The Hits Album, or Hits 1 as it is often called, is a compilation album released by CBS (Now Sony BMG) and WEA in November 1984. The album was released as a rival to the already successful Now That's What I Call Music series which EMI and Virgin Records had launched in November 1983. The Hits Album reached No. 1 in the UK Top 100 Albums chart for seven weeks and remained in the chart for 36 weeks. This album kept Now 4 from the coveted No. 1 spot over Christmas 1984 – the only Now album in the original series not to reach No. 1 in either the UK Album Chart (to 1989) or the UK Compilations Chart (January 1989 onwards).