Research into music magazines

NME/ The New Musical Express

- UK based, weekly publication- First published March 1952- First British paper to include a singles chart (on 14th November 1952)- During the 1960s the paper was devoted to championing new British groups at the time, in

particular The Beatles and The Rolling Stones- In the early 1970s NME lost ground to rival magazine Melody Maker after failing to keep

pace with the development of rock music- As a result a new editor was appointed (Alan Smith) and the magazine underwent radical

change, transforming from a pop/ showbiz-orientated paper into something hipper, more cynical and funnier than other mainstream British music magazines

- These changes resulted in NME becoming the best selling British music magazine during the 1970s

- In the mid to late 70s, the magazine became associated with gonzo journalism and the punk rock genre, particularly through the writing of Tony Parsons and Julie Burchill

- During the 1980s the paper suffered from a lack of direction, unable to decide between pursuing the hip-hop genre (new to the UK at the time) or sticking with rock music

- Eventually it was able to find direction in the Madchester Scene (music scene that emerged in Manchester in late 80s/ early 90s which mixed indie rock, psychedelic rock and dance music)

- During this time the paper covered new British indie bands- During the mid 90s, after Madchester had died off, the paper shifted to the American grunge

scene, led by groups such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam- As of the March 21, 1998 issue, the paper has no longer been printed on newsprint and

shifted to tabloid size, with full, glossy covers- In the early 2000s the paper again tried broadening its coverage, running stories on hip-hop

acts such as Jay-Z and Missy Elliot, electronic music pioneer Aphex twin and other pop groups e.g. Hear’say and Destiny’s Child

- As in the 80s, this proved unsuccessful and the paper returned to championing British indie rock bands e.g. The Strokes, The Vines, The Libertines and The White Stripes, later Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic Monkeys as part of the “New Rock Revolution”

Rolling Stone Magazine

- US based, bi-weekly publication

- Founded in San Francisco, 1976

- Became known for its political coverage during the 1970s, with the enigmatic and controversial gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson

- The magazine changed its format in the 1990s to appeal to a wider audience, often focusing on young TV/ film actors/ actresses and pop music

- However, following criticism, the magazine has in recent years reverted to original mix of content, including in-depth political stories

- Jann Wenner (original and current editor and publisher): “Rolling Stone is not just about the music, but about the things and attitudes that music embraces”

- The magazine is sometimes criticised for an apparent generational bias towards the 1960s and 70s

Q

- UK based, monthly publication

- Founded 1986

- Was initially designed to target an older generation of music buyers, which the founders believed to be a neglected audience

- Has recently undergone content changes and features more articles on subjects other than music (like Rolling Stone)

MOJO

- UK based, monthly publication

- The sister magazine of Q, founded in November 1993

- Is mainly classic-rock orientated, although it was the first mainstream magazine in the UK to focus heavily on The White Stripes as they were breaking through

Kerrang!

- UK based, weekly publication

- Heavily rock orientated