Top of the Pops magazine is a monthly glossy publication published by BBC Magazines. It features chart information, star gossip, fashion and beauty advice, quizzes, song lyrics and posters. It is a supplementary magazine for the TV show Top of the Pops.
The magazine was launched in February 1995, and is famous for giving the famous girl group the Spice Girls their nicknames. Alongside a revamp of the TV show. It was originally marketed as the missing link between Smash Hits and NME, but its format was gradually changed, with less music content and a demographic shift to young girls. It is still in publication despite the cancellation of the TV show.
About Smash Hits
Back to the very beginning, Smash Hits the magazine, was founded in 1978 by Nick Logan, creator of The Face and a veteran editor from the halcyon years of the NME.
The first regular issue featured Blondie on the cover and after three issues, in response to massive sales, switched from a monthly to fortnightly publication.
It was during the 1980s that Smash Hits attained ‘phenomenon’ status and helped to launch the careers of high-flying journalists including Heat editor Mark Frith, The Observer’s Miranda Sawyer and Mark Ellen who went on to launch Q, Mojo and The Word. Famously, Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys’ was assistant editor for a time.
During this period, appearing on the cover of Smash Hits was a sign that an act had finally ‘arrived’. Despite iconic status, the magazine never pandered to pop stars; instead editorial deployed an irreverent and witty style – hence references to Dame David Bowie, Sir Clifford of Richard and Fab Macca Wackythumbsaloft
The 1990s were less kind and saw circulation figures drop away in spite of a variety of format redesigns and a change in editorial emphasis towards celebrity and entertainment icons. Even Kate Thornton’s editorial stewardship was unable to reverse decline.
In spite of this reversal in UK magazine fortune (abroad, licensed versions continued to sell strongly), the brand gained recognition and fame for its Poll Winners Party, while the business extended via compilation albums, TV and Digital Radio.
After 28 glorious years, the UK magazine folded in 2006, an era had ended. But Smash Hits on TV and online lives on, giving fans the chance to indulge their pop gland with the UK’s no. 1 Pop Channel.
