Music magazines: the 30 best music magazines in history and today (rock, electronic, classical...)
If you are a music lover and do not discriminate between music genres, that means you can appreciate the historical and cultural value that music magazines represent. To highlight the most important music magazines in genres such as rock, EDM and jazz, we invite you to continue reading this entry.
Cultural journalism: What is it, characteristics and tasks of a cultural journalist in Mexico and Spain
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Table of Contents
Rock
Starting with the heavy genre, in this section of music magazines we name the music magazines in Spain and the world that are the most important today.
1.Mojo
The news of music is uncovered in Mojo, a British magazine that navigates between classic rock and pop. It has been in force since 1993, and stands out for its lightly written music articles and reveals its great research capacity. it is noted that
Mojo circulates monthly and has remained current because it can cover the classic, the nostalgic, and also a large part of modern popular culture, which cannot go unnoticed. Its pages give readers interesting stories, they focus on music to Comprehensive reports, offer excellent recommendations, iconic photographs and interviews worthy of high-class music journalism. It is one of the strongest magazines and it is in the UK.
2. Rockdelux
In this list of great music magazines is Rockdelux, the Spanish music magazine that has no musical prejudice, despite the fact that its name indicates that it can offer luxury rock material. In 1984, the Spanish music magazine began to circulate on paper to be "witness, loudspeaker and, often, also protagonist of the most innovative, open and transgressive musical scenes and trends" in the nation, but in 2020 it went to the digital world of far-reaching; until then it printed 394 numbers.
As the company says, in its online stage it has made room for national and international hip hop, as well as "electronic, rock, trap, avant-garde music, reggaeton, pop and world music." Likewise, they took part in the showbiz and make reviews of the trending movies, TV, comics and series; the “more transgressive and less academic” literature also lives in Rockdelux.
3. Rock Sound Magazine
In 1999, the United Kingdom saw the arrival of Rock Sound Magazine, one of the rock magazines that quickly gained popularity thanks to its coverage of underground and less commercial music; It has been in charge of bringing readers select and fresh content that is not easily found in other magazines of the genre.
In addition, it is considered by many to be the best of the English magazines for its reviews of all styles of rock. It also tackles other genres like metal, punk, hardcore, emo, indie and darkwave. Rock Sound's goal is for readers to "discover the best new music before anyone else."
4. Rockcore
Famous and underground Russian songs will always be in Rockcor, Russia's first illustrated magazine focusing on rock music, published in 1991; since then it became very popular among the young audience that loves the genre.
For more than 30 years it has been listed as one of the most stable music websites. Its operating core is classic rock and roll and metal subgenres such as black and death; critics, reviews, curiosities and exclusive interviews with musicians of caliber are also part of the backbone of Rockcor, a magazine that has also become well known in several European Union countries.
5. Revolver Magazine
The music of the 2000s began to play and, in the midst of all the pop, Revolver Magazine arrived to position itself as "the loudest rock magazine" that the world has ever known. The American monthly magazine has been characterized by publishing all the content related to hard rock and heavy metal.
The magazine's content is upbeat, hooking heavy rock fans with its variety of interviews and covers that focus on new releases from the hottest bands and artists at the moment. Likewise, it addresses the underground subcultures, the emerging ones and those of heavy metal and punk.
Revolver also does instrument reviews and has a dedicated space for readers to get advice from various celebrities, a section for readers to get advice from personalities from the world of rock and metal.
Pop
This is perhaps the largest part of the list of music magazines, since pop culture has been the most dominant and gave birth to several major music magazines.
6. Rolling Stone
The first time that Rolling Stone was seen as a printed magazine was in 1967, when it circulated with the cover of the iconic John Lennon. From the 1990s onwards, the magazine outshone the various newspaper and magazine promotions; It certainly led the top music magazines for several years thanks to its striking red letters and the way it has communicated with the public.
Pop culture became Rolling Stone's raison d'être, but the magazine not only stayed with popular music, but also began to talk about shows and television series, showing the best scoops and interviews with important Hollywood stars and, In addition, politics is also his strong point.
Another relevant aspect is his provocative photographs, the covers with prominent figures from training and politics, as well as his renowned Tops, where he brings together the best of the best.
7. Billboard
Just like Rolling Stone, Billboard has been one of the music magazines that has had the greatest impact on the history of music worldwide. What began in 1894 as an advertising-oriented publication that sought to release the industry's top news while being "dedicated to the interests of advertisers and advertising agents" became a pop culture landmark.
In its beginnings, the covers announced carnivals, fairs and different attractions (such as burlesque) that were latent in the late 1800s and early 1900s. However, by 1960 it had completely become a magazine that shared stories, news and music reviews.
He went from print to digital and focused on artists and "recordings and music playback equipment." Billboard is read in more than 100 countries and has established itself as one of the best online music magazines where the biggest stars of showbiz appear.
8. Pitchfork
In the digital age, Pitchfork is one of the best allies of music lovers. The magazine, which was born in 1995, launches to the public all the musical news they need to know without incurring spam. It hasn't had a printed version, but that didn't keep it from becoming one of the most outstanding music journalism magazines in the US market.
Pitchfork has a broad spectrum approach, so it's likely to cover all music categories if required. Likewise, the digital magazine gives space to emerging artists to the same extent that it gives prominence to the most important stars of the moment.
In addition, it covers shows and a variety of events; knows how to put new artists of all genres on the radar, invites reflection, informs in a timely manner, and has the power to give ratings (from 1 to 10) to musical projects, a fact as controversial as it is celebrated.
9. The FADER
New York mag The FADER was founded in 1999, with the idea of being a DJ mag that would compete with "for whites and for blacks" mags, so it would basically fall somewhere in between. However, he decided to take the course of writing about music in general with good stories and neat documentary photography.
In fact, it had two versions, one more oriented to hip hop, and the other to indie rock. In the 2000s, The FADER already had a fixed north and positioned itself as a magazine that did not grow in colors or segregations; he only focused on showing the music for all people.
Today, The FADER is not only one of the best music magazines, but also a fashion, lifestyle, and pop culture benchmark that sees no boundaries between musical genres and races.
10.Consequence
In 2007, Consequence (formerly Consequence of Sound) was born, an online magazine based in Chicago and New York, calling itself "the missing link between mainstream pop culture and the underground." It is one of the music magazines that has amassed millions of readers both for its reliable sources, and for its accuracy and character in terms of music, film and television, and the other digital elements of the 21st century.
Consequence deftly navigates pop culture and other arts industries. It is also characterized by having constant content on its website, where readers can choose to listen to the podcasts or read the detailed and entertaining interviews, reviews and investigations.
11.NME Magazine
In 1952 it came to light as New Musical Express, a London tabloid that went unnoticed alongside other print entertainment media. However, luck smiled on NME at the end of that year, after publishing its first UK Singles Chart, a list of the twelve best-selling indie rock singles in the different stores in the United Kingdom.
That was the beginning of its days of being one of the most prominent and controversial music magazines in the UK, with dominance in the area of music, film and popular culture. Finally, in 1996 it became a digital medium and, in turn, continued to distribute its printed numbers until 2018.
The following year, in 2019, the magazine celebrated the opening of its headquarters in Australia as a digital medium, with the aim of covering interviews, album releases, etc. In addition, it has its own awards, the NME Awards, which reward the best music played in a year.
12. Classic Pop Magazine
Classic Pop Magazine is one of the youngest music magazines on this list, having first been printed in 2016, the year iconic British singer David Bowie died; for this reason Classic Pop Magazine launched its first February-March issue with Bowie's face on the cover, to pay tribute to the singer of Lazarus.
Like the other names on this list, Classic Pop Magazine covers different music genres and pop subgenres (such as synthpop), compiles music interest lists, has a deep admiration for Bowie in its content, creates album reviews and has special sections. Q&A to connect with readers. It is a slightly nostalgic but pleasant magazine that moves through the classic roots of pop.
classic
Incredible as it may sound, classical music has major music magazines that proudly showcase the music genre.
13. BBC Music Magazine / Classical-Music
BBC Music Magazine, which comes to life on the page of Classical-Musical is a London monthly magazine that focuses solely on classical music, and was launched in 1992 as a subsidiary of BBC Worldwide and Warner Music Enterprises in its early years. existence.
Since 2012, the news and entertainment content has been edited by Immediate Media Company, a British media and software platform company. On the other hand, Classical-Music also has an American edition, which was published in March 1993 for the first time.
BBC Music Magazine is based on the production of BBC Radio 3, but exclusively creates content on classical music and its history through the years, jazz and other subgenres of world classical music.
14. VAN Magazine
VAN is another of the young magazines on this list, it is independent and has its beginnings in 2019. The German magazine is projected as a lover of "strong personalities and radical points of view" that is responsible for covering "from the first documented music to the latest world premieres”, but his forte is classical music.
In fact, his name honors Ludwig van Beethoven, the leader of classicism and the character who gave rise to the musical romantic movement. VAN Magazine releases two articles monthly for free, so users can subscribe to receive updates.
An interesting fact about this magazine about classical music is that it has the support of the Julius Baer Bank of Switzerland (or Julius Baer Group), which has a financial support program for cultural journalism in digital format, so that it can reach an international scale. .
15. Journal of Music
Journalnale della Musica (The Music Newspaper) was born as an Italian cultural newspaper in 1985 with the idea of reporting on musical and cultural events, while they began to review and analyze a variety of records, Italian music of the 60s , concerts, operas and festivals that were making people talk in Italy and the world.
Likewise, the Journalnale della Musica was in charge of educating its readers politically and musically, giving space to the protagonists of classical, contemporary, jazz and world music, without neglecting Italian and international pop.
In 2015, The Music Newspaper went digital and became the first Italian website dedicated to all music. Two years later, it presented a more refreshing image and a more optimized site, available for mobile devices. Currently, this magazine is one of the points of reference in the world of Italian music.
16. Rhythm
Another of the classical music magazines on this list is Rimo, who wishes 1929 has been a portal and one of the old Spanish music magazines that has focused on informing about the world of classical music.
Ritmo describes itself as an "Internet portal of information and services for fans of classical music." This is one of the music magazines in Spain that has its own club, and describes it as a “meeting space for classical music fans” that provides “exclusive information services”.
On the other hand, Ritmo informs readers about the news of Spanish music in its current affairs section, and what differentiates it from other complete Spanish music magazines is that it maintains a constant rhythm of information on classical music and, in addition, coexists with the digital and print world.
Jazz
In this section we list the most outstanding jazz music magazines that have spread the culture of jazz.
17. Jazz Times
Among the leading jazz magazines is JazzTimes, which was first published in 1970 to provide "comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the jazz scene" and has been described as "often controversial, always entertaining, ( …) a favorite of musicians and fans alike.”
Its other name is “America's Jazz Magazine”; It is characterized by offering readers journalistic articles that address topics related to jazz at an international level.
In addition, it has on its page a variety of reviews on albums and the most outstanding music, as well as high-quality historical photographs, review columns and special sections dedicated to different jazz instruments.
18. Aquarium Drunkard
Aquarium Drunkard(AD) started in 2005 in Los Angeles and bills itself as “an eclectic audio journal” that focuses on daily reviews, interviews and features, with room for podcasts and listening sessions as well. AD is in charge of unifying contemporary sounds “with psychology, jazz, avant-garde, folk, garage, funk” and a number of other musical genres.
Aquarium Drunkard has been writing about music and culture for about 16 years, funding his research and page maintenance with support from Patreon subscribers, a micro-marketplace for creatives and projects.
With those subscriptions, readers will be able to receive the premium content that cannot be seen on the page.
19.Downbeat Magazine
From Chicago comes Downbeat Magazine, one of the best-known jazz magazines in the world that makes you discard the idea that this genre is music for fashion stores. Downbeat has been in circulation for more than 80 years, and year after year it has received recognition for its work in the musical genre; in fact, in 2016 and 2017 it was named “Jazz Publication of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association.
Downbeat Magazine is known for its wide-ranging and in-depth articles, quality reviews, accurate news, and is also well known for its annual critics poll it conducts each year; the 68th edition was given in 2020.
20.Jazz Magazine
You probably won't find any French electronic music group in Jazz Magazine, but what you can know is that this magazine is the main reference for jazz music in France. Founded in 1950, Jazz Magazine is responsible for covering the most important news and stories that laid the foundations of jazz.
Since 2009, it has established itself as the most important print publication in France after absorbing the monthly magazine Jazzman, which also had a long history in this world. In its digital covers, you can see the 50 best jazz singers of all time or also a historical overview of how Be-bop and hip hop were influenced by jazz music.
electronics
Electronic music, like the different genres on this list of music magazines, has various representations in the digital age that are responsible for spreading the EDM movement.
21. We Rave You
This electronic music magazine has its roots in Israel and was founded in 2012, to become one of the leading media platforms for electronic music and its subgenres.
We Rave You, which has a worldwide following, is divided between a website and an electronic magazine that hosts a variety of content related to events, dance and electronic music festivals. It also reviews albums, a famous electronic song, and displays informative content that is distributed on its multimedia platforms, such as YouTube, Spotify, and Instagram.
Also, the magazine, as a brand, participates in the organization of EDM events around the world. He is also in charge of advising and managing various artists in the electronic music scene.
22. Orbit Magazine
If you like the electronic music of the 80s, it means that you still follow the EDM trends, and Órbita Magazine is the preferred option, as it keeps its readers always updated on everything related to festivals in Spain, the moves of the deejays , the coolest parties and also reports on the latest in sound, fashion trends and the lifestyle of this musical trend.
In addition to being one of Spain's leading music magazines in EDM, it also places readers on fashion trends and urban music. In Órbita Magazine there are reviews, interviews and reports on emerging and established artists of electronic music from Spain and the world.
23.Dancing Astronaut
Dancing Astronaut is considered the “voice of the EDM generation”. The digital platform was founded in 2009 to keep the global electronic music community informed.
Dancing Astronaut sees itself as “an evolving platform” that supports dance/electronic music and culture. Likewise, he assures that it is the representation of “the identity, the community and the global human connection” of EDM. On the other hand, the American magazine maintains that it is the editorial voice of the genre and is "a reflection of culture and an independent source of content."
24. DJMag.com
In 1991, the bold red letters burst onto the electronic music scene and became one of the most prominent trademarks of EDM. With more than 30 years of experience, DJMag was born with the idea of "reflecting the emerging scene of electronic music in the United Kingdom" and, today, is a global multimedia brand.
DJ Mag is translated into ten languages every month and has been awarded the » in the Music, videos, interviews, technology and reviews regarding electronic music are deposited at DJMag. The magazine has been awarded “Best Music Magazine” at the International Dance Music Awards 17 times, which is a record for the magazine. In addition, she is well known for her influential surveys such as "Top 100 DJs" and "Top 100 Clubs", which have given her all the credibility.
25.EDM World Magazine
“The Heart of Electronic Music” is EDM World Magazine, an EDM magazine app that has amassed over 27,000 downloads across the iOs App Store and Android Play Store.
EDMWM was conceived in 2002 and launched in 2013 with the goal of “providing two different views of the magazine” for readers, while allowing them to stay on top of EDM trends with reviews, stories, and news highlights. The first is an interactive magazine with an amazing design for mobile devices, while the other version is a light text and easy to read.
Hip hop
It is no coincidence that red is the predominant color in aggressive and flashy hip hop; In this entry we list the most outstanding magazines of the genre.
26. Hip Hop DX Magazine
In 1999, HipHopDX Magazine, an online magazine specializing in reviews, Top, criticism and news regarding hip hop music, hit the streets. This magazine has been awarded on different occasions for being one of the most solid referents of the genre, and has been cataloged on occasions as "the best online Hip Hop site".
The most controversial and important news of the hip hop scene are written in HipHopDX Magazine. In addition, she is well known for her reviews of emerging albums and the way she analyzes the most prominent rappers. In 2020, Warner Music Group acquired the online site.
27. The Source
Hip hop and sports have always gone hand in hand and that is something that The Source is clear about. The online magazine, which was founded in 1988 and has been a strong point of the genre ever since, promoting hip hop culture, fashion, sports and lifestyle based on this movement.
The Source features top album reviews, female and male rap acts, news, and top stories dealing with artists and singers mostly from the African-American community.
28.XXL
Like its peers, XXL Magazine is a magazine dedicated to hip hop and all the culture that revolves around the genre. Founded in 1997, XXL debuted on the streets with a double cover featuring the iconic Jay Z and Master P.
The digital magazine specializes in news, reviews, videos and all the special content that has to do with hip hop. In addition, it is well known for presenting special editions that bring together the biggest stars of the genre.
29. The HYPE Magazine
In 2001, The HYPE Magazine came out, a magazine dedicated to the world of hip hop that has an online edition, a print edition and a talk show on the radio. Basically, it became a cross-platform that spreads knowledge about hip hop culture and its trends.
According to the company, The HYPE Magazine focuses on coverage of entertainment, fashion, "new trends and the influence of music in our world." It also ensures that the direction of its content points directly to people who are influenced by music. "They are the people who do not think outside the box, but who forget the box," reads their motto.
30. Hip Hop Life Magazine
Since 2009, hip hop and rap in Spanish has been represented by Hip Hop Life Magazine, a digital magazine that specializes in urban culture. If there are rock magazines in Spain, of course there is room for a magazine that worships hip hop.
Hip Hop Life Magazine has its printed magazine and also the digital version, where I talk about the most famous concerts, hip hop fashion, trends, and presents the most popular videos of the genre. It also allows the reader to have access to the most important stories, reviews and news in urban culture.
With the arrival of technology, physical magazines such as the Super Pop magazine of the 80s or the Top music magazine went into the background, but this has happened with many others that stopped being printed, since the Internet was enough for an innumerable amount of music magazines that have evolved over the years. In short, in this list of music magazines we went through the different genres, we talked about rock magazines from Spain and the world, as well as jazz magazines and the most important pop magazines.
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