2. When did it all start?
The first issue of Billboard magazine was
printed in 1894 but it was in 1936 that it
became well known. This gradually evolved
into radio airplay and record sales charts (The
Billboard charts). TBC provided different
music genres and was the foundation for slots
on the radio for programmes like ‘American
Top 40’. The magazine is aimed at music
professionals however, it is available to the
general public.
3. Melody Maker began in 1926 and covered all
aspects of the jazz scene. By the 50’s it had
competition from New Musical Express which
was appealing to more of a younger generation
as it had coverage on the up-and-coming rock n
roll scene. They both offered weekly information
on upcoming record releases. The magazines
had newspaper formats but ‘music inkies’
provided detailed coverage of independent label
artists not mainstream chart music. A glossy
magazine format for Melody Maker was
introduced in 1999 and merged with NME in
2000 which are both owned by IPC media.
4. The music fanzine is said to have emerged in
the 60s from sci-fi and comic related amateur
publications. Crawdaddy and Bomp are
examples in rock folklore today. The arrival of
amateur publications highlights the
relationship between music, fan-based
creativity and the want to manuscript a
‘scene’.
5. In 1967 Rolling Stone magazine was created
and documented music as an important part
in the culture of youth with reflective articles
about music and social change, and the
political concerns about music. Rolling Stone
was less about factual information and more
about the culture of music.
6. The glossy fortnightly magazine Smash Hits was
created in 1978 and was aimed at teens. This
magazine is important to the development of
music because it covered music in a different
way as it was designed as a genre-specific
magazine (pop). Kerrang! was introduced in 1981
and compared to Smash Hits, it is more of a
music orientated magazine. Kerrang!’s monthly
competitor is Metal Hammer. In the 90s genre
specific magazines were produced, like Mixmag
(dance/clubbing music coverage), The Source and
Hip-Hop (hip-hop/rap music) and Classic Rock
(rock music for an older audience).
7. The Face was launched in 1980 by Nick Logan
(ex-editor for Kerrang! And Smash Hits). The Face
was a monthly magazine that offered the
colourful layout of Smash Hits but aimed at a
slightly older audience, embracing music and
also fashion and lifestyle. The layout consisted of
lots of images and detailed articles, pages full of
celebrities, musicians, fashion shoots and
advertising. This magazine stopped being
published in 2004 however it influenced other
magazines such as Q magazine, Mojo and Uncut.
8. In 1980 a monthly magazine called Record
Collector became available which was filled
full of adverts and contained sources of
buying and selling music. It started out as a
glossy A5 publication but in 2003 it
relaunched in full-colour in an A4 magazine
format.
9. Since then, magazines have become less
popular as nowadays ways to get new
information about the music scene is very
easy to do. Most people use the internet and
magazine’s websites to find everything out.
The internet has all the information you need
from CD releases to new artists. You can now
also use the internet to buy magazines.
People can also download music online which
effects CD sales and record shops.
