Ben and Ed are back with a festive treat! In this special holiday edition of From Then to Now, they unwrap the glittering history of the Now Christmas albums in the UK, celebrating their 40th anniversary. From the very first release to the latest compilation, the duo takes listeners on a nostalgic sleigh ride through decades of yuletide hits. Along the way, they reveal the Top 5 most featured artists and the Top 5 most featured songs across the Now Christmas series—spotlighting the voices and tracks that have truly defined the season. But the celebration doesn’t stop there. Ben and Ed also explore how Now Christmas has spread around the world, comparing international editions and discovering how different countries soundtrack their holidays.

2020 will be known for a lot of things but also as the first time a Now release is delayed, plus more re-issues with fewer and fewer tracks.

During lockdown NOW produce a play at home quiz and Ben and Ed decide to give it a go. Recorded from their homes; enjoy this social distanced special.

We pick back up on the numbered series looking at albums 102 to 104. We see a new live music venture from the people behind the Now brand plus the re-releases keep coming with new CD versions of 2 to 4.

In this bonus episode, not content with just discussing at the numbered series albums, Ben and Ed try out the NOW That’s What I Call Music! board game and compare their choices with the selections made on the NOW That’s What I Call A NOW album.

NOW makes it to a century of albums and we discuss the reflective feel of NOW 97-101. We also see many established acts returning with old songs, marking certain topical events around the time of each release.

Family connections, a new voiceover for the advert and artists from Guam all feature across NOW 91-96. Plus Ben talks about brackets (parenthesis) again.

A pleasing resurgence of the mighty saxophone is prominent in this episode, where we also see a record label change. Plus novelty is prevalent courtesy of former paintballing tv stars and an Aussie omnivorous mammal.

Singer Songwriters are well and truly back in the charts throughout Nows 79 to 84. Plus artists from South Korea and Nigeria join the NOW Party too!

Ben and Ed get in a spin over Christmas as well as hearing the youngest ever artist to appear on NOW.

The NOW family’s newest members get discussed in this episode as we see NOW supplement the number series with more and more themed spin off releases.

We bid au revoir to the final original format, the cassette, and welcome in the download. We are joined in the NOW series for the first time by a Bajan artist. Plus Ed asks what time is it?

We take a look at artists who think ‘anything you can I do, I can do better’ with their response records and celebrate NOW’s Diamond Jubilee.

In this episode we see the return of the TV talent show star, and act begin their unbeaten record breaking run of appearances. Listen to find out who they are, plus our choices from the early 00’s albums.

We herald in a new millennium and see how NOW fairs in a world with new technology and new genres. Plus novelty reigns supreme throughout these albums, but where are they now?

The NOW brand expanded out into new continents and countries including the good ol’ U S of A in 1998, which we explore in this episode. Plus Ben has two choices from Danish artists!

We progress into the mid-90s in this episode, ushering in Britpop as well as saying goodbye to the old, in with the new. Some songs also prove that one appearance in the series just isn’t enough.

NOW always depicts popular songs of the time but not all these songs stand the test of time, and we see many one hit wonders during these releases. Plus the NOW CD loses a few pounds!

During this episode we see the NOW That's What I Call Music series start to look like what we know and love today as a major rebrand occurs. We talk through early 90s favourites and also see Robbie Williams’ first Now appearance.

As we say goodbye to the 80's we talk about people who have never appeared on a NOW album. Plus our favourites from another 6 albums.