Now That's What I Call Music! 43 was released on August 7, 2012. The album is the forty-third edition of the (U.S.) Now series. It peaked at number 1 and 13 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. The compilation includes two songs which reached the Billboard Hot 100: "Call Me Maybe" & "Part of Me".
The cover is inspired by the NOW 81 UK cover released in the same year, but the color was changed to orange instead of the red one.