Various Artists NOW 49

When this volume of the Now series was released, in February 2014, three of its inclusions had reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Those hits -- Pitbull's "Timber" (featuring Ke$ha), Lorde's "Royals," and Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" -- are front-loaded here. They're followed by five additional songs that peaked within the Top Ten, including One Direction's "Story of My Life" and "Counting Stars," a Great Big World and Cristina Aguilera's "Say Something," Imagine Dragons' "Demons," and Drake's "Hold on, We're Going Home." The series continues to provide an accurate representation of the biggest pop hits, though some of the cuts -- such as Natalia Kills' "Trouble" -- were not major, and a few slots continue to be left for developing artists who have yet to make a commercial mark. ~ Andy Kellman

• Format: CD
• Genre: V/A Compilations