Disc (magazine)

Disc was a weekly British popular music magazine, published between 1958 and 1975, when it was incorporated into Record Mirror. It was also known for periods as Disc Weekly (1964–1966) and Disc and Music Echo (1966–1972).

Background

It first published on 8 February 1958, with the main competition being Record Mirror. It gained a reputation for its emphasis on pop music as reflected in the music charts, in comparison with its more music-industry-focused rivals Melody Maker and New Musical Express.[1][2] Its pop music charts were based on its own sample of shops, initially no more than 25 in number, but expanding to about 100 by the mid-1960s. It also awarded silver discs (for UK sales of 250,000) and gold discs (for UK sales of 1,000,000) from 1959 until 1973. Awards were based on sales figures submitted by record companies. In 1973, Disc's awards were superseded by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) setting up an 'official' certification award system.[3] It was renamed Disc Weekly between 5 December 1964 and 16 April 1966.[4]

In 1966, it was incorporated with Music Echo magazine, which had itself previously taken over Mersey Beat. The new magazine was known as Disc and Music Echo (with the name "Disc" shown more prominently on the masthead),[2] from 23 April 1966. Unlike the other weekly magazines of the time, it featured colour photos on its front and back pages.[5] According to journalist Jon Savage, it featured "bang-up-to-the-minute news stories on the front page, race-track-style chart rundowns ... a contentious readers' postbag... and incisive singles reviews by the great Penny Valentine".[1] In June 1966, it was the first magazine to feature, in colour, the notorious Beatles "butcher" cover for the U.S. album Yesterday and Today, under the headline "Beatles: What a Carve-up".[6]

Contributors to the magazine included Jack Good in the early 1960s and, later in the decade, John Peel. It dropped the name Music Echo from its title in 1972, and continued to be published until 30 August 1975, when it merged with Record Mirror.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 Jon Savage, The magazine explosion, The Guardian, 6 September 2009
  2. 1 2 Rock's Back Pages magazine archive
  3. ↑ Smith, Alan. "UK First Charts & Silver Discs". Dave McAleer's website. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  4. 1 2 The British pop charts at SixtiesCity
  5. ↑ Disc front page, 25 December 1971
  6. ↑ The Beatles "butcher" cover
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