SOME OLD MAGAZINES FROM THE 1980S

Hello! magazine No.76 from Nov 4 1989 featuring Martin and Shirlie Kemp

by Sara Lewis, freelance writer

For this article, I thought I'd dig out some of my old 1980s magazine from the loft, dust them off (atchoo!) and photograph them. So without further ado, here they are. Enjoy them - Sara.
Woman's Own Oct 13th 1984 ft. Sophia Loren
Sounds magazine Nov 15th 1980 Adam Ant
Sounds magazine Nov 15th 1980 ft. Adam Ant
Published between 1970 and 1991, Sounds was a weekly pop magazine published in the UK. It was in direct competition with Melody Maker and NME and covered mostly progressive rock.

Kerrang! cover - Oct 17 1987 ft. spoof heavy metal band Bad News
Kerrang Oct 17th 1987 ft. spoof rock band Bad News.
Kerrang! wasn't a magazine that I bought regularly, but here is one of the few issues I did buy which features the spoof heavy metal band Bad News - Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, Nigel Planer and Peter Richardson - which was created for The Comic Strips Presents... TV series on Channel 4. The first issue was a supplement in Sounds on 6th June 1981. It was then launched a monthly magazine, before becoming fortnightly, and then weekly sometime in 1987. The mag is still being published, and there is also a TV and radio station, too.


Smash Hits was a mainstream pop magazine aimed at young teenagers and pre-teens. It was published fortnightly between 1978 and 2006. The magazine was at its peak during the 1980s. The format was more light-hearted and fun than rival pop mags.


Elle Magazine March 1988
Elle magazine cover from March 1988
The Face No.64, August 1985 ft. George Michael
The Face No.64 (Aug 1985) ft. George Michael
The Face No.53, Sept 1984 featuring Prince
The Face No.53 (September 1984) ft. Prince
Smash Hits March 1986 ft. Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Smash Hits magazine March 1986 ft. Sigue Sigue Sputnik
In 1986, new wave, glam punk band Sigue Sigue Sputnik told us that they were the future of rock 'n' roll. Hmm, well after just a couple of Top 30 hit singles and a No.10 album in 1986, and one measly Top 40 hit co-produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman in 1988, in July 1989 they decided to call it a day.

No1 Magazine Dec 1985 ft. Midge Ure
No1 magazine Dec 1985 ft. Midge Ure
look-in magazine Dec 1982 - Nick Heyward
Look-In Magazine December 1982 ft. Nick Heyward
Look-In Magazine Jan 1984 ft. David Hasselhoff
Look-In January 1984 ft. David Hasselhoff
Just Seventeen Feb 1987 ft. Pepsi & Shirlie
Just Seventeen Feb 1987 ft. Pepsi and Shirlie

Cracker Jack Annual 1983 ft. Stu Francis

Okay, so this is an annual and not a magazine. "It's Friday, it's five to five and it's Crackerjack!".

Radio Times Nov 1983 ft. the five doctors and the Master.
Radio Times Nov 1983 ft. Five Doctors and the Master

Just Seventeen was a market leader and published between October 1983 and April 2004, and was a weekly until 1997 when it became a monthly due to falling sales.
Jackie magazine May 15th 1982 ft. Kim Wilde

Jackie May 15th 1982 ft. Kim Wilde

Match Weekly 4th July 1981

Match Weekly 4th July 1981

Match is still being published and launched on Sept 6th 1979 as a rival to Shoot!
Many of the magazines that we all grew up with, reached their peak in the 80s and saw a decline in sales in the 90s.
There are exceptions, of course. Woman's Own magazine was first published in 1932 and is still going strong, as are many other publications aimed at adult women such as Woman's Weekly which launched way back in 1911 and Elle which launched in 1945.
Nonetheless, many are long gone (particularly the teen magazines) and even the survivors now have to rely heavily on their digital editions. So be truly grateful that you grew-up at a time when magazines were thriving and the choice was phenomenal.  
80s Magazines Collage

 

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Shoot!

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