The OME started as a joke because at one time I used to read the only sane music weekly, the NME, which was a weekly obsession for all music fans in the 70s, having been in the 60s a pop oriented publication which was eclipsed by the Melody Maker. This was reversed in 1972 when, on the verge of closure, the publisher told editor Alan Smith to do something. He did. They went for rebellion, and by the time of punk they and their writers, particularly Nick Kent and Charles Shaar Murray, were pretty much driving the music scene forward at the expense of the MM and Sounds. It was an exciting time – we all dashed to the news stands on Thursdays (or Wednesday night in London). But of course now being a bit past it I’m too often looking back, because I just struggle to keep up with new stuff. How do you even decide what to listen to? My son’s fiancé reckons the old stuff is generally more interesting than the new stuff, so she might even read the OME. And pigs might fly…
I know what you mean. Same thing for me and Smash Hits. Those guys kept it real real.
You actually read Smash Hits?
Psshhh noooooooo. Oh actually, I think I may have a few times. I remember something about stickers. I think the only magazine I read with any regularity was Q.
Only just spotted the fact that top right became ambigious in the 90s.