# Now Smash Hits

Now That's What I Call Music Smash Hits is a compilation album released on 3 October 1987. The album is part of the (UK) Now That's What I Call Music! series and is a collaboration with Smash Hits magazine, a successful pop music-based magazine at the time. It was conceived, written, and designed by the Smash Hits staff, and the liner notes are presented in the magazine's offbeat style.
The album features popular UK Singles Chart hits from 1980 to 1987, in rough reverse chronological order, starting with more recent songs (four songs for each year) and ending with older ones. Many of the older songs had not been featured on any Now albums before, as the series did not start until 1983
A companion issue of the magazine was released at the same time, featuring pictures and lyrics to all the songs on the album.
The front cover of the vinyl and audio cassette releases feature the words 32 Swingorilliant Hits of the 80's. For the compact disc release the number was changed to 31, as Michael Jackson's "One Day in Your Life" is missing from the CD version. A VHS tape was also released featuring 26 music videos of songs from the compilation.
Neil Tennant, who features on side 1 of the album as part of Pet Shop Boys, worked as assistant editor of Smash Hits magazine in the early 1980s.
Smash Hits went on to release their own various artists compilation albums. This is the first album in the UK Now! series with a 1980s theme. Another 3-disc compilation called Now That's What I Call the 80s was released in 2007.
Smash Hits is available on Apple Music as a playlist.

## Track listing
### CD/record/tape 1 (1987–1984)

| # | Title | Artist | Year Released | Genre |
| 1 | Down to Earth | Curiosity Killed the Cat | 1986 | Sophisti-pop |
| 2 | If You Let Me Stay | Terence Trent D'Arby | 1987 | R&B |
| 3 | Respectable | Mel and Kim | 1987 | Dance-pop |
| 4 | Labour of Love | Hue and Cry | 1987 | Sophisti-pop |
| 5 | Rain or Shine | Five Star | 1986 | Pop |
| 6 | West End Girls | Pet Shop Boys | 1984 | Synth-pop |
| 7 | Happy Hour | The Housemartins | 1986 | Indie rock |
| 8 | Holding Back the Years | Simply Red | 1985 | Sophisti-pop |
| 9 | Take on Me | a-ha | 1984 | Synth-pop |
| 10 | You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) | Dead or Alive | 1984 | Synth-pop |
| 11 | There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart) | Eurythmics | 1985 | Pop |
| 12 | Everybody Wants to Rule the World | Tears for Fears | 1985 | Synth-pop |
| 13 | Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go | Wham! | 1984 | Bubblegum pop |
| 14 | Smalltown Boy | Bronski Beat | 1984 | Synth-pop |
| 15 | Master and Servant | Depeche Mode | 1984 | Synth-pop |
| 16 | Careless Whisper | George Michael | 1984 | Pop |

### CD/record/tape 2 (1983–1980)

| # | Title | Artist | Year Released |
| 1 | True | Spandau Ballet | 1983 |
| 2 | Red Red Wine | UB40 | 1983 |
| 3 | Hold Me Now | Thompson Twins | 1983 |
| 4 | The Lovecats | The Cure | 1983 |
| 5 | Come on Eileen | Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express | 1982 |
| 6 | The Look of Love | ABC | 1982 |
| 7 | Do You Really Want to Hurt Me | Culture Club | 1982 |
| 8 | Save a Prayer | Duran Duran | 1982 |
| 9 | Under Pressure | Queen & David Bowie | 1981 |
| 10 | One Day in Your Life | Michael Jackson $^{(notonCDrelease)}$ | 1981 |
| 11 | Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) | Haircut One Hundred | 1981 |
| 12 | Ghost Town | The Specials | 1981 |
| 13 | Going Underground | The Jam | 1980 |
| 14 | Baggy Trousers | Madness | 1980 |
| 15 | Antmusic $^{(fullversionwithcoldending)}$ | Adam and the Ants $^{(previouslyunreleased)}$ | 1980 |
| 16 | Atomic | Blondie | 1980 |