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" and "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.