Weekly > Features
The Death Of The NME?
A lot of the younger people reading this feature won’t remember this and probably don’t believe it, but years ago the NME used to be a good read, informative and more than anything cutting edge.
Two real things have happened though to spoil the NME.
The first thing is that it’s nearest and dearest rival has now been defunct for a number of years, the death of Melody Maker inadvertently caused the death of the NME as we know it. It no longer had any weekly competition and with a monopoly on the market it has been able to turn itself into the lowest common denominator music magazine in order to appeal to the youth (no Smash Hits anymore don’t forget either) but in particular young teenagers.
The second thing that has changed is that NME is no longer just a music magazine with music lovers writing it. The NME is now a global brand and its sole purpose is growing the brand. It’s lost it’s rock n’ roll edge and has sold its readers down the river in order to chase the dollar, the yen, the pound and any other currency it can get it’s hands on. Ironically the one thing that the magazine used to hate was bands doing exactly the same thing!
The finest example of how it has allowed itself to be watered down and incorporated into the mainstream is the NME Awards, which are now sponsored by multi million dollar Shockwaves and are no longer called The Brats.
I can remember in the 90’s when it started (I think), it was positioned as the cool alternatives to The Brit Awards, where less commercial bands were to be rewarded and the awards would represent the diversity that exists in British music, something that at the time ( and still doesn’t really) didn’t happen with The Brits.
As the NME brand has expanded and grown though and they’ve ‘dumbed down’ the content of the magazine, they’ve also displayed an insatiable appetite for producing the next big band or scene, these things no longer develop naturally, they are cultivated by the NME for their own ends. The end result of this is that the NME Awards now reflect the groups that they have catapulted into the mainstream and ‘made’.
Weblinks
Add to favouritesThe sad thing now is if you look at The Brit Awards nominations and winners and put them alongside The NME Awards this year, it’s like two twin brothers being reunited. The very awards ceremony that the NME set up to oppose all those years ago, they now find they have turned into. So Muse, Kate Nash, Arctic Monkeys (pictured who won three awards), The Enemy, Klaxons and The Killers, are all half decent acts that were either winners or nominated at The Brits…but are actual winners with the NME, hardly alternative to the mainstram is it?
It’s a shame when this happens to what was at one point a vital institution in the music industry, but that’s commercialism for you. We challenged the Brit Awards a few weeks ago over their awards and ceremony, but surely the NME and it’s readers must be even more embarrassed looking back on this…Wembley Stadium, Best Music Venue – need I say more?
Have your say...
Comment Permalink | Sascha Boehm said:
Too true Kev!
I still find myself buying the thing but totally agree with you there.
Everything they promote, revolves around those very bands that they have ‘created’
(TBC)
Comment Permalink | Sascha Boehm said:
The NME tours are always a vehicle for the ‘next big things’ and the latest one I covered was just that.
Bands are ridiculed to the point of their careers nose-diving, they have that much influence still.
(TBC)
Comment Permalink | Sascha Boehm said:
I think these topical features are good and should be as much a part of the Beat Surrender as music reviews. Let me know if there are any other subjects that need covering. Let’s slowly try and right some wrongs!!!
Comment Permalink | Kev said:
Cheers Sascha, I’m glad to see the feature has struck a chord with you.
Does anybody else have any views on the NME?
Comment Permalink | Keachy said:
the nme is a joke, the music they promote is dismissed by them within a number of weeks, the format of the magazine is shit(much like shoot/match) with more on advertising than looking at a number of different music genres.
Comment Permalink | Keachy said:
or may be its always been like this, and its only now that im fast approaching the big 30 do i see the truth before me.
Comment Permalink | Keachy said:
next issue can we slag off Q, and the pointless top 100’s they do?
Comment Guidlines
You must be logged in to post a comment. Go Login or Register first.
We waffle on enough without letting you lot do it too. Comments are limited to 300 characters.
Try and keep on topic if you can and no insulting the contributors. All hate mail can be addressed to Kev.