In his latest column, Tameside Radio presenter reveals what his specialist subject on Mastermind would be. We'll give you a clue - it's related to music...

I was asked recently what my specialist subject might be if I ended up on Mastermind. There have been some curious ones of late, including White House pets and Kim Kardashian. 

Without doubt, mine would be the Now That’s What I Call Music compilation series. I’m even in a Facebook group dedicated to collectors of the compact discs. Enthusiasts trawl charity shops looking for shiny CD bargains, and those in the original ‘fat boxes’ (plenty of plastic from those less green times in the 90s) are the most coveted prize of all.

I told my friend James I was a member of this group recently, and he laughed for an uncomfortably long period of time. Honestly, he couldn’t believe there were other people in the world as enthusiastic about the Now series as me. The sales figures suggest otherwise!

It all began in the mists of time. Well, 1983, a year when Shergar was kidnapped, Trading Places was big at the cinema, and the first cordless phones went on sale. The name famously came from a poster of a pig and a singing chicken, which Richard Branson had bought as a novelty item and adorned the walls of Virgin Records. The pig itself featured on several of the early Now covers, which were a collaboration between Virgin and EMI.

Typically, three are still released every year, around April, July and November, and they are a real time capsule. I have 1-18 on vinyl, and 18-110 on CD. There might be a shoebox of cassette Nows in the loft somewhere too.

If you pick a random number, you’re guaranteed to find a mix of songs still played on the radio, songs you’d forgotten, and a few you wish you could forget.

They are not an exhaustive pop history though, as some artists were less than keen for their songs to be featured. Famous examples include Madonna and Bruce Springsteen. Other acts were kept for the rival Hits collection, which at one point was a serious challenger, but fell by the wayside following a number of disastrous rebrands. 

Lionel Richie, George Michael and Whitney Houston were amongst the acts who Now missed out on as a result of this. One or two tracks appeared with odd remixes, as the original wasn’t able to be licenced.

With literally millions of songs available at our fingertips via streaming services, why is Now still with us and who is buying them? Well, CD sales rose in 2021 for the first time in 17 years, driven by the likes of Adele and Abba and a new-found love for a tangible product.

They are also handy gifts. The Now albums in particular always contain a real mix of genres, and there’s bound to be something on there for most music fans. I’m proud I’ve got my nephew to like them, and at five he must be amongst the youngest Now fans! Perhaps the death of the physical format has been exaggerated. Vinyl is also in rude health, although I can’t see Now Minidiscs returning any time soon.

When Now emerged, dial-a-disc still existed. For our younger readers, long before Tik Tok and cassette Walkmans, it involved putting coins into a phone box and calling a number to hear a tinny version of your favourite chart hit played down the telephone. I’m sure if you told your kids about this service now they’d be convinced you were pulling their leg. 

Music shows like Top Of The Pops and the Chart Show have also vanished, but Now is the one constant that next year turns 40. As well as the numbered editions, there have been endless spin-offs, from Disney to disco, from punk to rock.

Finally, four of my favourite random Now nuggets:

Now 44 is the best-selling numbered Now to date. It included classics such as Mambo Number 5, That Don’t Impress Me Much and Blue (Da Ba Dee). It shifted 2.3m copies as the soundtrack to many a millennium party.

Now 10 was the first full CD release, with the same tracklist as vinyl and cassette. It was re-released recently, but without Whitesnake and Heart due to record company politics.

Now 35 was the last vinyl release, and regularly sells for up to £100. It includes Bjork and Spice Girls.

Tears For Fears appear on Now 111 with the excellent Break The Man, out next month. Their last appearance was Sowing The Seeds Of Love on Now 16! Michael Jackson also didn’t appear between Now 4 and Now 88.

I’ve got the reissued Now 11 and the brand new Now 111 on pre-order. Long live the compilation!

You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on the 'Super Scoreboard' show on Saturdays from 3pm to 7pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM. 

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