This is a complete list of all the magazines available for purchase in the UK.

These are the most popular:

UK Magazines

Kerrang! Metal Hammer Q NME Rock Sound Classic Rock Rolling Stone MOJO BBC Music

Market Research

Kerrang! is published by Bauer media group and mainly aims at the (male) teenage audience, therefore it mainly includes modern-day bands in the sub-genres of rock and metal, such as: emo, punk, metal and post-hardcore. It occasionally includes free gifts like posters, stickers, which relate to the modern merchandise of new bands which are in high demand for the younger (teenage) audience. The magazine has a readership of 293,000 (2013) and a circulation of 33,024 (early 2014).

Metal Hammer is published by Team Rock, and is a magazine aimed at a young male audience (of which half are employed, half are studying). It had a circulation of 41,777 people in 2010, and a readership of 91,909 in 2010.The magazine features the most influential well-known (and not so well-known) metal bands of the present, as well as including the classics and pioneers of the genre. It regularly includes a free CD, and an assortment of gifts.

Classic Rock is published by Team Rock, and has a readership of 149,608 people of which most of them are men over 35 years of age. It has a circulation of 56,714 (early 2013) and average of 43% sharing their copy with someone else. Classic Rock targets an audience of males that are 35 years old or over by bringing the biggest classic rock icons together in one place. They feature tour dates, interviews and backstage information on bands and rock stars that are currently working on a project. They often feature a free CD or gift (such as badges) with every issue.

Masthead – The biggest and boldest font on the page to ensure that the magazine can easily be identified at a first glance. Also, as the masthead is white, it contrasts well the rest of page’s colour scheme of black and white (monochrome).

Layout – The magazine uses text boxes to separate out the importance of each piece of information and highlight the most important words (such as Led Zeppelin).

Feature Headline – This is the second largest font on the page. This is because its aim is to capture the audience by using a classic band that is well known, to relate to the older middle aged male audience, who are more likely to listen to this kind of music from their youth.

Main Image – This image shows the band as the main subject, but shows them in their own zone rather than addressing the audience. This makes the audience feel like the band is superior and somewhat god-like because of the fact they are all looking away and above.

Colour Scheme – The page uses a main scheme of monochrome and gold to show that the subject of the cover story (Led Zeppelin, 1969) is associated around classic bands that would be considered “golden” and pioneers of the heavy rock genre. It also adds a high class, “legend” appearance.

Barcode – This uses a convention that defines the cover as a magazine. It also displays the price (£3.75) which is clearly aimed at working class people who tend have a bit more money. The publisher also features (Team Rock) which assures the reader that the magazine is official.

Skyline – This is a banner at the top of the cover to display extra information (which has the same style) but does not take priority over the feature headline or the masthead.

Front Cover

Contents

Layout/Colour– The colours used (mostly black, red and white) are in a house style however do not dominate the page which shows that it has been designed at an audience that isn’t too concerned with the appearance of the pages, they are more interested in the information in the text (as shown by the large amount of text under each subheading).

Main Image– The image used relates to the main story featured in the issue. The image also shows the audience the dominance and talent the star has from the way he is positioned in the shot taken (on a high stool, with a smug expression).

Sub Images– Normally smaller images are used to go with the subheadings in the column to the right. However, the magazine does not do this which shows once more that the audience reads this to be informed regardless of what the appearance of the magazine is.

Main Image – This uses a close up of the musician to reinforce the idea of being up close and personal with the artist, which gives the audience a feeling of intimacy with both the artist and the magazine. The star is also looking up and away to show he is superior and a rock icon, which is known by the audience.

Caption – This adds detail and relates to both the image and subject of the text. This gives the reader a multimodal insight into information.

Layout/Colour – The spread is sectioned into columns mostly, which are sometimes interrupted by line and other text boxes (which are a different colour) and use images to show that they are an important note to consider. The colours used are related to the word “classic” and use tonal browns and reds to keep in mind the fact that the magazine wants to be sophisticated and more high-brow due to the rock icons it features.

Title – This is the largest font to make sure the reader knows the topic the spread (especially if readers are just flicking through). However it also matches the image and house style of classic colours (browns and reds) to add continuity and that same kind of style as their front covers.

Double Page SpreadMain Audience = Men (35+)

Colour Scheme– The colours used (blues, yellows and whites) stick to the idea of electricity and also show that the guitarist has an enormous power over the music he plays, which can electrify the audience with his “superhuman” guitar work. The use of darker colours also relate to the fact that metal music is dark and heavy, and often left in the shadows for mainstream music.

Layout –Unconventional layout due to not having a barcode and price (this is because the magazine had these on a separate plastic cover). The placement of the musician is in between “AC” and “DC” which shows him being the lightning between them (the lightning often appears on their logo too).

Feature Headline – The band’s name fills the whole page, to show their importance, and uses a bold font which is cracked to show that the band’s music is so loud and hard-core that it cracked the font on the cover.

Masthead – This matches the whole style of the cover (and even uses the same kind of AC/DC style used for their logo), and has the same font as feature headline. This is important to show the audience that it is an official, known and trusted brand.

Cover Line – This uses well known metal bands (Metallica, Korn) that are current which tend to appeal more to the male audience. There is a “voltage” sign which is also used to relate to the band name, but the sign also relates to signs you would find in Australia, where most of the bend originated from.

Main Image – The image dominates the whole page, and it appears that the guitarist is a “live-wire” which relates to the band’s name AC/DC. The fact that once again, the musician is facing away determines the superiority of him compared to the audience, and makes the audience aware that he is a rock icon.

Front Cover

Contents

Main Images – The images featured are replaced like subheadings but show that the stories are likely to be more important over the others. They feature pictures of the band which may be easier to recognise than just the band names, which could also interest the reader in finding out more.

Layout/Colour – The text is laid out in columns to make the reader clearly skim read and pick out page numbers for stories to flick to. The colours used for text are black, red and white which shows that colours are not too important here. However each band name is in bold so that the reader can glance over at a name and quickly find the page to turn to.

Sub Images – Smaller images are used that are linked to what is shown in the contents or even link back to previous stories in previous issues.

Main Image – This shows the star looking out at the audience to connect with them personally. The way the star is positioned is showing him poising like a warrior ready to pounce. Also the background behind him shows him high up with the sky behind him – this shows his superiority as he looking down at the audience, but still shows a direct address with the audience.

Title – This appears quite messy and faded (almost like veins which relates to the subject of the loss of a life in the band) but has an element of sophistication to show that the band that is the subject of the article is still hard-core but have been through the wars to stay together.

Layout /Colour– This uses columns to separate out the text which is interrupted by quotes from the band. The colours used (dark blue, dark red, faded colours) are carried on from the main image of what the star is wearing and the background of the sky.

Language – This double page spread uses fairly sophisticated language but in a fairly informal way. This is to appeal to their (male) older teenagers and students which make up their audience.

Double Page SpreadMain Audience = Male teenagers/students

Masthead – This is the biggest font on the page to show the readers what brand it is, but as the main image overlaps the text, it shows that a large amount of the audience already know what they’re buying so they don’t need to see the full masthead. The font used also represents the magazine as tough, cracked and scratched to show that the artists’ music is hard-core.

Main Image – This addresses the audience directly by breaking the fourth wall. It also depicts the rock star as a tough warrior (and a role model too for teenage males) from his body language and from his attire (he’s not wearing a shirt which shows his “hard-core” tattoos).

Sub Images – These are used to give the audience an insight into the freebies inside of the magazine, which include posters of popular bands which will appeal to the younger scene that enjoy rock and metal music.

Feature headline –This uses a bold, faded and scratched font to relate to the fact that rock music is brutal and wears you down because of it. It’s also in a red “blood” text box which has connotations of death, murder, war and evil. This adds to the idea of rock music having a heavy brutality to it.

The feature headline also connects to the main image which shows Andy Biersack holding a silver cross which relates to the word “exorcism” in the feature headline, and depicts Biersack as some kind of hero against demons and evil.

Language – The fact that there is a bold statement of “How rock can make you happy” reflects the predominantly younger audience, who battle with personal issues so that article would appeal to them. It also uses informal (and rebellious) language that is used by the every-day British teenager, to appeal to them more. It also uses intertexuality “Paramore VS Bieber” which uses a celebrity from a different genre of music (pop) to add humour to the page.

Layout/Colour– The cover uses red and yellow (and also a mixture of fonts) which aren’t often featured together which shows that the magazine is daring and loud just like the rock music that features inside. The layout of words uses capital letters to mimic shouting or screaming much like rock and metal music.

Front Cover

Contents

Layout/Colour– The text has been placed into columns as a list so that the audience can easily find what they’re looking for. The text uses bold band names so that they can easily found. The contents also has a black, white and yellow colour scheme which is quite daring to match the adventurous side of the magazine.

Main Image –The image has a match on tones with the colour scheme (black and whites) which represent the star as being cool and very old school rock and roll (and very rebellious) which would be relatable to young teenagers going through a similar phase.

Sub Image –These images show important or “exclusive” stories aside to the main feature, and show the whole of the busy double page spreads to entice the audience to take a look.

Main Image – The star looks out at the audience, to make them feel more connected to her. This is so the teenage audience (specifically the smaller female audience) can reflect themselves onto the image, and will see her as a role model – especially because she is a similar age group to them but is dressed maturely.

Layout/Colour – The article uses columns with a clear question and answer format which makes it easy to read and follow. It also uses a tab at the top right (highlighted in pink) to add extra important information that is needed to understand the whole subject. The colours used (pink and white) relate to the singer’s femininity and due to its brightness a sense of outgoing.

Title – The font used is like it is graffiti which relates to teenage rebellion (and being “wild”) and anti-social behaviour. However, it also goes back to the idea that the band’s music is brutal

Language – This uses a very distinct voice that can be easily understood, and even used by the younger teenage audience. The subheading is also very inclusive which would appeal more to teenagers due to the fact that they are more likely to want to fit in with others (and feel part of a community).

Double Page SpreadMain Audience = (Male) Teenagers