Older is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on 13 May 1996 in Europe by Virgin Records and Aegean Records one day later in the United States. The American release was the first album released by DreamWorks Records. It was Michael's first studio album since 1990's Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 – the five-and-a-half-year gap was due to the legal battle that Michael experienced with his former record company Sony Music. Michael dedicated three years to the recording of Older, and the album found him exploring new musical territories in a more serious fashion compared to his previous work. At the time of release, the album was a huge commercial hit, particularly in Europe, but was received in America with lukewarm commercial approval. In the UK, the album was particularly notable for producing a record six top three hit singles in a two-year span.

Review by Steve Huey A superbly crafted mainstream pop/rock masterpiece, Faith made George Michael an international solo star, selling over ten million copies in the U.S. alone as of 2000. Perhaps even more impressively, it also made him the first white solo artist to hit number one on the R&B album charts. Michael had already proven the soulful power of his pipes by singing a duet with Aretha Franklin on the 1987 smash "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," but he went even farther when it came to crafting his own material, using sophisticated '70s soul as an indispensable part of his foundation. Of course, it's only a part. Faith's ingenuity lies in the way it straddles pop, adult contemporary, R&B, and dance music as though there were no distinctions between them. In addition to his basic repertoire of funky dance-pop and airy, shimmering ballads, Michael appropriates the Bo Diddley beat for the rockabilly-tinged title track, and proves himself a better-than-decent torch singer on the cocktail jazz of "Kissing a Fool." Michael arranged and produced the album himself, and the familiarity of many of these songs can obscure his skills in those departments – close listening reveals his knack for shifting elements in and out of the mix and adding subtle embellishments when a little emphasis or variety is needed. Though Faith couldn't completely shake Michael's bubblegum image in some quarters, the album's themes were decidedly adult. "I Want Your Sex" was the most notorious example, of course, but even the love songs were strikingly personal and mature, grappling with complex adult desires and scarred by past heartbreak. All of it adds up to one of the finest pop albums of the '80s, setting a high-water mark that Michael was only able to reach in isolated moments afterward.

A collection includes: 'Faith' (1987); Listen Without Prejudice (1990); 'Older' (1996); 'Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best Of George Michael' (1998); 'Songs From The Last Century' (1999); 'Patience' (2004); and 'TwentyFive' (2006).

Pure… Singer/Songwriter is a brave album that showcases strong song writing, sometimes by avoiding the artists most prominent work in lieu of a lesser known piece. Simon & Garfunkel, John Denver, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, Van Morrison, George Michael and Bruce Hornsby are all represented by one of their better known tracks. However, Bowie, Hall & Oates, Alicia Keys, Nillson and even Sarah Bareilles are represented but obscure tracks. As well as the well known artists this compilation also goes back to includes lesser known artists from the 60s and 70s such as Colin Blunstone, Laura Nyro and Phoebe Snow.

George Michael was the biggest British pop star of the 1980s, spinning a series of infectiously catchy pop singles into global stardom that saw him sell over 100 million albums worldwide. Blessed with a fine voice and a knack for writing engaging melodies that worked well with dance-friendly rhythms, Michael became the rare teen sensation who matured into a respected star as an adult.Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou on June 25, 1963 in the North London suburb of East Finchley; his father was a Greek Cypriot restaurant owner who changed his name from Kyriacos Panayiotou to Jack Michael when he immigrated to England in the 1950s. Michael's family relocated to Bushey, Hertfordshire when he was in his early teens, and he struck up a friendship with one of his new schoolmates, Andrew Ridgeley.

TRIPLE DISC SET HIGHLIGHTING GEORGE’S FINEST LIVE WORK • One of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation, and one of the best-selling musicians of all time with sales of over 120 million records worldwide, George Michael is still known as a leading creative force in music production, songwriting, vocal performance, and visual presentation.

Few albums have defined an era and redefined a generation of pop music quite like Faith, George Michael’s groundbreaking 1987 debut solo album. Written, arranged, produced and performed almost entirely by George, ‘Faith’ includes the hit singles ‘Faith’, ‘Father Figure’, ‘One More Try’ and ‘Monkey’. Now available on vinyl for the first time in over a decade, this 10 track CD features ‘I Want Your Sex - Pts. 1, 2 & 3, The Monogamy Mix.’

Highlights include George Michael’s excellent standalone single A Different Corner albeit the 12-inch version is only different thanks to 30 second string intro, near nine-minute Julian Mendelsohn Full Horror extended Pet Shop Boys Suburbia, Broad mix of Frankies Rage Hard and the 12-inch version of Culture Clubs underrated Move Away. a-ha are represented by two tracks: the extended version of only UK No 1 The Sun Always Shines On TV long version of Ive Been Losing You which was first single from Scoundrel Days. As ever, full tracklistings below. NOW Music continue 12″ 80s series with 4CD look at 1986.

George Michael’s Careless Whisper is one of the most iconic songs of all time and this year it celebrates its 40th anniversary. Hailed as a pop masterpiece, it topped the charts in 25 countries when it was released in 1984. The track has since been certified multiple times Platinum around the world. To mark this incredible milestone, the limited-edition Careless Whisper EP brings together all the versions in one special release. It features instrumental and extended mixes and a previously unreleased live version recorded at Madison Square Garden, New York.

Celebrate this magical decade with 60 of the biggest and best hits from the world of 90s pop, rock, RnB, dance and reggae. This hit-packed 3CD set features a host of chart-topping pop stars that took the world by storm in the decade including George Michael, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Wet Wet Wet and Robbie Williams. The 90s were famous for spawning some of the coolest guitar music ever produced and it's represented here by the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Paul Weller, Manic Street Preachers, The Cranberries and Suede. Adamski, Olive, N-Trance and Robert Miles remind us of some of the biggest dancefloor smashes while Usher, Soul II Soul, Jamiroquai, P.M. Dawn, Salt-N-Pepa and Run D.M.C. highlight the strength and eclecticism that urban music went though in this great decade.

NOW is pleased to announce the next addition in the Millennium series – NOW – Millennium 2004-2005 across 4 CD’s, showcasing some of the most iconic sounds of the noughties!

NOW – Yearbook Extra 1997 – 60 tracks celebrating the depth, style and sound of a truly iconic year for Pop – out August 8th.

Older is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on 13 May 1996 in Europe by Virgin Records and Aegean Records one day later in the United States. The American release was the first album released by DreamWorks Records. It was Michael's first studio album since 1990's Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 – the five-and-a-half-year gap was due to the legal battle that Michael experienced with his former record company Sony Music. Michael dedicated three years to the recording of Older, and the album found him exploring new musical territories in a more serious fashion compared to his previous work. At the time of release, the album was a huge commercial hit, particularly in Europe, but was received in America with lukewarm commercial approval. In the UK, the album was particularly notable for producing a record six top three hit singles in a two-year span.

NOW Music continue with their long-running Yearbook series with one that focuses on the year 1997. Available in the usual formats of 4CD deluxe hardcover book 78 tracks, 4CD standard and 3LP coloured vinyl 43 tracks, this new volume has big names mixing it with popular artists of the era.

The Wham! collection The Final stands as the most accurate compilation of the duo's hits, even including the correct single versions of hits that were not available on their respective albums. From the early bubblegum silliness of "Bad Boys," "Wham! Rap," and "Young Guns" to the singles that made them an international pop phenomenon ("Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," "Everything She Wants," "Careless Whisper," and "I'm Your Man"), the hits are all here. "Everything She Wants" and "Freedom" are included in their single versions which did not appear on the multimillion-selling Make It Big. Also included is George Michael's first true solo hit, "A Different Corner," which, along with "Careless Whisper," hints at the later, more sophisticated styles of music that would further propel him into international superstar status.