31 Facts About NME

In September 2015, the NME magazine was relaunched to be distributed nationally as a free publication.

NME was acquired in 2019 by Singaporean music company BandLab Technologies, which put all of its music publications under the NME Networks brand in December 2021, when the company was restructured.

The NME circulation peaked under Andy Gray with a figure of 306, 881 for the period from January to June 1964.

The paper became engaged in a sometimes tense rivalry with Melody Maker; however, NME sales were healthy, with the paper selling as many as 200, 000 issues per week, making it one of the UK's biggest sellers at the time.

In 1976, NME lambasted German pioneer electronic band Kraftwerk with this title: "This is what your fathers fought to save you from.

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Parsons' time at NME is reflected in his 2005 novel Stories We Could Tell, about the misadventures of three young music-paper journalists on the night of 16 August 1977 – the night Elvis Presley died.

NME responded to the Thatcher era by espousing socialism through movements such as Red Wedge.

NME had appeared on the cover once two years before, in April 1985.

However, sales were dropping, and by the mid-1980s, NME had hit a rough patch and was in danger of closing.

NME was generally thought to be rudderless at this time, with staff pulling simultaneously in a number of directions in what came to be known as the "hip-hop wars".

Some commented at this time that the NME had become less intellectual in its writing style and less inventive musically.

However, this new direction for the NME proved to be a commercial success and the paper brought in new writers such as Andrew Collins, Andrew Harrison, Stuart Maconie, Mary Anne Hobbs and Steve Lamacq to give it a stronger identity and sense of direction.

The NME still covered the indie scene and was involved with a war of words with a new band called Manic Street Preachers, who were criticising the NME for what they saw as an elitist view of bands they would champion.

The series of articles which followed in the next edition of NME (featuring the story on the front cover) soured Morrissey's relationship with the paper, and this led to Morrissey not speaking to the paper again for the next 12 years (i.

In 1995, NME covered these new bands, many of whom played the NME Stage at that year's Glastonbury Festival, where the paper had been sponsoring the second stage at the festival since 1993.

In 2000, Steve Sutherland left to become brand director of the NME, and was replaced as editor by 26-year-old Melody Maker writer Ben Knowles.

In 2001, the NME reasserted its position as an influence in new music, and helped to introduce bands including the Strokes, the Vines, and the White Stripes.

Later, Arctic Monkeys became the standard-bearers of the post-Libertines crop of indie bands, being both successfully championed by the NME and receiving widespread commercial and critical success.

In October 2006, NME launched an Irish version of the magazine called NME Ireland.

In February 2015, it was reported that the NME was in discussions about removing the cover price and becoming a free publication.

Free NME launched on 18 September 2015, with Rihanna on the cover.

Free, pop-oriented NME magazine was praised for reconnecting NME with its target audience, and was awarded a silver at the 2016 Professional Publishers Association Awards for its historic first-ever cover as a free title, featuring Rihanna.

Editor in Chief Mike Williams received the Editor Of The Year Award at the BSME Awards 2016, the judges stating that under Williams' leadership, NME had "bounced back from an uncertain future and established itself confidently and creatively in a new market.

In 2021, the NME became the main brand for the music publishing division of Caldecott Music Group, when BandLab Technologies was reorganised.

NME relaunched and redeveloped the title in September 2005 and the focus was migrated towards video, audio and the wider music community.

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The following month, NME launched its first iPad app, dedicated to Jack White.

In 2015, NME appointed Charlotte Gunn as digital editor, replacing Greg Cochrane.

NME Awards is an awards show held every year to celebrate the best new music of the past year.

In 2002, the NME started publishing a series of themed magazines reprinting vintage articles, interviews and reviews from its archives.

The most recent issue of NME Originals was published in 2005, as these themed archive magazines have been issued under the Uncut associated titles The Ultimate Music Guide and Ultimate Genre Guide instead.

The NME brand was put under a new division called NME Networks, which includes Uncut magazine, Guitar.