Editing NME (section)

==History==
The paper was established in 1952.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Helen Davies|title=All Rock and Roll Is Homosocial: The Representation of Women in the British Rock Musical Press |journal=Gender and Sexuality|date=October 2001 |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=301–319 |jstor=853623}}</ref> The ''Accordion Times and Musical Express'' was bought by London music promoter Maurice Kinn for £1,000, just 15 minutes before it was due to be officially closed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pgqdx |title=BBC Radio 2 – 60 Years of the Charts, Charting the Charts |work=BBC |date=1 January 2013 |access-date=11 August 2014}}</ref> It was relaunched as the ''New Musical Express'', and was initially published in a non-glossy [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid]] format on standard [[newsprint]]. Under the editorship of [[Ray Sonin]], the paper began publishing artist interviews, industry gossip and, on 14 November 1952, taking its cue from the US magazine ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', it created the first [[UK Singles Chart]], a list of the Top Twelve best-selling singles.  Sales of the magazine jumped by 50%. The first of these singles charts was, in contrast to more recent charts, a top twelve sourced by the magazine itself from sales in regional stores around the UK. The first number one was "[[Here in My Heart]]" by [[Al Martino]].

===1960s===
During the 1960s, the paper championed the new British groups emerging at the time. The ''NME'' circulation peaked under Andy Gray (editor 1957–1972) with a figure of 306,881 for the period from January to June 1964.<ref>Long, Pat, 2012, ''The History of the NME: High Times and Low Lives at the World's Most Famous Music Magazine,'' Portico Books, London. p. 23, 29. {{ISBN|978-1-907554-48-3}}</ref><ref name="Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK) Historic data">{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.org.uk/Products-Services/Historic-data/ |title=QuickView & other data subscriptions |publisher=ABC |access-date=11 August 2014 |archive-date=7 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907100054/http://www.abc.org.uk/Products-Services/Historic-data/ }}</ref> [[The Beatles]] and [[the Rolling Stones]] were frequently featured on the front cover. These and other artists also appeared at the NME Poll Winners' Concert, an awards event that featured artists voted as most popular by the paper's readers. The concert also featured a ceremony where the poll winners would collect their awards. The NME Poll Winners' Concerts took place between 1959 and 1972. From 1964 onwards, they were filmed, edited, and transmitted on British television a few weeks after they had taken place.

In the mid-1960s, the ''NME'' was primarily dedicated to pop while its older rival, ''[[Melody Maker]]'', was known for its more serious coverage of music. Other competing titles included ''[[Record Mirror]]'', which led the way in championing American [[rhythm and blues]], and ''[[Disc (magazine)|Disc]]'', which focused on chart news.<ref>{{cite book|last=Turner|first=Steve|title=Beatles '66: The Revolutionary Year|year=2016|publisher=HarperLuxe|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-06-249713-0|pages=21–22}}</ref> The latter part of the decade the paper charted the rise of [[Psychedelic music|psychedelia]] and the continued dominance of British groups of the time. During this period some sections of pop music began to be designated as rock. The paper became engaged in a sometimes tense rivalry with ''Melody Maker''; however, ''NME'' sales were healthy, with the paper selling as many as 200,000 issues per week, making it one of the UK's biggest sellers at the time.

===1970s===
[[File:New Musical Express cover, 21.02.76 (Patti Smith).jpg|thumb|right|Cover featuring [[Patti Smith]] for the week of 21 February 1976]]

By the early 1970s, ''NME'' had lost ground to [[Melody Maker]], as its coverage of music had failed to keep pace with the development of rock music, particularly during the early years of psychedelia and [[progressive rock]]. In early 1972, the paper was on the verge of closure by its owner [[IPC Media|IPC]] (which had bought the paper from Kinn in 1963).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Obituary: Maurice Kinn {{!}} News |work=The Guardian |date=10 August 2000 |access-date=15 July 2019 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/aug/10/guardianobituaries}}</ref> According to [[Nick Kent]] (soon to play a prominent part in the paper's revival):

{{blockquote|After sales had plummeted to 60,000 and a review of guitar instrumentalist [[Duane Eddy]] had been printed which began with the words "On this, his 35th album, we find Duane in as good voice as ever," the ''NME'' had been told to rethink its policies or die on the vine.<ref>Kent, Nick, "The Dark Stuff" (''Faber'', 2007, p. xvi)</ref>}}

Alan Smith was made editor in 1972, and was told by IPC to turn things around quickly or face closure.<ref>Nick Kent 'Apathy For The Devil', 2010, {{ISBN|978-0-571-23286-4}}, p81</ref> To achieve this, Smith and his assistant editor [[Nick Logan]] raided the [[underground press]] for writers such as [[Charles Shaar Murray]] and Nick Kent, and recruited other writers such as [[Tony Tyler]], [[Ian MacDonald]] and Californian [[Danny Holloway]].{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} According to ''[[The Economist]]'', the ''New Musical Express'' "started to champion underground, up-and-coming music....NME became the gateway to a more rebellious world. First came [[glamrock]], and bands such as [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]], and then came [[punk subculture|punk]]....by 1977 it had become the place to keep in touch with a cultural revolution that was enthralling the nation's listless youth. Bands such as [[Sex Pistols]], [[X-Ray Spex]] and [[Generation X (band)|Generation X]] were regular cover stars, eulogised by writers such as [[Julie Burchill]] and [[Tony Parsons (British journalist)|Tony Parsons]], whose nihilistic tone narrated the punk years perfectly."<ref name= "econ2015"/> By the time Smith handed the editor's chair to Logan in mid-1973, the paper was selling nearly 300,000 copies per week and was outstripping ''Melody Maker'', ''Disc'', ''Record Mirror'' and ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}

According to MacDonald:<ref>{{cite book |last=Paul |first=Gorman |title=In Their Own Write: Adventures in the Music Press |year=2001 |publisher=Sanctuary |isbn=1-86074-341-2 |page=189}}</ref>

{{blockquote|I think all the other papers knew by 1974 that ''NME'' had become the best music paper in Britain. We had most of the best writers and photographers, the best layouts, that sense of style of humour and a feeling of real adventure. We also set out to beat ''Melody Maker'' on its strong suit: being the serious, responsible journal of record. We did Looking Back and Consumer Guide features that beat the competition out of sight, and we did this not just to surpass our rivals but because we reckoned that rock had finished its first wind around 1969/70 and deserved to be treated as history, as a canon of work. We wanted to see where we'd got to, sort out this huge amount of stuff that had poured out since the mid '60s. Everyone on the paper was into this.}}

[[Led Zeppelin]] topped the "''NME'' Pop Poll" for three consecutive years (1974–76) under the category of the best "Vocal Group".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/poppoll.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629131458/http://rocklistmusic.co.uk/poppoll.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=29 June 2006 |title=NME Pop Poll Results 1952 – 1996 |publisher=Rocklistmusic.co.uk |access-date=11 August 2014}}</ref>

In 1976, ''NME'' lambasted German pioneer electronic band [[Kraftwerk]] with this title: "This is what your fathers fought to save you from ..." The article said that the "electronic melodies flowed as slowly as a piece of garbage floating down the polluted [[Rhine]]".<ref>Miles. [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/krautwerk-this-is-what-your-fathers-fought-to-save-you-from/ "Kraftwerk: This is what your fathers fought to save you from"]. ''NME''. 16 October 1976. Retrieved 8 August 2013</ref> The same year also saw [[punk rock]] arrive on what some people perceived to be a stagnant music scene. The ''NME'' gave [[the Sex Pistols]] their first music press coverage in a live review of their performance at the [[Marquee Club|Marquee]] in February that year, but overall it was slow to cover this new phenomenon in comparison to ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' and ''Melody Maker'', where [[Jonh Ingham]] and [[Caroline Coon]] respectively were early champions of punk. Although articles by the likes of [[Mick Farren]] (whose article "The Titanic Sails at Dawn" called for a new street-led rock movement in response to stadium rock) were published by the ''NME'' that summer, it was felt that younger writing was needed to credibly cover the emerging punk movement, and the paper advertised for a pair of "hip young gunslingers" to join their editorial staff. This resulted in the recruitment of [[Tony Parsons (British journalist)|Tony Parsons]] and [[Julie Burchill]]. The pair rapidly became champions of the punk scene and created a new tone for the paper. Parsons' time at NME is reflected in his 2005 novel ''Stories We Could Tell'', about the misadventures of three young music-paper journalists on the night of 16 August 1977 – the night [[Elvis Presley]] died.

[[File:NME logo.png|thumb|right|200px|The logo that has been used with slight variation since 1978]]

In 1978, Logan moved on, and his deputy [[Neil Spencer]] was made editor. One of his earliest tasks was to oversee a redesign of the paper by [[Barney Bubbles]], which included the logo still used on the paper's masthead today (albeit in a modified form) – this made its first appearance towards the end of 1978. Spencer's time as editor also coincided with the emergence of [[post-punk]] acts such as [[Joy Division]] and [[Gang of Four (band)|Gang of Four]]. This development was reflected in the writing of [[Ian Penman]] and [[Paul Morley]]. [[Danny Baker]], who began as an ''NME'' writer around this time, had a more straightforward and populist style.

The paper also became more openly political during the time of punk. Its cover would sometimes feature youth-orientated issues rather than a musical act. It took an editorial stance against political parties like the [[British National Front|National Front]]. With the election of [[Margaret Thatcher]] in 1979, the paper took a broadly socialist stance for much of the following decade.

===1980s===
{{more citations needed section|date=July 2015}}

In the 1980s, the ''NME'' became the most important music paper in the country.<ref name= "econ2015"/>  It released the influential [[C81 (music)|''C81'']] in 1981, in conjunction with [[Rough Trade Records]], available to readers by mail order at a low price. The tape featured a number of then up-and-coming bands, including [[Duran Duran]], [[Aztec Camera]], [[Orange Juice (band)|Orange Juice]], [[Linx (band)|Linx]], and [[Scritti Politti]], as well as a number of more established artists such as [[Robert Wyatt]], [[Pere Ubu (band)|Pere Ubu]], the [[Buzzcocks]] and [[Ian Dury]]. A second tape titled ''[[C86]]'' was released in 1986. From 1981 to 1988 the magazine released 36 cassette compilations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/368-beyond-c86-the-forgotten-gems-of-nmes-cassette-series/|title=Beyond C86: The Forgotten Gems of NME's Cassette Series|date=10 June 2014|website=Pitchfork.com|access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref>

The ''NME'' responded to the [[Thatcherism|Thatcher era]] by espousing socialism through movements such as [[Red Wedge]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/events/walls-come-tumbling-down-the-music-and-politics-of-rock-against-racism-2-tone-and-red-wedge|title=Walls Come Tumbling Down: The music and politics of Rock Against Racism, 2 Tone and Red Wedge|website=Rough Trade|access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref> In the week of the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 election]], the paper featured an interview with the leader of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], [[Neil Kinnock]], who appeared on the paper's cover.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/jul/03/pressandpublishing.popandrock|title=Fraternising with the NME|date=3 July 2005|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref> He had appeared on the cover once two years before, in April 1985.

Writers at this time included [[Mat Snow]], [[Chris Bohn]] (known in his later years at the paper as '[[Biba Kopf]]'), [[Antonella Gambotto-Burke]] (known by her pseudonyms Antonella Black and, because of her then-dyed orange hair, [[Ginger Meggs]]), [[Barney Hoskyns]], Paolo Hewitt, Don Watson, [[Danny Kelly (journalist)|Danny Kelly]], [[Steven Wells]], and [[David Quantick]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/barry-egan-how-i-lied-about-my-sex-and-ended-up-writing-for-the-nme-36691981.html|title=Barry Egan: How I lied about my sex - and ended up writing for the NME|website=Independent.ie|date=11 March 2018 |access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref>

However, sales were dropping, and by the mid-1980s, ''NME'' had hit a rough patch and was in danger of closing. During this period (now under the editorship of Ian Pye, who replaced Neil Spencer in 1985), they were split between those who wanted to write about [[hip hop music|hip hop]], a genre that was relatively new to the UK, and those who wanted to stick to rock music.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/07/farewell-to-nme-rocknroll-riot-that-petered-into-silence|title=Farewell to NME: a rock'n'roll riot that petered into silence &#124; Alexis Petridis|date=7 March 2018|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref> Sales were apparently lower when photos of hip hop artists appeared on the front and this led to the paper suffering as the lack of direction became even more apparent to readers. A number of features entirely unrelated to music appeared on the cover in this era, including a piece by William Leith on computer crime and articles by [[Stuart Cosgrove]] on such subjects as the politics of sport and the presence of [[United States military|American troops]] in Britain, with [[Elvis Presley]] appearing on the cover not for musical reasons but as a political symbol.

The ''NME'' was generally thought to be rudderless at this time, with staff pulling simultaneously in a number of directions in what came to be known as the "hip-hop wars". It was haemorrhaging readers who were deserting ''NME'' in favour of [[Nick Logan]]'s two creations ''[[The Face (magazine)|The Face]]'' and ''[[Smash Hits]]''. This was brought to a head when the paper was about to publish a poster of an insert contained in the [[Dead Kennedys]]' album ''[[Frankenchrist]]'', consisting of a painting by [[H.R. Giger]] called [[Penis Landscape]], then a subject of an obscenity lawsuit in the US. In the summer and autumn of 1987, three senior editorial staff were sacked, including Pye, media editor [[Stuart Cosgrove]], and art editor Joe Ewart. Former ''Sounds'' editor [[Alan Lewis (music journalist)|Alan Lewis]] was brought in to rescue the paper, mirroring Alan Smith's revival a decade and a half before.

Some commented at this time that the ''NME'' had become less intellectual in its writing style and less inventive musically. Initially, ''NME'' writers themselves were ill at ease with the new regime, with most signing a letter of no confidence in Lewis shortly after he took over. However, this new direction for the ''NME'' proved to be a commercial success and the paper brought in new writers such as [[Andrew Collins (broadcaster)|Andrew Collins]], [[Andrew Harrison (journalist)|Andrew Harrison]], [[Stuart Maconie]], [[Mary Anne Hobbs]] and [[Steve Lamacq]] to give it a stronger identity and sense of direction. Lewis prioritised readership over editorial independence, and Mark Sinker left in 1988 after Lewis refused to print his unfavourable review of [[U2]]'s ''[[Rattle and Hum]]'' ("the worst album by a major band in years"), replacing it with a glowing Stuart Baillie review intended to be more acceptable to readers.<ref name="NMEreview">{{cite magazine|title=How the West Was Won|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |first=Stephen|last=Dalton|date=October 2003|issue=77}}</ref> Initially many of the bands on the C86 tape were championed as well as the rise of [[gothic rock]] bands but new bands such as the [[Happy Mondays]] and [[the Stone Roses]] were coming out of [[Manchester]]. One scene over these years was [[Acid house]] which spawned ''"[[Madchester]]"'' which helped give the paper a new lease of life. By the end of the decade, [[Danny Kelly (journalist)|Danny Kelly]] had replaced Lewis as editor.

===1990s===
{{more citations needed section|date=July 2015}}
{{Multiple image
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|image1= Nme blur oasis.jpg
|caption1=[[Blur (band)|Blur]] vs [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], August 1995. NME started 1990 in the thick of the [[Madchester]] scene, covering the new British indie bands and [[shoegazing|shoegazers]].
|image2= NME1995cover.jpg
|caption2= [[Björk]], April 1995. The magazine heavily championed Björk's breakthrough in the 1990s.
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By the end of 1990, the Madchester scene was dying off, and ''NME'' had started to report on new bands coming from the US, mainly from [[Seattle]]. These bands would form a new movement called [[grunge]], and by far the most popular bands were [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] and [[Pearl Jam]]. The ''NME'' took to grunge very slowly ("Sounds" was the first British music paper to write about grunge with John Robb being the first to interview Nirvana.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://johnrobb77.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/nirvana-interview-sounds-july-1989/|title=Nirvana interview Sounds October 1989|date=29 September 2009|access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> ''Melody Maker'' was more enthusiastic early on, largely through the efforts of [[Everett True]], who had previously written for ''NME'' under the name "The Legend!"). For the most part, ''NME'' only became interested in grunge after ''[[Nevermind]]'' became popular. Although it still supported new British bands, the paper was dominated by American bands, as was the music scene in general.

Although the period from 1991 to 1993 was dominated by American bands like Nirvana, British bands were not ignored. The ''NME'' still covered the indie scene and was involved with a war of words with a new band called [[Manic Street Preachers]], who were criticising the ''NME'' for what they saw as an elitist view of bands they would champion. This came to a head in 1991, when, during an interview with [[Steve Lamacq]], [[Richey James Edwards|Richey Edwards]] would confirm the band's position by carving "4real" into his arm with a razor blade.

By 1992, the Madchester scene had died and along with the Manics, some new British bands were beginning to appear. [[Suede (band)|Suede]] were quickly hailed by the paper as an alternative to the heavy grunge sound and hailed as the start of a new British music scene. Grunge, however, was still the dominant force, but the rise of new British bands would become something the paper would focus on more and more.

In 1992, the ''NME'' also had a very public dispute with [[Morrissey]] due to allegations by ''NME''{{'}}s [[Dele Fadele]] that Morrissey had used racist lyrics and imagery.<ref name="rh">{{cite web|last1=Fadele|first1=Dele|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/morrissey-caucasian-rut|title=Morrissey: Caucasian Rut|url-access=subscription|website=NME|date=22 August 1992}}</ref> This erupted after a concert at [[Finsbury Park]] where Morrissey was seen to drape himself in a [[Union Jack]]. The series of articles (starting with Fadele's one) which followed in the next edition of ''NME'' (featuring the story on the front cover)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://motorcycleaupairboy.com/interviews/1992/caucasian.htm |title=MORRISSEY Flying the flag or flirting with disaster? |publisher= Motorcycleaupairboy.com |date=22 August 1992 |access-date=31 August 2010}}</ref> soured Morrissey's relationship with the paper, and this led to Morrissey not speaking to the paper again for the next 12 years (i.e., until 2004).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jonze|first1=Tim|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/30/bigmouth-strikes-again-morrissey-songs-loneliness-shyness-misfits-far-right-party-tonight-show-jimmy-fallon|title=Bigmouth strikes again and again: why Morrissey fans feel so betrayed|website=The Guardian|date=30 May 2019|access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Thomas-Mason|first1=Lee|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/cornershop-set-fire-morrissey-posters-racism/|title=Remembering when Cornershop set fire to Morrissey posters, 1992|website=Far Out|date=17 May 2020|access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref>

Later in 1992, Steve Sutherland, previously an assistant editor of ''[[Melody Maker]]'', was brought in as the ''NME''{{'}}s editor to replace [[Danny Kelly (journalist)|Danny Kelly]]. Andrew Collins, [[Stuart Maconie]], [[Steve Lamacq]], and [[Mary Anne Hobbs]] all left the ''NME'' in protest, and moved to ''[[Select Magazine|Select]]''; Collins, Maconie and Lamacq would all also write for ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'', while Lamacq would join ''Melody Maker'' in 1997. Kelly, Collins, Maconie, Lamacq and Hobbs would all subsequently become prominent broadcasters with [[BBC Radio 1]] as it reinvented itself under [[Matthew Bannister]].

In April 1994, Nirvana frontman [[Kurt Cobain]] was found dead, a story which affected not only his fans and readers of the ''NME'', but would see a massive change in British music. Grunge was about to be replaced by [[Britpop]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4136296.stm |title=Entertainment &#124; Highlights from the Britpop year |work=BBC News |date=15 August 2005 |access-date=11 August 2014}}</ref> a new genre influenced by 1960s British music and culture. The term was coined by ''NME''{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}} after the band [[Blur (band)|Blur]] released their album ''[[Parklife]]'' in the month of Cobain's death. Britpop began to fill the musical and cultural void left after Cobain's demise, and with Blur's success and the rise of a new group from Manchester called [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], Britpop would continue its rise for the rest of 1994. By the end of the year, Blur and Oasis were the two biggest bands in the UK, and sales of the ''NME'' were increasing thanks to the Britpop effect. In 1995, ''NME'' covered these new bands, many of whom played the ''NME Stage'' at that year's [[Glastonbury Festival]], where the paper had been sponsoring the second stage at the festival since 1993. This would be its last year sponsoring the stage; subsequently, the stage would be known as the 'Other Stage'.

In August 1995, Blur and Oasis planned to release singles on the same day in a mass of media publicity. Steve Sutherland put the story on the front page of the paper, and was criticised for playing up the duel between the bands. Blur won the "race" for the top of the charts, and the resulting fallout from the publicity led to the paper enjoying increased sales during the 1990s as Britpop became the dominant genre. After this peak, the paper experienced a slow decline as Britpop burned itself out fairly rapidly over the next few years. This left the paper directionless again, and attempts to embrace the rise of DJ culture in the late 1990s only led to the paper being criticised for not supporting rock or indie music. The paper did attempt to return to its highly politicised 1980s incarnation by running a cover story in March 1998 condemning [[Tony Blair]], who had previously associated himself with Britpop bands such as Oasis, and this received a certain level of attention in the wider media.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}

Sutherland did attempt to cover newer bands, but a 1998 cover feature on the Canadian [[post-rock]] band [[Godspeed You! Black Emperor]] saw the paper dip to a sales low, and Sutherland later stated in his weekly editorial that he regretted putting them on the cover. For many, this was seen as an affront to the principles of the paper, and sales reached a low point at the turn of the millennium. From the issue of 21 March 1999, the paper was no longer printed on newsprint, and more recently, it has shifted to tabloid size with glossy colour covers.

===2000s===
In 2000, Steve Sutherland left to become brand director of the ''NME'', and was replaced as editor by 26-year-old ''[[Melody Maker]]'' writer Ben Knowles. In the same year, ''Melody Maker'' officially merged with the ''NME'', and many speculated the ''NME'' would be next to close, as the weekly music-magazine market was shrinking&nbsp;- the monthly magazine ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'', which had thrived especially during the Britpop era, was closed down within a week of ''Melody Maker''. In the early 2000s, the ''NME'' also attempted somewhat to broaden its coverage again, running cover stories on hip-hop acts such as [[Jay-Z]] and [[Missy Elliott]], electronic musician [[Aphex Twin]], ''[[Popstars]]'' winners [[Hear'say]], and R&B groups such as [[Destiny's Child]]. However, as in the 1980s, these proved unpopular with much of the paper's readership, and were soon dropped. In 2001, the ''NME'' reasserted its position as an influence in new music, and helped to introduce bands including [[the Strokes]], [[The Vines (band)|the Vines]], and [[the White Stripes]].

In 2002, [[Conor McNicholas]] was appointed editor, with a new wave of photographers including [[Dean Chalkley]], Andrew Kendall, James Looker, and Pieter Van Hattem, and a high turnover of young writers. It focused on new British bands such as [[the Libertines]], [[Franz Ferdinand (band)|Franz Ferdinand]], [[Bloc Party]], and the [[Kaiser Chiefs]], which had emerged as indie music continued to grow in commercial success. Later, [[Arctic Monkeys]] became the standard-bearers of the post-Libertines crop of indie bands, being both successfully championed by the ''NME'' and receiving widespread commercial and critical success.

Also in 2002, ''NME'' relaunched in a smaller format in an attempt to boost falling sales, along with a redesigned logo.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cozens |first=Claire |date=5 April 2002 |title=NME goes glossy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/apr/05/pressandpublishing2 |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In December 2005, accusations were made that the ''NME'' end-of-year poll had been edited for commercial and political reasons.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/news/story/0,11711,1656637,00.html | title =NME defends album of year poll |newspaper = The Guardian | location = London | date = 2 December 2005 | first = Andrew | last = Dickson }}</ref> These criticisms were rebutted by McNicholas, who claimed that webzine Londonist.com had got hold of an early draft of the poll.

In October 2006, ''NME'' launched an Irish version of the magazine called ''NME Ireland''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tcal.net/archives/2006/10/12/nme-to-launch-irish-nme-called-nme-ireland/ |title=NME to launch Irish NME called NME Ireland |publisher=Tcal.net |access-date=31 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117211938/http://tcal.net/archives/2006/10/12/nme-to-launch-irish-nme-called-nme-ireland/ |archive-date=17 November 2007 }}</ref> This coincided with the launch of Club NME in [[Dublin]]. Dublin-based band [[Humanzi]] was first to appear on the cover of NME Ireland. The Irish edition of the magazine could not compete with local competitors such as ''[[Hot Press]]'' therefore it was discontinued after its fourth issue in February 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=36754 |title=NME Ireland lasts just four months |work=Press Gazette |location=London |date=9 February 2007 |access-date=31 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616100929/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=36754 |archive-date=16 June 2011 }}</ref>

After the 2008 NME Award nominations, Caroline Sullivan of ''[[The Guardian]]'' criticised the magazine's lack of diversity, saying:<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/jan/30/thenominationsforthenme |title=Guardian blogs &#124; All guardian.co.uk blogposts &#124; The Guardian |publisher=Blogs.guardian.co.uk |date=19 August 2008 |access-date=11 August 2014 |location=London}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|"NME bands" fall within very narrow parameters. In the 80s, the paper prided itself on its coverage of hip hop, [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] and the emerging dance scene which it took seriously and featured prominently – alongside the usual Peel-endorsed indie fare. Now, though, its range of approved bands has dramatically shrunk to a strand embodied by the [Arctic] Monkeys, Babyshambles and Muse – bands who you don't need specialist knowledge to write about and who are just "indie" enough to make readers feel they're part of a club. Like everything else in publishing, this particular direction must be in response to reader demand, but it doesn't half make for a self-limiting magazine.}}

In May 2008, the magazine received a redesign aimed at an older readership with a more authoritative tone. The first issue of the redesign featured a free seven-inch [[Coldplay]] vinyl single.

===2010s===
Krissi Murison was appointed editor in June 2009, launching a new redesigned NME in April 2010. The issue had 10 different covers, highlighting the broader range of music the magazine would cover, and featured [[Jack White (musician)|Jack White]], [[Florence and the Machine]], [[LCD Soundsystem]], [[Rihanna]], [[Kasabian]], [[Laura Marling]], [[Foals (band)|Foals]], [[M.I.A. (artist)|M.I.A.]], [[Biffy Clyro]] and [[Magnetic Man]].

Murison was replaced as editor in July 2012 by Mike Williams, who had previously been the magazine's deputy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/may/31/nme-editor-appointed|title=NME deputy editor Mike Williams steps up to edit IPC's weekly music title|last=Sweney|first=Mark|date=31 May 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=20 November 2016}}</ref> Williams is now Editor in Chief, with full responsibility for NME's cross platform output. Under Williams, NME has launched the NME Daily app,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ppa.co.uk/news/industry/2015/07/nme-launches-nme-daily-app/|title=PPA: NME launches NME Daily App|website=Ppa.co.uk|access-date=20 November 2016|archive-date=21 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121043446/http://www.ppa.co.uk/news/industry/2015/07/nme-launches-nme-daily-app/}}</ref> a new career focussed event called Lifehacks,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/nme-launches-lifehacks-event-millennials/article/1402299|title=NME launches #LifeHacks event for millennials|website=Eventmagazine.co.uk|access-date=20 November 2016}}</ref> and successfully relaunched both the ''NME'' magazine and NME's website, NME.com.

In 2013, ''[[NME's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]'' was criticized by the media. ''[[The Guardian]]'' pointed out that Features Editor Laura Snapes included, in her top 5 "greatest albums of all time", four albums from the same band which was [[The National (band)|The National]].<ref name=guardian>{{cite web |title=What's the difference between best and favourite albums? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/oct/24/best-favourite-albums-nme-difference |author=Hann, Michael |website=The Guardian |date=24 October 2013 |access-date=6 August 2014}}</ref> [[Consequence of Sound]] similarly observed that "if Laura Snapes had her wish, the top four would all be The National albums".<ref name="cos">{{cite web |url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/10/the-top-500-albums-of-all-time-according-to-nme/ |title=The Top 500 Albums of All Time, according to NME |last=Kaye |first=Ben |date=25 October 2013 |work=Consequence of Sound|access-date=4 August 2014}}</ref>

The magazine's paid circulation in the first half of 2014 was 15,830.<ref name="mediaweek2">{{cite news |last=Reynolds |first=John |date=16 August 2012 |title=NME and Q suffer major circulation falls |url=http://MediaWeek.co.UK/article/1145894/magazine-abcs-nme-q-suffer-major-circulation-falls |access-date=14 September 2012 |newspaper=Media Week |location=London}}</ref>

===Free title===
In February 2015, it was reported that the ''NME'' was in discussions about removing the cover price and becoming a free publication.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/18/nme-free-time-inc-uk-marie-claire?CMP=share_btn_tw|title = The Guardian|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = 18 February 2015|access-date = 19 February 2015}}</ref> This was confirmed in July 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/06/nme-to-go-free-with-larger-circulation|title=NME to go free with larger circulation|first=Mark|last=Sweney|date=6 July 2015|access-date=2 January 2018|website=The Guardian}}</ref>

The free NME launched on 18 September 2015, with [[Rihanna]] on the cover.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34290035|title=New free NME draws mixed reaction|date=18 September 2015|access-date=2 January 2018|website=Bbc.com}}</ref> Distributed nationwide via universities, retail stores and the transport network, the first circulation numbers published in February 2016 of 307, 217 copies per week were the highest in the brand's history. Since relaunch the magazine has featured a number of high-profile international pop stars on the cover such as [[Coldplay]], [[Taylor Swift]], [[Lana Del Rey]], [[Kanye West]] and [[Green Day]] alongside emerging talent like [[Zara Larsson]], [[Years & Years]], [[Lady Leshurr]] and [[Christine and the Queens]].{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

The free, pop-oriented ''NME'' magazine was praised for reconnecting NME with its target audience,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.musicweek.com/brands/read/how-nme-went-free-inside-its-post-pricetag-success/064080|title=How NME went free - inside its post-pricetag success|date=20 November 2016|website=Musicweek.com|access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> and was awarded a silver at the 2016 [[Professional Publishers Association]] Awards for its historic first-ever cover as a free title, featuring Rihanna.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.inpublishing.co.uk/news/articles/ppa_awards__the_winners_10219.aspx|title=PPA Awards – the winners|website=Inpublishing.co.uk|access-date=20 November 2016}}</ref> Editor in Chief Mike Williams received the Editor Of The Year Award at the [[BSME]] Awards 2016, the judges stating that under Williams' leadership, NME had "bounced back from an uncertain future and established itself confidently and creatively in a new market."

By December 2017, according to the [[Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK)|Audit Bureau of Circulations]], average distribution of ''NME'' had fallen to 289,432 copies a week,<ref>[https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/48765202.pdf "NME average circulation"]. ''Audit Bureau of Circulations Ltd'', 15 February 2018.</ref> although its then-publisher [[Time Inc. UK]] claimed to have more than 13 million global unique users per month, including 3 million in the UK.<ref>[http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/nme-faced-ongoing-losses-prior-to-print-closure-with-staff-facing-threat-of-redundancy/ "NME faced "ongoing losses""]. ''Press Gazette'', 8 March 2018.</ref>

In March 2018, ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported that the NME was to cease publication in print after 66 years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/mar/07/nme-ceases-print-edition-weekly-music-magazine|title=NME to close print edition after 66 years|date = 7 March 2018|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date = 6 November 2018}}</ref> The online publication would continue.

In 2019, TI Media, the successor to IPC, sold ''NME'' and ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'' to Singaporean company [[BandLab Technologies]].<ref>{{Cite web| title = TI Media sells music titles NME and Uncut to music platform Bandlab| access-date = 15 July 2019| url = https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/ti-media-sells-music-titles-nme-and-uncut-to-social-music-platform-company-bandlab/|website=Pressgazette.co.uk| date = 17 May 2019}}</ref>

===2020s===
In 2021, the ''NME'' became the main brand for the music publishing division of Caldecott Music Group, when BandLab Technologies was reorganised. As well as publishing print magazines in the United Kingdom and Australia, NME Networks is responsible for a trio of online music publications and the main NME.com website, which now also has an area<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/|title = Home|website = NME}}</ref> devoted to the Asian music scene and acts such as 
The Itchyworms,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/the-itchyworms-and-sponge-cola-to-headline-typhoon-odette-online-charity-concert-3125225|title = The Itchyworms and Sponge Cola to headline Typhoon Odette online charity concert|website = NME|date = 23 December 2021}}</ref> SEVENTEEN,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/seventeens-dk-surprises-fans-with-solo-song-youre-my-christmas-3125410|title = SEVENTEEN's DK surprises fans with solo song, 'You're My Christmas'|website = NME|date = 23 December 2021}}</ref> Voice Of Baceprot,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/watch-voice-of-baceprot-perform-five-new-songs-during-virtual-concert-3126037|title = Watch Voice of Baceprot perform five new songs during virtual concert|website = NME|date = 24 December 2021}}</ref> Sponge Cola<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/artists/sponge-cola|title = Sponge Cola|website = NME| date=11 March 2022 }}</ref> and [[I Belong to the Zoo|I Belong To The Zoo]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/artists/i-belong-to-the-zoo|title = I Belong to the Zoo|website = NME| date=6 September 2022 }}</ref> from countries such as South Korea,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/features/music-features/nme-best-kpop-songs-of-the-year-2021-3122558|title=The 25 best K-pop songs of 2021|website=NME|date=20 December 2021}}</ref> the Philippines and Indonesia.

On 20 July 2023, ''NME'' announced that it would be relaunching its print magazine that summer. Starting with a July/August issue featuring [[D4vd]], each bimonthly issue will showcase a rising musical talent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shafer |first=Ellise |date=20 July 2023 |title=As NME Relaunches Print Magazine, COO Details 'High-Hype Model' With Limited Drops and Emerging Artist Focus (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/global/nme-print-magazine-relaunch-1235674465/ |access-date=21 July 2023 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=20 July 2023 |title=NME announces return of iconic print magazine |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/nme-announces-return-of-iconic-print-magazine-2023-summer-buy-3470477 |access-date=21 July 2023 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref> NME Networks' chief operating and commercial officer Holly Bishop explained that the company was "inspired by the resurgence we've seen in vinyl and cassette tapes" to bring a physical edition back for music fans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tobitt |first=Charlotte |date=20 July 2023 |title=NME launches limited-edition print return inspired by vinyl renaissance |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/magazines/nme-print-magazine-relaunch/ |access-date=21 July 2023 |website=[[Press Gazette]] |language=en-US}}</ref>