NME

New Musical Express, commonly known as NME, is a prominent British brand. It covers music, film, gaming, and various aspects of culture.

Originally founded as a newspaper in 1952, it was often called a "rock inkie." This term described its tabloid-style newsprint format. Over many decades, NME evolved into a magazine and a digital webzine. Today, the brand encompasses several different platforms. These include the NME Awards show and the NME Tours. It also previously included a dedicated radio station.

The publication has a unique history of saving itself from closure. In 1952, a music promoter named Maurice Kinn purchased the Accordion Times and Musical Express. He paid £1,000 for the publication. He completed this purchase just 15 minutes before the paper was scheduled to close. After the purchase, it was relaunched as the New Musical Express. Under the editor Ray Sonin, the paper began providing artist interviews and industry gossip. On 14 November 1952, NME created the first UK Singles Chart. This list featured the top twelve best-selling singles. The staff compiled this data by checking sales in regional stores across the United Kingdom. The first number one song was "Here in My Heart" by Al Martino.

NME has experienced several distinct eras of musical focus. During the 1960s, the paper championed emerging British pop groups. It frequently featured famous artists like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones on its covers. The paper also hosted the NME Poll Winners' Concert between 1959 and 1972. These events allowed readers to vote for their favorite artists. From 1964, these concerts were filmed and broadcast on British television. In the 1970s, the paper shifted its focus toward rock and punk. Editors like Alan Smith and Nick Logan recruited new writers to cover the underground scene. This helped NME become a gateway to the rebellious world of glamrock and punk.

The 1970s also saw the rise of specific influential writers. Journalists such as Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons became famous for their coverage of punk. They wrote about bands like the Sex Pistols and X-Ray Spex.

This era brought a new, energetic tone to the publication. In 1978, editor Neil Spencer oversaw a redesign of the paper. This redesign included a new logo that is still used today in a modified form. The paper also became more political during this time. It often took a socialist stance, especially following the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979.

In the 1980s, NME became a major force in the music industry. It released several influential cassette compilations, such as C81 and C86. The C81 tape was released in 1981 in partnership with Rough Trade Records. It featured many up-and-coming bands, including Aztec Camera and Orange Juice. Between 1981 and 1988, the magazine released a total of 36 different cassette compilations. However, the mid-1980s were a difficult period for the publication. The staff faced internal disagreements known as the "hip-hop wars." Some editors wanted to cover hip hop, while others preferred to focus on rock music. This lack of direction caused the magazine to lose readers to competitors like The Face.

NME has seen significant shifts in its circulation and format over time. In 1964, during the height of The Beatles' fame, circulation reached 306,881 copies. In 2006, the NME website had 1.6 million users worldwide. The magazine also saw a major resurgence in 2015 when it was relaunched as a free publication. In February 2016, it achieved its highest average circulation of 307,217 copies per week. This figure surpassed the previous record set in 1964. In 2018, the publisher announced the print edition would stop publishing to focus on online content. However, the print edition was revived in July 2023 as a bimonthly release.

Today, NME is part of a larger corporate structure. In 2019, the brand was acquired by the Singaporean company BandLab Technologies. In December 2021, the company restructured and placed its music publications under the NME Networks brand. This transition reflects how music media has moved from physical newsprint to digital networks. The brand continues to connect fans to the evolving worlds of music, film, and gaming. It remains a significant name in the history of British cultural journalism.