Enjoy this trip.

And it is a trip!

What a poptastic year 1988 was turning out to be at NOW HQ! As the 80s were speeding their way towards a dayglo regeneration into the 90s, the charts were chock full of a glittering arrays of sensational delights and 7” wonders! 

The first instalment of NOW That’s What I Call Music – Volume 11 in April – had delivered a chart topping selection of skyscraping hits, and most importantly for many, had brought the unadulterated excitement of the UK dancefloor into our homes and headphones via ‘that’ Side 4 of blistering BPMs.

And make no mistake, volume 12 picked up where this left off, in sizzling, swingorilliant (and quite frequently, 70s) summer style! 

Join my special guest culture journalist, author and broadcaster Jude Rogers, as we head back to that summer and swap floats with the likes of Wet, Wet Wet, Belinda Carlisle, Bananarama, Maxi Priest and many more. 

Jude shares a pool (no more swimming puns – Smash Hits Ed!) of fabulous anecdotes and memories from summer 1988; which pop stars were making the young Jude feel ‘confused’(warning, contains vests and stonewashed 501s), how pop and Smash Hits became a solace for a 10 year old girl and which songs would she take with her back to the beach in Menorca (clue, not you Marti) and which tracks were missing (yes, I’m looking at you HITS8!).

Along the way we also revisit a certain Beatles related charity album (Frank Sidebottom anyone?), drop in on Eurovision 1988 (not yet, Celine!), stop off at the mall with Tiffany and invent a new genre – step aside Sophistipop, say hello to Sophistidance (yes, that’s you Jellybean!)

And throughout our journey back 34(!) years, we recognise the importance that our pop soundtracks have in moving with us through our lives and how we celebrate the hits and headlines that have stayed with us ever since.

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