(Nashville, TN – September 3, 2008) NOW That’s What I Call Country debuted today at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. The compilation contains today’s hottest country hits from the superstars of country music as well as the best new artists in the format.

The ultimate country music collection features hits by Sugarland, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Trace Adkins, George Strait, Reba and many more. In addition, the CD will unlock free downloads from hot new country artists: Jamey Johnson, Ashton Shepherd, Chuck Wicks, Emily West, Eric Church and The Lost Trailers.

NOW That’s What I Call Country is the first country music project for the world’s best selling multi-artist album series NOW That's What I Call Music!, which have collectively sold nearly 70 million units in the US in the last 10 years.

NOW That’s What I Call Country Track Listing

1. CARRIE UNDERWOOD “All-American Girl”

2. RASCAL FLATTS “Winner At A Losing Game”

3. GARY ALLAN “Watching Airplanes”

4. REBA McENTIRE duet with KELLY CLARKSON “Because Of You”

5. KEITH URBAN “Everybody”

6. SUGARLAND “Stay”

7. LADY ANTEBELLUM “Love Don’t Live Here”

8. TAYLOR SWIFT “Picture To Burn”

9. DIERKS BENTLEY “Trying To Stop Your Leaving”

10. LUKE BRYAN “All My Friends Say”

11. BRAD PAISLEY “Letter To Me”

12. GEORGE STRAIT “I Saw God Today”

13. JULIANNE HOUGH “That Song In My Head”

14. SARA EVANS “As If”

15. KENNY CHESNEY “Don’t Blink”

16. TRACE ADKINS “You’re Gonna Miss This”

17. CHRIS CAGLE “What Kinda Gone”

18. KELLIE PICKLER “Things That Never Cross A Man’s Mind”

19. JOSH TURNER featuring TRISHA YEARWOOD “Another Try”

20. JASON MICHAEL CARROLL “Alyssa Lies”

The NOW That’s What I Call Music! series is a compilation joint venture from EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and the Zomba Label Group. The series debuted in the United States in 1998 after the NOW brand had become an enormous, multi-platinum international success for nearly 20 years. To date, the NOW series has generated sales of over 200 million albums worldwide, and has sold almost 70 million copies in the United States since its debut, remaining the only non-soundtrack, multi-artist series to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

NOW chart & sales history:

NOW 1 (October 1998, platinum)

NOW 2 (July 1999, double platinum)

NOW 3 (December 1999, double platinum)

NOW 4 (July 2000, the first compilation ever to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, double platinum)

NOW 5 (November 2000, quadruple platinum)

NOW 6 (April 2001, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, triple platinum)

NOW 7 (July 2001, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, triple platinum)

NOW 8 (November 2001, triple platinum)

NOW 9 (April 2002, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, double platinum)

NOW 10 (July 2002, platinum)

NOW 11 (November 2002, double platinum)

NOW 12 (March 2003, platinum)

NOW 13 (July 2003, platinum)

NOW 14 (April 2004, triple platinum)

NOW 15 (May 2004, double platinum)

NOW 16 (July 2004, triple platinum)

NOW 17 (November 2004, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, double platinum)

NOW 18 (March 2005, platinum)

NOW 19 (July 2005, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, double platinum)

NOW 20 (November 2005, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, double platinum)

NOW 21 (April 2006, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, double platinum)

NOW 22 (July 2006, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, platinum)

NOW 23 (November 2006, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, double platinum)

NOW 24 (March 2007, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, platinum)

NOW 25 (July 2007, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, platinum)

NOW 26 (November 2007, platinum)

NOW 27 (March 2008, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, certification pending)

NOW 28 (June 2008, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, certification pending)

NOW That's What I Call Christmas! (October 2001, quintuple platinum)

NOW That’s What I Call Christmas! Vol. 2 (The Signature Collection) (September 2003, double platinum)

NOW That’s What I Call Christmas! Vol. 3 (October 2006, platinum)

Media Contacts:

Regina Stuve, Universal Music Group Nashville, regina.stuve@umusic.com or 615-524-7543

Chris Melancon, Sony BMG Nashville, chris.melancon@sonybmg.com or 615-301-4300

Ann Inman, Capitol Records Nashville, ann.inman@emimusic.com or 615-269-2071