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The magazine's sales peaked during the late 1980s. In the early part of the decade it was regularly selling 500,000 copies per issue, which had risen to over one million by 1989. Sales began to drop during the 1990s and by 1996 it was reported that sales were dropping roughly 100,000 per year. By the
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Created by journalist Nick Logan, the title was launched in 1978 and appeared monthly for its first few issues. He based the idea on a songwords magazine that his sister used to buy, but which was of poor quality. His idea was to launch a glossy-looking magazine which also contained songwords as its
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The magazine was also available in continental Europe, especially in
Germany, where the issues could be bought at railway stations or airports. The title was licensed for a French version in the 1990s. There were other licensed versions in the magazine's history. In 1984, an Australian version was
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featured the lyrics of latest hits and interviews with big names in music. It was initially published monthly, then went fortnightly. The style of the magazine was initially serious, but from the mid-1980s became increasingly irreverent. Its interviewing technique was novel at the time and, rather
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and more of an entertainment magazine. The magazine also shifted size a number of times in subsequent relaunches, including one format that was as big as an album with songwords to be clipped out on the card cover. Television presenter and journalist
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6.50. On 30 March 2007 it was announced that the
Australian edition would cease publication due to low readership. The editor at that time was Emma Bradshaw. The issue that was scheduled to be released on 9 May 2007 was cancelled.
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created and proved just as successful for that new market as the original had back in
Britain, whilst in the United States, a version was published during the 1980s under the title
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1978: "Chris Hall" (pseudonym of Nick Logan, who refused to use his name as editor, instead inventing the name from those of his children, Christian and Hallie)
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magazine began in
November 1984 as a fortnightly. The magazine blended some content from the parent publication with locally-generated material. Australian
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also worked as a writer and assistant editor, and once said that had he not become a pop star, he would likely have pursued his ambition to become editor.
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and was later purchased by Mason
Stewart Publications. Over the years it became a monthly and then a bi-monthly. In 2007 the magazine retailed for
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In
February 2006, it was announced that the magazine would cease publication after the February 13 edition due to declining sales.
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than looking up to the big names, it often made fun of them, asking strange questions rather than talking about their music.
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In July 2009, a one-off commemorative issue of the magazine was published as a tribute to singer
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Design for Media: A Handbook for
Students and Professionals in Journalism, PR, and Advertising
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444:. In April 2022, another free special issue was released to promote the third series of
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813:"SMASH HITS RETURNS: A ONE-OFF SPECIAL OF THE ICONIC MUSIC MAGAZINE TO BE PUBLISHED"
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licensed the brand for a number of compilation albums, including a tie-in with the
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387:(which featured more celebrities and stars of TV series including Australian show
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216:. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued
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In the 1990s, the magazine's circulation slumped and it was overtaken by the
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It was published by EMAP, who also use the name for one of their
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during most of that time. The name survived as a brand for a
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399:) was closed and this celebrity focus was shifted over to
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678:"12 reasons Smash Hits was the best music magazine ever"
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stations to mark the debut of Martin's West End musical
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381:. EMAP's other biweekly teen magazine of the period
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digital television channel, which was later renamed
278:launched the career of many journalists, including
929:Biweekly magazines published in the United Kingdom
934:Defunct magazines published in the United Kingdom
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707:"Can 'Smash Hits' survive the end of Take That?"
543:, a retrospective of the early 1980s (80 - 87).
232:was also available but closed on 5 August 2013.
919:Music magazines published in the United Kingdom
212:aimed at young adults, originally published by
859:"Emap - Emap shuts Smash Hits after 23 years"
434:), the latter was a free magazine at certain
342:, drawing articles from the British version.
914:2006 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
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363:time of its demise, it was down to 120,000.
617:Di Hand; Steve Middleditch (10 July 2014).
353:station. The brand also covered the annual
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909:1978 establishments in the United Kingdom
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841:"Derry Girls (and Smash Hits) are back!"
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33:Not to be confused with the video game
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16:British music magazine, 1978 to 2006
797:Smash Hits returns for GaGa special
89:Initially monthly, then fortnightly
13:
779:Smash Hits resurrected for Jackson
754:"Smash Hits magazine closing down"
732:"Smash Hits magazine closing down"
14:
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883:Culture Vulture on the demise of
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653:"How we made Smash Hits magazine"
944:Magazines disestablished in 2006
894:website with full magazine scans
260:, a small-time company based in
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651:Simpson, Dave (6 August 2018).
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939:Magazines established in 1978
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412:was editor for a short time.
356:Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
559:was originally published by
534:Now That's What I Call Music
256:mainstay. The publisher was
244:First issue (September 1978)
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112:; 15 years ago
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56:Cover of a 1988 edition of
21:Smash Hits (disambiguation)
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393:and United States import
367:Final years of publishing
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623:. Routledge. p. 8.
787:, Retrieved 4 July 2009
586:Smash Hits (TV channel)
290:(who went on to launch
153:(final one-off special)
519:2005: Lara Palamoudian
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140:(final regular issue);
131:; 18 years ago
81:A4-size music magazine
892:Smash Hits Remembered
430:) and November 2019 (
375:'s spin-off magazine
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230:digital radio station
129:13 February 2006
865:on 14 February 2009.
516:2002: Lisa Smosarski
396:Beverly Hills, 90210
349:services, and for a
19:For other uses, see
97:September 1978
46:
547:Australian edition
524:Compilation albums
486:1989: Richard Lowe
436:London Underground
426:), December 2010 (
347:digital television
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169:(one-off specials)
121:(one-off specials)
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821:. 4 November 2019
818:Bauer Media Group
760:. 2 February 2006
734:. 2 February 2006
630:978-1-317-86402-8
561:Fairfax Magazines
504:1997: Gavin Reeve
489:1990: Mike Soutar
228:, and website. A
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167:Bauer Media Group
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262:Peterborough
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64:pop singers
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28:Star Premium
447:Derry Girls
318:Tom Hibbert
314:Chris Heath
280:Radio Times
266:Disco Fever
218:fortnightly
126:Final issue
94:First issue
903:Categories
885:Smash Hits
800:Music Week
784:Yahoo News
738:22 October
716:23 October
688:22 October
662:22 October
604:References
597:Number One
567:5.95 Inc.
557:Smash Hits
553:Smash Hits
537:brand for
512:Emma Jones
494:Mark Frith
473:Mark Ellen
432:Max Martin
401:Smash Hits
288:Mark Ellen
284:Mark Frith
276:Smash Hits
270:Smash Hits
249:Smash Hits
205:Smash Hits
164:(original)
162:EMAP Metro
136:2006-02-13
78:Categories
62:Australian
60:featuring
58:Smash Hits
44:Smash Hits
825:9 January
428:Lady Gaga
424:Take That
339:Star Hits
196:0260-3004
86:Frequency
35:Smash Hit
881:Guardian
764:22 March
758:BBC News
636:2 August
591:The Hits
580:See also
405:teen pop
236:Overview
226:Box Hits
222:spin-off
182:Language
454:Editors
328:of the
282:editor
185:English
174:Country
158:Company
149:2022-04
147: (
134: (
117:2009-07
115: (
104:1978-09
102: (
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510:2001:
498:1996:
492:1994:
480:1986:
471:1983:
465:1981:
682:Metro
845:Heat
827:2020
766:2014
740:2018
718:2018
690:2018
664:2018
638:2015
625:ISBN
573:NZ$
571:and
529:EMAP
384:Big!
320:and
305:Word
302:and
299:Mojo
258:EMAP
214:EMAP
191:ISSN
68:and
569:GST
565:A$
373:BBC
308:),
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