NOW 39

Released on August 9, 2011, the 39th volume of the Now series features numerous singles that were, at the time, in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, including hyper-energetic party songs like LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)," Pitbull's "Give Me Everything," Britney Spears' "Till the World Ends," Jennifer Lopez's "On the Floor," and Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory." The inclusion of Jason Aldean's "Dirt Road Anthem" and Blake Shelton's "Honey Bee" ends a three-volume drought for solo male country artists, but what is most notable is the absence of songs that could be squarely categorized as rap or R&B. Bizarrely, there's a repeat here: Hot Chelle Rae's "Tonight, Tonight" appeared on Vol. 38, albeit as one of the "Now What's Next" bonus tracks. The "Now What's Next" portion continues to get more peculiar here, as it contains a track -- Dev's "Bass Down Low -- that hit the Hot 100 the last week of 2010 and remained on the chart for three months, though it topped out at 61. ~ Andy Kellman

• Genre: V/A Compilations
• Format: CD
• Released: 8/09/2011