Now that’s what i call music 961 min read

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 96 is a compilation album released on November 17, 1998 in the United States. The album was the twenty-sixth edition of the Now! series and featured hit singles from the latter half of 1998.

Now That’s What I Call Music! 96 features seventeen tracks, including hits from artists such as the Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Elton John, and Will Smith. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the fifth consecutive compilation album from the series to do so. It was eventually certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold over 4 million copies in the United States.

Critical reception to Now That’s What I Call Music! 96 was mixed. AllMusic’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album two-and-a-half out of five stars, praising the inclusion of the Backstreet Boys and Carey while criticizing the album for being "predictable".

Now That’s What I Call Music! 96 spawned two singles: "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys and "Thank God I Found You" by Mariah Carey featuring Joe and 98 Degrees. The former became the group’s fourth number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the latter topped the chart in the United States and peaked at number three in the United Kingdom.