NOW 45 - Spring ’00: John Matthews

2025-11-11

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Welcome to the 21st Century!Or did you call it Y2K? And if so, can I ask WHY?Yes, pop fans and curators of variously compiled pop, we had survived the End of the Century. The millennium bug turned out to be nowhere near as life threatening as as we were told. No planes fell from the sky, no computer meltdowns and no return to the dark ages overnight. In fact the most terrifying thing about December 31st 1999 was the turgid TV schedules as we watched the Royal Family trying to join hands with Tony Blair, or...

Welcome to the 21st Century!

Or did you call it Y2K? And if so, can I ask WHY?

Yes, pop fans and curators of variously compiled pop, we had survived the End of the Century. The millennium bug turned out to be nowhere near as life threatening as as we were told. No planes fell from the sky, no computer meltdowns and no return to the dark ages overnight. In fact the most terrifying thing about December 31st 1999 was the turgid TV schedules as we watched the Royal Family trying to join hands with Tony Blair, or worse - the cost of drinks and cloakroom queues in the nightclubs.

So, as we entered the third millennium - with Cliff Richard still intact and fresh from his (nearly 4th) Festive chart topping prayer - how was the pop world faring?

Despite the seeming lack of guitars (SO NINETIES), the charts were bursting with new, fresh and mostly young shiny talent!

And Bryan Adams.

And Tom Jones.

And John Lennon.

BUT, apart from these ‘legacy artistes’, pop was back, Back, BACK. NOW 45 was here!

Scandinavian superstar producers were serving up Britney, Backstreet, Aqua and, er, Lene for our delectation.

Steps, S Club and Atomic Kitten were waving the Brit flag in their crop tops and combats (even H). Solo Spice was blossoming quicker than the viewing figures for Castaway (not hard) with Mel C and Geri leading the way.

RnB and Garage was freshening up the charts.

And of course EVERYONE was queuing in the airport terminals for another summer of dance and there is plenty of that on these two shiny discs.

Bu t there is SO much more to this dazzling 45th volume of variously compiled pop. And taking us through it is GENUINE CONTRIBUTOR to the album - electronic producer and musician John Matthews aka Ricardo Autobahn aka the Cuban Boys! Yes, the Hamster Dance song as featured here!

Join us as we climb aboard our futuristic Y2K hoverboards and not only revisit NOW45, discover the full story of how The Cuban Boys topped John Peel’s Festive Top 50 and almost toppled the might Cliff and Westlife in the final Official Chart of the millennium. All from their bedroom.

You couldn’t make it up!

All of this and Daphne and Celeste!

Ooh (and quite literally) Stick You!

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