Does the UK have a weekly music magazine anymore?

Question

Would anyone agree with me if I said there is a gap in the market for a WEEKLY music paper? I know we still have the NME, but I'm thinking back to the days of Melody Maker, Record Mirror, Smash Hits (I know that was bi-weekly) and Number One... all covering diferent genres of music. Yes, we have the weekly rags such as Heat and the men's mags like Nuts and Zoo as well as the teen girl/kiddies stuff, but where are the mass appeal, for both sexes, music "pop" magazines with chart info etc that don't seem to be there anymore. Maybe there is NO need for them with the internet etc, but your thoughts would be welcomed.

Answer 1

Once teen mags starting having tips on giving bj's I think they all got left behind as being "tame". I read smash hits through 90's at school, an thought is was cool, but these days everything so sexualised. To be fair though the internet makes finding information easier, before you would cross your fingers that lyrics/articles would appear on your fav band, now you can go to their website and find out everything.

Answer 2

Funnily enough there is a magazine called Music Weekly which covers new releases, lists the dates the new releases come out, has comprehensive chart coverage, articles about current recording artists (Pop, Jazz, Classical, R&B, Hip-Hop, Rap etc.)
I think people nowadays are more interested in gossip about stars rather than knowing their chart placings and knowing when their new single/album is released. Just read the answers to some of the other to see the mis-information people answering questions on this site provide!
I used to love Record Mirror, and Alan Jones (Record Mirrors chart guru) does the chart comment and statistics in Music Weekly.
I don't like Heat, Zoo, Closer etc. as I find they are rarely informative, insightful or interesting. Badly produced gutter journalism for the gutter people who buy it.
Not sure if another new weekly magazine would actually be that successful though. Don't most of us now get our information through websites like Google?

Answer 3

Apart from the NME, not really. I think you answered it yourself when you said that it's not needed really so much nowadays with the Internet.

However, "Time Out"'s music section is excellent. If you don't live in London, then 90% of the magazine will be completely useless to you (apart from making you envious and packing up your bags and moving to the Smoke to enter a life of debt and debauchery) but the music section and reviews are obviously pretty much universal. They're good at spotting the next big thing... I remember them profiling the Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand, etc long before they were known by everyone.

You can subscribe to the magazine (go to http://www.timeout.com/magazines/london/ and fill out a subscription) and it comes on your doorstep every Wednesday. At the moment there's a buy one get 8 free deal on, and I believe that you can cancel your subscription at any time.

But I warn you, if you don't live in London, you'll probably end up here after reading the listings ;-)

Answer 4

Note: this is just my opinion I take no responsibility for any offense or disagreement caused.

Well of course there's the NME, but I just don't like that anymore. It's, for want of a better phrase, up it's own *rse. I've never liked its whole attitude with its "this is what we like and this is what we don't and you, dear readers, will agree or f*ck off". And it seems to just invent stuff as opposed to actually reflecting what's actually going on. And it seems to mindlessly try to start fight between bands / genres and try to whip up a storm of controversy about something no one even cares about. I only buy it now for the crossword (which is too easy).

There's Kerrang which used to be rock and metal and now just prints photos of 14 year old girls' cats which they've named after members of My Chemical Romance, and every time I read it I get all worked up and end up shouting "You call that a metal/rock/punk band! I've shat more metal/rock/punk things than that!" and then I get strange looks.

The Guardian music section is usually okay and doesn't bother me in any untoward way, but then nether does it interest me in any untoward way.

I never want to buy magazines like Heat and all that, because I only want the music bit, I don't care which z-lister has knocked up which other z-lister and who was drunk and who did what to who. I don't even know most of the other "celebrities" they feature, anyway.

The internet is fine for news, but it's not the same as a magazine, where you flick through it and something you otherwise wouldn't read catches your eye.

Bring back Melody Maker I say.

Answer 5

I kn ow aht you mean. I used to get Melody Maker. A much better musicpaper than NME. Shame its gone.

Answer 6

Nick I do agree with you. I use to get Melody maker. Now days there is a gap

Answer 7

no