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First Magazine
The first music magazine was Billboard. The first issue was in 1894. It was issued by William H Donaldson and James Hennegan. It didn’t start as a music magazine but evolved into a magazine containing what the current amusements were like circus’s, film and music. -
First Proper Music Magazine
This is longest running music magazine, BMG or Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar. Founded in 1903 by Clifford Essex. It is very instrument focused and often shows varied acoustic instruments of all kinds. -
Melody Maker
Melody Maker is classed as the first music magazine however. It was founded in 1926 releasing news on dancers and musicians. The first editor was Edgar Jackson. IPC Media was the company to publish the magazine. Its first main focus was Jazz music. -
NME
The first issue of NME or New Musical Express was published in this time. It was a heavy competitor being published weekly ever since 1952. It was the first paper to include a singles chart. -
Rolling Stone
In 1967 the first issue of Rolling Stone was released. It initially wrote about politics and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco by Jann Wenner, she is still the magazines chief editor today. Hunter Thompson, a journalist, is famous for his controversial political reporting in the magazine. -
Smash Hits
Smash Hits first issue started a new era in music magazines advertising a new brand of music, “pop”. It was aimed for people in there youth with its glossy covers and young themes. Most magazines at the time covered several topics but Smash Hits was specific in its music choices. -
The Face
The Face was an influential magazine, spawning the likes of Q, Mojo and Uncut. It was started by ex editor of Kerrang and Smash Hits Nick Logan. The magazine was like Smash Hits but directed at an older audience. It was very detailed in its articles and had lots of images. -
Kerrang!
Kerrang! was similar in the approach of Smash Hits. It was very music orientated. It’s main competitor was Metal Hammer as they both revolved around the genre of Rock and Metal advertising bands like Motorhead and AC/DC. -
Desktop Publishing
This was the year the first desktop publishing software was invented at a community newspaper centre. The invention of this software changed the way people can manufacture, design and create things like music magazines. -
Melody Maker Closes
In 1999, Melody Maker published a new design for there magazine but it wasn’t received well. The magazine shut down and some of the journalists and music reviewers went over to IPC Media’s other magazine NME. -
How many magazines are there?
There is currently over 100 music magazines in circulation in the UK alone. Some say the industry is dying due to the development of the internet. More and more people now read music articles online. -
The Music Industry
The music industry as a whole has taken a dramatic change over the years. Records went to CD’s and now there is the simplicity of getting albums online. You cant really buy records anymore so maybe CD sales will drop as more people convert to the internet.
