Music Week magazine quotes and headlines 1983-84

Music Week mags
I recently sold a pile of nearly 40 issues of Music Week from the end of ’83 and throughout ’84. Reading the news and ongoing concerns back then, nearly 30 years ago, seems like another world next to today’s download culture. Cassette piracy was still a concern, compact discs were only just being introduced, MTV and video promos were the hot item with VHS releases a much hyped format.

No eBay –  Adrians‘ weekly listings in the back of the music press was as near as you got. No iPods –  Sony Walkmans and boom boxes were the carrier of choice. No YouTube – only Top of The Pops, Whistle Test or MTV (if you had cable). No Discogs, Wikipedia or search engines to find out about your music – The NME, Melody Maker, Sounds, No.1, Record Mirror or Music Week every Wednesday or Thursday with Smash Hits, The Face, and i-D (surely the first emoticon?) monthly.

Here are some choice headlines from the issues:
‘Chrysalis sends promo video to NY via satellite’
‘Linn set to challenge CD quality claims with vinyl label’
‘Computer games industry woos record retailers’
‘High hopes for CD’
‘CD set for 1/2m sales in 1983’
‘City reports predicts CD will be ‘household item’
‘Japanese tape 8bn songs a year’
‘Weller to support home-tapers on TV’
‘Dealers angry at the £3 12″ single’
‘No moves on Sunday trading ‘in this season”
‘Quo: End of the Road’ (apparently Status Quo played their last ever gig in ’84!!)

One thought on “Music Week magazine quotes and headlines 1983-84

  1. Oh so familiar… I was there as a staff member during the early 80s! Covent Garden, Mornington Crescent, off Fleet Street and then the Big Grey Lubyanka (aka Express building) across Blackfriars Bridge. Many happy memories… the day the very first CD was brought into the office and the Ed. stomped on it to show how indestructible it was… except it broke… the 50s-themed 25th anniversary Record Mirror staff party presided over by a youthful Paula Yates… liquid lunches that frequently extended close to midnight… then we stupidly drove home… free gigs any night of the week… as long as we remembered enough to cobble together a review… company cars with unlimited private mileage and free petrol/parking… Yep, must dig some of those copies out of my attic and read what I missed in the haze…

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