebrates the best of ‘98’s alt-pop kicking off with Radiohead, R.E.M., and the Manic Street Preachers’ ‘If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next’, which became their first #1 single. Oasis’ epic ‘All Around The World’, topped the chart and became the longest-running UK #1 single of the year. Jamiroquai enjoyed their first #1, The Cardigans’ ‘My Favourite Game’, Stereophonics’ ‘The Bartender and the Thief’ and Natalie Imbruglias’‘Big Mistake’ were among the years’ big successes for recently established chart hitmakers. 
Disc 3 is a celebration of dance, club anthems, and infectious electronic beats – opening with Air and the timeless brilliance of ‘Sexy Boy’. Cornershop’s ‘Brimful Of Asha’ claimed the #1 spot, with a remix by Norman Cook who is up next as Fatboy Slim with ‘The Rockafeller Skank’, and also remixed ‘Renegade Master’ for Wildchild which became a defining dance floor anthem once again in 1998. Faithless’ ‘God Is A DJ’ continued their run of hits, while Sash!, Vengaboys, Dario G, and Bus Stop & Carl Douglas enjoyed enjoyed crossover dance-pop smashes. More R&B/pop follows from Robyn, Ultra Naté, M People and Melanie B who became the first of the Spice Girls to achieve a #1 away from the group – with ‘I Want You Back’, a collaboration with Missy Elliott….and the disc signs off with another collaboration – between Texas and Wu-Tang Clan (& Robert F. “Price Rakeem Diggs) on a reworking of ‘Say What You Want’, extending the title to ‘Say What You Want (All Day Every Day)’.
The final disc delivers a combination of massive hit ballads and infectious pop anthems. Robbie Williams’ iconic ‘Angels’ became a career-defining track, Boyzone’s ‘No Matter What’ became their biggest hit, and Aqua hit #1 for the third time with ‘Turn Back Time’. Steps, 911, Cleopatra and Des’ree all made big impacts on the charts, and Catatonia, The Beautiful South and Fat Les all enjoyed huge hits, plus 1998 saw the return of Culture Club to the charts after a twelve-year absence. This celebration of 1998’s hits closes with a run of the years’ biggest pop ballads including from the Backstreet Boys, K-Ci & JoJo, B*Witched and signing off with the Spice Girls with their #1 ‘Viva Forever’…
NOW – Yearbook 1998 - a celebration of the diversity, creativity, and magic of the year in pop!
Forecast: Week 1 – 4,500      Month 1 – 8,000          
Marketing   
Advertising campaign to include ad across all online major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.  
Online/Social    
- Inclusion in Now Newsletter pre order and Out Now    
- Bespoke landing page including transact link with retailers    
- Spotify, Apple Music Playlist and promotion    
- Social media (Facebook: 679k, Twitter: 64k, Instagram: 47k)

Comparison Titles: 
NOW – Yearbook 1990
Week 1 – 4,200 
Month 1 – 5,900
Cumulative – 10,500
Digital – 1%
NOW – Yearbook 1974:
Week 1 – 5,000
Month 1 – 7,700
Cumulative – 13,500
Digital – 2%
NOW – Yearbook 1988:
Week 1 – 5,900
Month 1 – 8,200
Cumulative – 14,000
Digital – 1% 
 
CD1:
1. George Michael - Outside 
2. Cher - Believe 
3. RUN DMC vs. Jason Nevins - It's Like That 
4. Robbie Williams - Millennium 
5. Spice Girls - Stop 
6. All Saints - Never Ever 
7. Brandy & Monica - The Boy Is Mine
8. Usher - You Make Me Wanna... 
9. Another Level - Freak Me 
10. Five - Got The Feelin'
11. Billie Piper - Because We Want To 
12. B*Witched - C'est La Vie 
13. Steps - Last Thing On My Mind 
14. Dana International - Diva
15. Aqua - Doctor Jones
16. Gloria Estefan - Heaven's What I Feel
17. Ricky Martin - The Cup Of Life 
18. The Mavericks - Dance The Night Away
19. Meja - All 'Bout The Money 
20. Ace Of Base - Life Is A Flower
21. The Corrs - Dreams  

CD2:
1. Radiohead - No Surprises
2. R.E.M. - Daysleeper 
3. Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next 
4. Oasis - All Around The World
5. Embrace - Come Back To What You Know
6. Bernard Butler - Stay
7. Hole - Celebrity Skin 
8. Stereophonics - The Bartender And The Thief 
9. Kula Shaker - Sound Of Drums
10. Space – Avenging Angels          
11. Jamiroquai - Deeper Underground 
12. The Cardigans - My Favourite Game 
13. Tori Amos - Spark 
14. Natalie Imbruglia - Big Mistake 
15. Sheryl Crow - My Favorite Mistake 
16. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Save Tonight 
17. Billie Myers - Kiss The Rain 
18. Emilia - Big Big World
19. Tina Arena - Whistle Down The Wind 

CD 3:
1. Air - Sexy Boy
2. Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha
3. Fatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank
4. Wildchild - Renegade Master (Fatboy Slim Old Skool Edit)
5. Faithless - God Is A DJ
6. Dario G – Carnaval De Paris
7. Bus Stop & Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting
8. Sash! feat. Tina Cousins - Mysterious Times 
9. Vengaboys - Up & Down 
10. Sweetbox - Everything’s Gonna Be Alright 
11. Simply Red - The Air That I Breathe 
12. Aretha Franklin - A Rose Is Still A Rose
13. Robyn - Show Me Love
14. Ultra Naté - Found A Cure
15. M People - Angel St
16. All Saints - Bootie Call
17. Melanie B & Missy Elliott - I Want You Back
18. Honeyz - Finally Found
19. Wyclef Jean feat. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Gone Till November 
20. Texas feat. Wu-Tang Clan & Robert F. "Prince Rakeem" Diggs - Say What You Want (All Day) 

CD 4:
1. Robbie Williams - Angels
2. Céline Dion - My Heart Will Go On
3. Shania Twain - You're Still The One
4. Boyzone - No Matter What 
5. Aqua - Turn Back Time
6. Steps - One For Sorrow 
7. 911 - More Than A Woman 
8. Adam Garcia & "Saturday Night Fever" Original London Cast - Night Fever
9. Wes - Alane
10. Cleopatra - Cleopatra's Theme
11. Des'ree - Life 
12. The Beautiful South - Perfect 10 
13. Fat Les - Vindaloo
14. Catatonia - Mulder And Scully 
15. Culture Club - I Just Wanna Be Loved 
16. UB40 - Come Back Darling
17. Backstreet Boys - All I Have To Give
18. K-Ci & JoJo - All My Life
19. B*Witched - To You I Belong 
20. Spice Girls - Viva Forever