Now That's What I Call Music! Launches NOW #1's Hits CD!; Latest NOW
CD Features 20 #1 Hits; Franchise Nears Sales of 55 Million Units --
Most Successful Multi-Artist Music Brand Ever

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 11, 2006--With the release on
January 24, 2006 of NOW #1's, the Now That's What I Call Music! series
debuts a new offshoot of its extremely successful branded compilation
series. Featuring all #1 chart-topping hit singles taken from the
complete series of NOW albums (dating back to 1997), NOW #1's is a
non-stop collection of massive hit singles sure to be a must-have with
the loyal and avid NOW consumer.


The recent NOW release, NOW 20, debuted in November at the top of the
Billboard Top 200 chart for the eighth time in the series' history. It
has subsequently gone on to sell a total of over 2 million units in
the 10 weeks since its release, evidence that the NOW brand is clearly
one of the most potent retail music brands in the market today and NOW
#1's is set to expand on and broaden that position.

Now That's What I Call Music! is the most consistent
multi-platinum-selling music brand today - it has achieved US sales of
more than 55 million units to become the most successful multi-artist
series of all time. NOW is an unprecedented cooperative project
between EMI Music, The Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music
Entertainment and the Zomba Group of labels. Since it was introduced
in the United States seven years ago, the series has been known as a
harbinger of contemporary tastes and a reflection of the most popular
music of the day. Every single CD in the Now That's What I Call Music!
series has been certified platinum or multi-platinum, and NOW remains
the most successful branded compilation ever launched in the music
business, with continual, massive chart and sales successes.

Featuring 20 #1 hits, NOW #1's includes songs from every genre
including such huge singles as Nelly's "Hot In Herre", Gwen Stefani's
"Hollaback Girl", Hoobastank's "The Reason", J-Lo's "Love Don't Cost A
Thing" and Creed's "With Eyes Wide Open" along with 15 more #1 Pop hit
singles. All the singles on NOW #1's have achieved the coveted #1
position on the Billboard Hot 100 or Top 40 charts and continue to
have long lives as recurrent radio favorites. All have appeared on
previous NOW CDs.

The series debuted in the United States in 1998 after the NOW brand
had been an enormous, multi-platinum international success for nearly
20 years, with some 56 volumes featuring pop hits released in the UK
alone. To date, the NOW series has generated sales of 146 million
albums worldwide. Every album in the US NOW series has reached the
Billboard Top 10 and eight have now debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top
200, making NOW the only non-soundtrack, multi-artist collection to
occupy the top spot on this distinguished album sales chart.

NOW #1's track list:

1. Nelly Hot In Herre
2. Outkast Hey Ya!
3. Gwen Stefani Hollaback Girl
4. Destiny's Child Survivor
5. J-Lo Love Don't Cost A Thing
6. Janet All For You
7. N'Sync Bye Bye Bye
8. Britney Spears Baby One More Time
9. B2K W/Diddy Bump Bump Bump
10. Macy Gray I Try
11. Savage Garden I Knew I Loved You
12. Ashlee Simpson Pieces Of Me
13. Lenny Kravitz Again
14. Smash Mouth All Star
15. Nine Days Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)
16. 3 Doors Down Kryptonite
17. Nickelback How You Remind Me
18. Creed With Arms Wide Open
19. Lifehouse Hanging By A Moment
20. Hoobastank The Reason

Every NOW volume to date has been certified platinum or better by the
RIAA:

NOW 1 (October 1998, certified platinum)
NOW 2 (July 1999, certified double platinum)
NOW 3 (December 1999, certified double platinum)
NOW 4 (July 2000, the first compilation ever to debut at #1 on the
Billboard Top 200, certified double platinum)
NOW 5 (November 2000, certified quadruple platinum)
NOW 6 (April 2001, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200,
certified triple platinum)
NOW 7 (July 2001, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200,
certified triple platinum)
NOW 8 (November 2001, certified triple platinum)
NOW 9 (April 2002, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
double platinum)
NOW 10 (July 2002, certified platinum)
NOW 11 (November 2002, certified double platinum)
NOW 12 (March 2003, certified platinum)
NOW 13 (July 2003, certified platinum)
NOW 14 (April 2004, certified triple platinum)
NOW 15 (May 2004, certified double platinum)
NOW 16 (July 2004, certified triple platinum)
NOW 17 (November 2004, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200,
certified double platinum)
NOW 18 (March 2005, certified platinum)
NOW 19 (July 2005, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
double platinum)
NOW That's What I Call Christmas! (October 2001, certified quintuple
platinum)
NOW That's What I Call Christmas! The Signature Collection
(September 2003, certified double platinum)