VA - NOW Yearbook '97 Extra (2025)

NOW – Yearbook Extra 1997 - a must-have 60-track 3CD collection out July 3rd, continuing our celebration of an incredible year in pop!

CD1 kicks off with huge hits from George Michael with ‘Star People ’97’, and Pet Shop Boys’ ‘A Red Letter Day’. Sheryl Crow’s Bond theme ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ is up next ahead of Rosie Gaines’ club classic ‘Closer Than Close’. LL COOL J’s slick ‘Phenomenon’ leads into a golden run of '90s pop - Spice Girls with their #1 Comic Relief single ‘Who Do You Think You Are’, Hanson’s ‘Where’s The Love’ and 911’s ‘Party People... Friday Night’. The disc continues with the Backstreet Boys’ global smash ‘As Long As You Love Me’ (#3 UK), and Boyzone’s ‘Isn’t It A Wonder’. Unforgettable tracks from Kavana, Louise, Dannii Minogue, Eternal and Lighthouse Family feature ahead of a trio of reggae-pop hits from Simply Red, UB40, and Shaggy & Marsha’s version of ‘Piece Of My Heart’ which closes the disc.

CD2 begins with Radiohead’s timeless ‘Karma Police’, from their #1 album ‘OK Computer’, setting the tone for a diverse journey through late ’90s alt/indie pop. Electronic follow with ‘Second Nature’, before more top tracks from Suede, Robbie Williams and Ash. Supergrass keep the energy high with their top 10 smash ‘Sun Hits The Sky’ before Paul Weller and The Lightning Seeds. Republica’s ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ is a great indie-pop gem, as are ‘No Cheap Thrill’ from Suzanne Vega and Alisha’s Attic’s ‘Indestructible’. ‘Reverence’ from the hugely successful album of the same name from Faithless leads into the experimental electronic sounds of Orbital’s ‘Satan’ and Apollo 440 with ‘Ain’t Talkin’’Bout Dub’. Three of the era’s newer rock artists complete the disc: Reef with ‘Come Back Brighter’ and Faith No More with ‘Ashes To Ashes’, before Terrorvision wraps up with the anthemic ‘Easy’.

CD3 opens with Whitney Houston’s ‘I Believe In You And Me’ before Toni Braxton’s fourth UK top 10 single, the irresistibly smooth ‘I Don’t Want To’, ahead of Jon Bon Jovi’s solo hit ‘Midnight In Chelsea’. A stellar a run of 1997 pop is up next featuring ABC’s ‘Stranger Things’, Mark Owen’s ‘Clemetine’ – the Take That star’s second top 5 solo single - Sean Maguire’s infectious ‘Today’s The Day’, Cathy Denis’ superb version of ‘Waterloo Sunset’ and a second appearance from the Spice Girls with ‘Mama’. UK R&B follows from Damage with their top 10 ‘Love Guaranteed’ and Shola Ama’s ‘You’re The One I Love’ plus massive US R&B stars En Vogue with the funky top 20 ‘Whatever’ and the ballad ‘Don’t Leave Me’ by Blackstreet. Latin-flavoured pop from Gina G with ‘Ti Amo’ and No Mercy with ‘Please Don’t Go’ lead into a final run of ‘97’s pop hits including North & South’s smash ‘I’m A Man Not A Boy’, and ballads from OTT (‘Let Me In’), Backstreet Boys (‘Anywhere For You’) and Boyzone (‘Baby Can I Hold You’) before we close this disc and the collection, with a big hit cover of ‘Yesterday’ by Wet Wet Wet, the single released ahead of the group’s #2 album: 10.