Now That's What I Call the 80s, Vol. 2

Performer: Various Artists
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: How could one volume do justice to the sparkling decade of excess? Answer: it can not, and hence this hit-packed second volume from the venerable NOW series, which gathers tracks by chart-busting artists in Sony's mid-to-late-'80s roster. The songs recall the height of the MTV era. Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know" is as exuberant and fresh as you remembered, and Robert Palmer's smarmy appeal has lessened not a bit since the first airing of "Simply Irresistible." The Human League, the Police, Journey, and several others are also represented here. The second volume of Now That's What I Call the 80s, following the first by just over a year, contains nothing but major hits, and it slightly favors singles from the latter part of the decade. The Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" and the Human League's "Don't You Want Me," both from 1981, are the only songs here from 1980 through 1982, while the classes of 1986 through 1988 are well represented with Paula Abdul's "Straight Up," George Michael's "Faith," and Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible." Released by Sony, just about everything on it comes from a Sony BMG-distributed artist -- so, once more, marquee '80s superstars like Madonna and Prince are left out. The selections, apart from being major smashes, do seem rather random. In a way, that's part of the appeal, but a disc dedicated to each year of the decade would have been a much more interesting route. ~ Andy Kellman

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