Music news - The magazines that shaped the music industry
Arts & Entertainment → Books & Music
- Author Tuppence Maranovna
- Published February 12, 2011
- Word count 590
Music news as we know it today developed out of the early magazines that caught onto the growth of the popular music industry early on in the 20th Century. Melody Maker was one of the first, introducing itself in 1926 (around the same time that the first electric guitars and amplifiers began to emerge) and targeting musicians. However, as music became more and more popular the music magazines of the day began to target the general public and the introduction of new, rival magazines hit the shelves.
The 1950s is when the real battle started with Melody Maker going head to head with the new kids in town, the NME, an amalgamation of previous titles Musical Express and Accordion Weekly by new owner and music promoter Maurice Kinn. Previously more interested in jazz, Melody Maker was a late convert to the advent of rock and roll, but as the sixties swung in favour of bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the ground was set for big readership figures for both publications.
The 1960s also saw the coming of more politicised voices to the publication of music news with the launch of the Berkley Barb in 1965 and Rolling Stone in 1967. Criticism of the Vietnamese war, the publication of Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the counterculture revolution of the 1960s sat next to The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix and Jim Morrison cover stories.
This political edge to music publication didn’t reach the British music news until the late 1970s with the dawning of the age of punk. However, the early 70s saw the introduction of a new rival, Sounds, which quickly became one of the three music weekly magazines to generate good levels of readership. It’s edge came from its ability to see the credibility of new musical movements like Punk early on.
The 1980s would see a mixed bag of journalism in the music industry, with the hip-hop wars affecting the NME and a more populist standpoint reigning at Melody Maker until its intellectual renaissance in 1986. However, it would be the 90s that would see the story of modern British music journalism come to a head. The rise of Britpop and the introduction & success of monthly magazines Q (1986) and Mojo (1993) left Melody Maker without a clear audience or direction, and so in 2000 is ceased publication, merging with its long time rival NME, while Sounds bit the dust nearly a decade earlier in 1991.
The 2000s were left to NME and despite its ropey start to the decade, it would eventually find its footing again with bands like White Stripes, The Strokes and The Libertines. However, with readership dropping fast to just over a tenth of its hey-day 300,000 circulation, publications like NME have pumped significant investment into their online music news to compensate.
With the arrival of a new decade, it’s hard to say that any of the remaining music magazines are doing anything particularly trailblazing, but then neither is the music industry as a whole. With the nation locked into the X-Factor culture, genuinely credible new music often finds it difficult to break out of the underground world that it too often resides. The death of Top of the Pops in 2006 meant that the only music to be played on terrestrial television in the UK during prime time viewing was based around one talent contest or another. With circulation figures so low, maybe it’s time for the icons of music news to take back what they have spent decades helping to create.
Tuppence Magazine delivers music news, film, books, computer games, food & drink, politics, theatre, comedy, art and fashion news & reviews from its entertainment news UK website - dedicated to writing about the best entertainment news online.
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
There are no posted comments.
Related articles
- Music And Identity: Exploring The Role Of Music In Shaping Culture And Identity
- Blast Off into Adventure: 15 Must-Read Science Fiction Books!
- Blast Off into the Exciting Universe of Sci-Fi: 20 Reasons Why We Love It!
- Exploring the Galaxy: What Sets Sci-Fi Apart from Fantasy?
- Exploring Romance in Fantasy and Sci-Fi: What's the Deal with Clean vs. Explicit Romance?
- Unleashing Your Inner Wordsmith: A Guide to Becoming a Great Author in the Fantasy and Science Fiction Genre
- Why I Prefer Character Driven Fantasy and SciFi Books
- Biography of Justin Sharkar
- Beat Swing: A Fusion of Tradition and Innovation
- How to include God the Father in our daily lives.
- Nurturing the Mind: Exploring “Bedlam in Paris” and the Path to Healthy Mental Escapes
- How Listening To Music Enhances Your Workout
- The Power of Music - Choosing the Right Wedding Entertainment
- What is a good song to say goodbye at a funeral?
- Facebook Video Download for iPhone: A Comprehensive Guide
- About the book titled The Inside of Indian Sculpture.
- Facebook Video Downloader with Link: Your Ultimate Guide
- The Art and Essence of Photography: A Review of Bruce Barnbaum's Books
- Kicking It With Eve Nadel Catarevas, Author of RENA GLICKMAN, QUEEN OF JUDO
- "Windows" by Clyde: A Promising Prelude to the Upcoming "Baby Steps" Project
- Swedish Rapper "ScamGodMillionaire" Sets Japanese Music Scene Ablaze
- 6 acts who nailed the dreaded sophomore album
- A Creative Writer: Breathing life into words
- Vox AI Review - Unleashing the Power of Artificial Intelligence
- From Concrete Jungle to Southern Reign: Tracing the Demise of NY Hip Hop and the Southern Domination in Rap
- The Marvelous World of Cigar Box Guitars: A Testament to Creativity and Musical Ingenuity
- Beyond Hogwarts: Discovering the Diversity of Fantasy Fiction Authors
- Why Does Exploration Fantasy Works The Best?
- Why You Need To Read Escapism Fantasy?
- Why Are Characters So Important In Fantasy Novels?