NME closes print edition: Bands and journalists pay tribute

One of Britain’s most beloved music magazines, NME (New Musical Express), has announced this week’s issue (Friday 9 March) will be the final free print edition.

Launched in 1952, the magazine prided itself on taking relatively unknown bands and propelling to mainstream success.

Following the news, multiple bands and journalists paid tribute to NME, which itself relaunched as a free magazine back in September 2015.

“Very sorry to hear about the NME issuing its last print edition,” wrote The Libertines on Twitter. “Love to all the writers there who’ve helped us over the years, and to all of you that picked up a copy. Blessed to have had you in our corner.”

The British band Slaves wrote: “RIP NME. I still remember the feeling of our band first being mentioned in your hallowed pages. (And have a copy of every time we’ve been in it) Blessed to have been part of that historic magazine.”

Very sorry to hear about the @NME issuing its last print edition. Love to all the writers there who’ve helped us over the years, and to all of you that picked up a copy. Blessed to have had you in our corner. pic.twitter.com/EzZ7cvCaYQ

— Libertines (@libertines) 7 March 2018

RIP @NME I still remember the feeling of our band first being mentioned in your hallowed pages. (And have a copy of every time we’ve been in it) Blessed to have been part of that historic magazine. pic.twitter.com/9oOISRSwDL

— Slaves (@Slaves) 7 March 2018

R.I.P. NME pic.twitter.com/UhgTX9BdHW

— Rowetta (@Rowetta) 7 March 2018

A lot of great words opened a lot of great music to a lot of ears. Shout out to all the great writers who made the NME over the years.

— Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (@forgetcape) 7 March 2018

When the NME tried to sue me for defamation or libel or whatever it was , my manager said “Jon crack on , you will outlive them musically by decades”



And here I am



Still makes me sad tho. I cared about that magazine even tho often they were utter cunts

— Reverend&TheMakers (@Reverend_Makers) 7 March 2018

Knee-jerk reactions aside: this is really sad news. Obviously it's an absolute shadow of its former self, but a massive part of British history just came to an end.

— Laura Snapes (@laurasnapes) 7 March 2018

Gutted to hear about NME’s last print edition. Followed it religiously as a kid and felt immense pride to have my work printed in those pages. Some brilliant people kept it going in the final years.

— Jamie Milton (@jamiemilton_) 7 March 2018

(My own thoughts are that NME was really good LONG after people said it wasn’t as good as it used to be, and I learned a lot working there, and at the end of the day fair play for trying the free thing instead of just shutting it three years ago.)

— Peter Robinson (@Popjustice) 7 March 2018

I see people saying, "Well, NME had become Smash Hits."



Smash Hits was GREAT.



What NME had to become, to stay afloat as a print operation, was very much not great.



A shame to see it go with a whimper, but again, I hope this means a more determined digital strategy, and success

— mike diver (@MikeDiver) 7 March 2018

Sad to see NME go - it was a massive influence on me as a kid & I never ever in a million years thought I would get to write for it. I was so chuffed that I did in a period when with @EmilyRoseMackay & @laurasnapes were looking after reviews great things were still being done.

— Luke Turner (@LukeTurnerEsq) 7 March 2018

People also shared their favourite NME covers from over the years, including those featuring Kurt Cobain, Oasis, and David Bowie.

RIP NME - my favourite cover from 2001. pic.twitter.com/nwI7qGGVLo

— George Eaton (@georgeeaton) 7 March 2018

Apart from all The Strokes ones, my favourite NME cover was the one with Pete Doherty in the England kit pic.twitter.com/AjE9249XLz

— Darren Richman (@darrenrichman) 7 March 2018

Clare Grogan and Edwyn Collins on the cover of NME. (1981) pic.twitter.com/4Ae4GNgJSP

— PictureThis Scotland (@74frankfurt) 7 March 2018

My favourite ever NME cover - Ian McCulloch from Echo & the Bunnymen – 20 February, 1982, photo by the great Anton Corbijn. pic.twitter.com/0J3Qk0LUEt

— Nick Spence (@Nickfromupnorth) 7 March 2018

Haven’t read it in years but sad to see the end of the NME print edition. Nothing will ever beat the “Richard Ashcroft is Jesus” Christmas cover. pic.twitter.com/VvCkvJBOtu

— John Miles (@johnemiles) 7 March 2018

Bye bye weekly print edition of @NME I bought you religiously for 44 years. Kept every David Bowie article and cover issue since 1972. Thanks for being a huge part of my life. Gone but not forgotten x pic.twitter.com/uoejdHNccG

— David Bowie Wonderworld (@bowieww) 7 March 2018

My favourite NME cover. pic.twitter.com/hm6TZwgGFW

— Leon’ard (@LDRM_) 7 March 2018

Still sorry to hear about the inevitable closure of the NME print edition. Here's the best front cover ever. Fuck me we were lucky little bastards. pic.twitter.com/nxjBNOaGNh

— Bornatotter (@bornatotter) 7 March 2018

Shocked and saddened to hear about the close-down of the @NME magazine



Physical copies of the mag meant so much to so many over the years. Think this will massively shake music print media.



Will never forget my friend @EddieArgos posing naked on the cover back in 2007! #NMEpic.twitter.com/FVKwtNAYiV

— Minty's Gig Guide (@MintysGigGuide) 7 March 2018

Sad news about @NME but it's got us nostalgic thinking about all the classic magazines they've brought us in the past. Our favourite cover of all-time has to be this one. What's yours? #NMEpic.twitter.com/nZ5byUlWMt

— The Playbook (@playbook_agency) 7 March 2018

So The NME ceases printing. An end of an era. A very important paper for me through late 80's and 90's.



Will always feel a great honour that 1 of my shots was on a cover. Some of the best music photos ever appeared on the cover of the @NME



Here's one of the most famous. pic.twitter.com/Ic2Wz5SAsj

— Paul Husband (@Paul__Husband) 7 March 2018

Time Inc, the owners of NME, said in a statement: "NME's free weekly print magazine will cease publication. This week's issue of the magazine out on Friday will be the final free print edition.”

Paul Cheal, Time Inc. UK's group managing director for Music, added: "NME is one of the most iconic brands in British media and our move to free print has helped to propel the brand to its biggest ever audience on NME.com."

"At the same time, we have also faced increasing production costs and a very tough print advertising market. Unfortunately we have now reached a point where the free weekly magazine is no longer financially viable. It is the digital space where effort and investment will focus to secure a strong future for this famous brand.”

NME will focus on growing its digital platforms, a spokesperson said, which will include the website, its ticketing service, new music marketplace PledgeMusic, and two new radio stations.

Keith Walker, digital director of NME, said: "With these new developments, we are giving consumers even more of what they want from us. By making the digital platforms our core focus, we can accelerate the amazing growth we've seen and reach more people than ever before on the devices they're most naturally using."