The Hit Pack can be seen as an extension to the "Hits Compilation series". It was issued by BMG and Sony Music in December 1990 and reached #2 on the UK Top 20 Compilations Chart. The album was unique because it was released as a 21 track single-CD, while the cassette format contained 24 tracks and this fact was promoted in the album's advertising campaign. A year earlier in 1989, Now That's What I Call Music 16 had been advertised as containing 3 bonus tracks, although these were found on the double-CD format.