NME's Top 50 Albums Of The Year - Here's My Considered Response

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HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEEHHHEHEHEHEHHEHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH

Gee those dumb NME critics! Didn't someone tell them that they had to vote for the ten BEST albums of the year, NOT the ten WORST?????

Jeez, people, have a gander. You won't believe it.

― K Nakerzyiad, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A link would be nice, K.

― MarkH, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

link
is no better or worse than any other really, all things considered. i was quite surprised that i actually own 7 of them, this is higher than usual, and higher than expected
― gareth, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm sorry I'm pretty much HTML illiterate. Here: http://microsites.nme.com/top50_2001/launch.html
It is an annoying pop-up.
― Dan I., Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

?
― deformatter, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well, I missed the boat on that post. sorry.
― Dan I., Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

/b> hope the bold is gone now.
― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh come on, it's not that bad. The Boredoms are on it! I've got 3,4,6,14,15,26 and 41. But Travis? Jesus wept.

― dave q, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've got 7, 21, 31 and 33. It's pretty much what I expected from NME.

― MarkH, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Looking over this list I just realized that all the critics of Napster et al were right. I didn't like to admit it at the time but damn, I buy far fewer albums now.

― Dan I., Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, lets see who is the most NME of us all. I got 11 out of 50 albums (but just one of the top-10).

― Omar, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've only got 4 of 'em as well. More to the point I've only heard 4 of 'em, I've never heard of 14 of 'em, and I've never heard of 7 of the artists. God, I must be getting old.

As others have said, typical NME. What else did you expect? Nobody would bat an eye if there were other weeklies to give a different perspective.

― Jeff W, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah I was surprised to notice R.E.M. released an album this year. I find this a comfortable thought, finding out stuff like that at the end of the year. Same thing as still having no clue who Travis are. I wonder how many albums DJ Martian has of this list? :)

― Omar, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Strokes is a better pick than Queens of the bloody Stone Age.

― Tom, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Omar - LOL! You're right, the Benelux = Travis-free zone. I knew there must be an upside...

― Jeff W, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like both the Rev and Spiritualized albums but neither should be that far up in the list. Same with the Strokes. But I guess if you're putting together an indie-rock list with a handful of pop thrown in for good measure, then it looks about right. (Although Amnesiac behind Stephen Malkamus and Travis boggles the mind.)

― bnw, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I actually found the free CD that came with this issue quite helpful - I finally got to hear The Strokes! And (gulp) I thought it was a pretty good track - Television + Sonic Youth + pop = fine in my book. Bjork - same old same old, Clearlake - ideas well above their station, Kings of Convenience - had no idea they were so lame, Beanie Sigel - don't understand what the Pinefox sees in him, Elbow - truly pathetic Radiohead imitation, Starsailor - unspeakable, Spiritualized - re-write of 'Electricity' only not as good, Basement Jaxx - better than their usual, Gorillaz - an utter disgrace, Jay-Z - best use of The Doors evah, Pulp - distinctive but drab, Andrew Wk - it is to laugh.

― Andrew L, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Actually, erm, ulp, I appear to have, erm, 50 out of the 50 albums listed.

But will probably flog most of them to the poor of the parish in weeks to come.

Did they forget the Avalanches or what?

― K Nakerzyiad, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

10, briefly 11 - borrowed a copy of The Strokes, listened to it + rapidly returned it. No Stanton Warriors, Fennesz!

― stevo, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

NME Top 50 in ignoring Fennesz shocker.

― Tom, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yes, wo ist avalanches. und beta band too low, ja?

I've bought so little this year. i've never bothered to get a lot of this stuff as i hear it on the radio/tv so often. that's my excuse for not getting SFA anyway. strokes should of course not be in the list. they are OK, but neither U or K to any music collection.

And where's the Helen Love album, huh? (I'll get me coat)

― Alan Trewartha, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

gorillaz but not lemonjelly (was that this year?). hmmm

― Alan Trewartha, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

4. 14. 18. 39. 43. 46.

― Honda, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

About nine. A couple for free and a couple copied.

― helen fordsdale, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have 4, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, 28, 32, 39, 43, 46 (and most of 1, 40 and 42 on mp3). Not a bad list really, and it really goes against the perception that NME suffer from complete tunnel vision - I can think of a certain new magazine that doesn't appear to have as broad tastes as this.

― Tim, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Not counting things I've ILLEGALLY copied off others, I've only got one of the top fifty. And *that* was a gift. So I didn't deiberately go out and spend money on any LP on that list. I am the New Pinefox.

Look at 47-50: most occurrences of the letter 'Z' in any NME chart?

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Heh-heh.

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have 16 of them, like 12-14 depending on mood, and there's only 4 or 5 things in my ten faves that aren't on here. (Skitz, Playgroup, D- Plan, maybe Bonnie Prince Billy or Five)

That said the top ten has a lot of the real lemons in and they've not really ranged far and wide (nor have I this year which is why the list seems OK!). And of course the question is what kind of coverage these bands/artists received during the year. You could make the case that if it weren't for the NME some of the worst bands on the list wouldn't be big at all, whereas for several of the better artists the NME's patronage is neither here nor there.

― Tom, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What about the singles? Have they done that list yet?

It will be very interesting to see how the FT poll differs and how generically wide it ends up, too.

― Tom, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I own 4,10,13,15,16,18,19,24,25,26,28,31,43 and 46. Missy, Mogwai, Beta Band and New Order I'm a bit iffy about and Fugazi and Aphex I haven't listened to enough. The rest I like.

― RickyT, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What I find interesting about the list are the non-consensus non-rock choices. Take the hip hop entries - Jay-Z, N*E*R*D, Missy and Cannibal Ox are all fairly typical rock crit choices (if all very good as well!) but Kurupt? Beanie Sigel? Tom you're right that there's a lot of crud in the list, but thankfully the list doesn't feel that tokenistic, either.

― Tim, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

By my reckoning, I've bought/been given 21 LPs released during 2001. Five of them are compilations, so they wouldn't be on the NME chart anyway. I had no expectation of seeing Pram, Cyclo or Anita Lane in there, but, in past years, you might've expected the likes of (from my acquisitions) Mouse On Mars, Kristin Hersh, Tortoise, Jim O'Rourke and Stereolab to make it. Things have clearly 'moved on'. (I don't necessarily think all of the above *should* be high in a end-of-year chart, btw).

I have taped copies of 3, 15, 16 and 33.

I have 10, 18, 26 and 38 on a vague kinda wishlist.

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I was about to say I have No.1 and No.50 and nothing in between. But then I noticed Air and remembered I had a promo of the Stephen Malkmus album.

― Nick, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

11, 14, 15, 16

The list couldn't be more predictable, but that's hardly shocking.

Across the country, a million (well 60,000) indie kids are cursing their own out-of-touchness. They'll learn.

― Graham, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The list couldn't be more predictable, but that's hardly shocking.

I can't work out if this is a daft tautology, or terribly profound.

― Nick, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

60,000 indie kids are cursing their own out-of- touchness

Actually, a quick glance at the nme.com Top50 message board reveals they are debating the absence of Ash and Ryan Adams

― Jeff W, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

ricky t and i own the same amount of records off the list (but not necessarily the same ones, natch.) i don't know whether to feel horridly middle-of-the-road or vaguely in touch.

― jess, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nick, I meant the NME was predictable wasn't shocking. Yes, it is a daft tautology.

― Graham, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sorr "the NME being predictable"

― Graham, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Strokes as number one says everything about the NME. Hype. Hype. Hype. I must confess that I own five of the albums of which I the Radiohead, the New Order, the Kings of Convenience and the REM would probably make my top ten. Gorillaz I just bought for fun.

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Own eleven of those albums. Heard significant portions of eight more. Still curious of about ten more albums that only singles have been acquired in mp3. Mostly the list is a big shrug, but Hot Shots 2 has been my favorite album of year, and feel #43 is peculiarly low. Left off... that Bonnie Prince Billy album has been in my CD player for three days now, and it's ready for a fourth.

I'm very fond of the SFA and it would be one of my personal faves of the year, but that's WAY too high on a list for regular folks, as i wouldn't force it on anyone like that. Haven't not heard the Boredoms album (but i will own it.) Was it a token choice in that they flipped a coin between them and Acid Mothers Temple, who seemed to have more press and word of mouth this year? maybe am just reading wrong stuff.

― badger, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The omission of Ryan Adams seems even stranger given that it's No. 1 in the Uncut end of year chart. Having said that, I don't like it so I'm not bothered.

I thought overall it was pretty fair. I certainly don't disagree with the number 1, and it's good to see the Tyde in there. Albums I'm surprised aren't there would include the I am Kloot album, the Life Without Buildings album, the Divine Comedy and the Zephyrs album.

― Andrew Williams, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

19, just about all of which were mp3 copies aside from the Boredoms. Figures.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

3, 11, 17, 25, 37. And I've got 2, 4, 32, 35 & 43 due to the magic of the net. Though now that I think about it, I've should listen to 2 a few more times before complaining about its high position. I'll probably buy 4 after a few more listens, and then dump 2...43 . I think napster and its ilk have cut down on the number of duff albums that I buy. Interestingly, if I do buy The Blueprint, it'll be the only one on this list that the net has turned me on to. Probably because I've been seeking out old treasures (Johnny Cash! The Groovie Ghoulies!).

And where the _fuck_ is the Avalanches?

― Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh lord, I have 20 of these. I'd bemoan the scientific proof of my Indie Boy status, but my list of non-mp3 records exactly matches Tim's + 7, 10, 29, 38, 40, 41, 50.
the hip hop entries - Jay-Z, N*E*R*D, Missy and Cannibal Ox are all fairly typical rock crit choices
But aren't these, along with the Skitz and the also-mentioned Beanie Siegel, pretty much the best hip-hop records of the year? What am I missing?
― scott p., Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

There is one thing that annoys me about this list - why's it out so bleedin' early?! (I know why - so as not to be made irrelevant by the monthlies and all the other polls that will soon be published). Not that I buy NME anymore, but if it was worth anything, surely this sort of poll was always best consumed in the slack moments of the Christmas holiday period? They're taking my nostalgia away from me (again)!
― Jeff W, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Just yesterday I was lamenting how few new releases I bought this year. Now I see why. (Not real excited about Ryan Adams either.)

― Dave225, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It is much earlier than usual. Would they allowing for U.S. newstand time for the two weeks leading up to XMAS? It has seemed to be trying to do a bit more globe-strattling lately in its coverage.

― scott p., Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I own eight of these, have heard bits of about half, and want to purchase six more of these. A pretty decent mix.

― Sterling Clover, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Beanie Sigel - don't understand what the Pinefox sees in him"

??? Never heard of this character.

Mike: b-b-but - what about the Old pinefox?

If we're comparing acquisitions from the NME's list, I presumably have none of them. But I do have Dylan's Love & Theft on a tape, so if that's on the list (is it?) then I do own one after all.

― the pinefox, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No... it's not: so I don't. Phew!

― the pinefox, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i love how piney is always in denial about his Beansz obsession. I think you prefer The Reason to The Truth though, it fits the profile better.
― gareth, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

peace. out.
― gareth, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

― no italics please, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I presume the Avalanches have either fallen out of people's memory (released in January syndrome (was it?)) or, like 69 love songs, every music journo tosspot in the country has a copy on import and so thinks it came out last year.

― alext, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Funny how this week's NME didn't really have any proper interviews - all that packaging for such a thin issue. Still, I was fool enough to go out and buy it for the first time since lord knows when, and all just to see if the Strokes/Stripes really did make it to the top.

Shame Fennesz didn't make the grade.

My other fave album of the year, the Cold Vein, came with hype- scription that explained it as one helluva good 'underground' release: STAY DOWN, sensible rappers!!!

― laavanyan, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have 1,2,3,13,14,16,21,29,30,31,33,44,45,48 - i most of them are good albums, but nonoe will make my top 10 list this year...

― g, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have 5 of them. I would only really keep 3 of them. I thought that Malkmus album came out last year?...I dunno...

― james, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

2, 11, 20, 24, 30, 48 found their way into my collection though only two of them deserve to be in it. White Stripes ended up topping the Exclaim year end poll Im told (havent seen the decemeber issue). On a tnagent I though Art Bergman once sang a song where he screamed "I fell out with the NME" but Im told its something alone the lines of "I fell in love with the enemy". Either way it is closer to "I faraflovin me"

― Mr Noodles, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have 14 of them. Of those about half deserve to be on the list. I've been meaning to buy around 6 more of them. It's a pretty good list but Tom's right about the really cringeworthy top ten.

Interestingly there's a sequence of records by what I regard as "ILM bands" running from 13-18 (though not all of those records are good).

― Ian, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have 1-7, 10-22, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 33, 37, 39-43, 46-49. But then, I don't have to buy them. Personal favourites that are missing: Spacek (too beard-strokey), Dillinja (too hardcore), So Solid Crew (too black), Suv (too strong), Kelis (too recent), The Avalanches (too many samples).

― JoB, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've got 9 of them, but I only purchased three of those.

― Dan Perry, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Gareth: still don't know what you're on about. Is "Beans" the same as "Beanie Siegel"?

― the pinefox, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

no Kardinal Offishall = bread and circuses

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Scott - I wasn't suggesting that the hip hop choices were in any way inaccurate! Just that they're the sort of albums that, through their very goodness, get sufficiently hyped for non hip hop fans to latch onto them. Which is why it's interesting seeing an album like Kurupt's Space Boogie - an album which I think is often excellent but patchy - making the list, as it hasn't benefited from the same sort of treatment (arguably because it doesn't quite deserve it? Points are certainly deducted for the awfulness of the single). Or maybe I'm to ooptimistic, as this could easily boil down to the use of a formula: a combination of 'safe' and 'dangerous' choices to appeal to both the consensus and those suspicious of a consensus.

― Tim, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No Manics anywhere to be seen. Interesting.

I own the Rufus W and Pulp albums. Tried hard to like them. They're dog whistle albums. Others can hear something there, but I only hear nothing.

As for my own top five:

1. Stina Nordenstam "This Is..." 2. A Camp "A Camp" 3. Daft Punk "Discovery" 4. Life Without Buildings "Any Other City" 5. Barbara Cook "...Sings Mostly Sondheim"

REISSUE: The Pet Shop Boys' first six albums with all the trimmings. FILM of the year: "Chuck and Buck" BOOK OF THE YEAR: JT LeRoy's "The heart is deceitful above all things"

Dickon x

― Dickon Edwards, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh my god there's a new Stina Nordenstam album? BUT I WAS NOT INFORMED!

― Tim, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sometime over the next 24 hours I will be posting my analysis on the NME's Top 50 Albums Of The Year (and Uncut's Top 70). Have I got some points to hammer home - you bet!

[quick point - I agree with some of the observations that the top 10 alone is crap - it contains 6 of the biggest turkeys this year]

Read my weblog each day! for music news, release dates and links to reviews @ DJ Martian

[Tim, you would have known about Stina Nordenstam's new album - I first reported about it back in September on my weblog! ]

― DJ Martian, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

http://www.chemicons.com/ images/pinefox.gif

― ethan, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Consider me duly chastised.

― Tim, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Rufus Wainwright at #8? How weird. I though nobody over there gave a shit about him. Did they just throw him in to make the Top Ten look less predictable?

― Arthur, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i have 15....of which i purchased the fugazi,radiohead,strokes,low,four tet,bjork and slipknot cds.

― william harris, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hmmm i have 12 of these albums (45, 43, 24,22,19,18,17,11,10,7,2) But seeing as i get sent quite a few for free i have only bought 2 (45, 24) And i only want one (35) Which i haven't got. How stupid am i for not buying the only album this year in the dumbass nme top 50 that i actually want? Errm actually , don't answer that

― Tony, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And where is luke haines (both albums should be in the top 10) and Fennesz and Air traffic controllers

― Tony, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And does anyone know what the top 5 compilations were, they usually do that ??

― Tony, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Use the same link upthread that gets you to the Top50 to see the top 5 comps. There's a link (box) you have to click on.

All these people who get records free! How can I get record companies to send me albums for nothing?

― Jeff W, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Looks like they're doing all the standard Xmas issue stuff over three issues to make Gavin and Emma buy them all. Circulation MUST be in trouble.

Of course all the November releases which missed their deadline will turn up in all the broadsheets, mags, etc. in Xmas week, which'll make their omission of So Solid Crew, Bubba Sparxx etc. look even more obvious and therefore make their list the most outdated of all. Fools!

Prediction: NME to continue on life support machine until 50th anniversary next May (?). Then go monthly for 2-3 issues and then go on-line for good. However long that lasts.

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Looks like they're doing all the standard Xmas issue stuff over three issues to make Gavin and Emma buy them all. Circulation MUST be in trouble.

SNAP, that is one of my points aswell, a desperate move to drag things over 3 issues to try and halt declining sales levels in the short term at New Mediocore Entrails. What was stoopid is that they must have voted circa week commencing Oct 22, because by November 1st there was advert in Uncut.

― DJ Martian, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Who are Gavin and Emma?

― Nick, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Looks like they're doing all the standard Xmas issue stuff over three issues

Does this mean there is no singles list yet? If there is, is there a link?

― scott p., Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No singles list yet. Just noticed the Daft Punk album. I have that too, which makes five.

― Nick, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Every album I have on it I bought, but I suspect you lot all have ISDN or something at work so can download mp3's quickly and easily. I have 2 (which is bollocks, basically), 15, 17, 21, 26, 29 (which is truly slightly wonderful), 32, 45. Will get the Aphex Twin and Daft Punk at some point. Might be tempted into Jay-Z. (No pun intended!) Maybe the Gorkys as well but I always comprehensively fail to buy their records. Strokes, Starsailor, Andrew WK would not have been on anyone's poll this year if the NME hadn't hyped them so much. (But I have a soft spot for the Andrew WK single so I won't say too much against that one). I did, however, think the point they made with the Travis one was fair - 'you know you listen to it and sing along with it in the pub' - and I think that's probably true. Dissapointed Bardo Pond wasn't on there, plus the stuff like Felix they've also been hyping a bit.
I'm in a strange situation with the NME - one where I keep on reading the thing because I want to know what records are out. I should probably stop. (Cue DJ Martian saying yes! Read my site!)

― Bill, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

One further point - NME readers poll album willbe either strokes or stereophonics I will bet (would have said the manics but no one gives a toss anymore). Always a duller than dull choice.

― Bill, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Are people really suprised that they ignored Fennesz? Were they on his jock all year or something? Or are y'all joking?

I only have five of the records on the list. Whoa.

― Mark, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Joking and ...where was Ulver and Solefald?

― DJ Martian, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

They were out doing their usual schtick with the white tigers and everything in Vegas.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Friday, 7 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've not got any of them and even if I did I wouldn't like them and probably would've got them free anyway because I'm special.

― Phil McCavity, Saturday, 8 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I heard a rumour that NME is going for a re-launch in the new year which will involve it going bi-monthly, glossy, A4 and "more lifestyle".

Apparently they're pretty much putting all their hopes into this re- launch. The problem, supposedly, is that the readership want a magazine that's "too indie-centric". Strange. I always thought NME was an "indie-centric" magazine and had been for, oooh, ages and ages.

Melody Maker went A4 and glossy before it folded. Select went "more lifestyle" before it folded. Vox went shit before it folded.

I give NME three months after the re-launch before they give up and concentrate on being a website.

― Nick Southall, Saturday, 8 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Interestingly enough (or not) NME = now run by IPC Ignite! Intelligent Mens Lifestyle Magazines for the past few months I notice aha ha.

― Bill, Saturday, 8 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I wonder who aktually gives a sh!t wether the NME folds or not? Anyone? I don't. Really, it's a matter of utter indifference to me.

― Norman Phay, Saturday, 8 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm with you Faycycler!

― Robin Carmody, Saturday, 8 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i only have two records from the list, haven't heard a note from most of the others. i did notice the write-ups didn't seem to be all that excited about the choices. i only had two of the records off of the rough trade list too, but i have heard all of the lovely songs from the czars lovely new album and will eventually buy it so that will make three. i must be deliberately narrow-minded. has anyone in the usa ever heard an Andrew WK song?

― keith, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Top 50 singles are now up as well: