Mojo (magazine)

Mojo (magazine)
Title	Mojo
Category	Music
Frequency	Monthly
Firstdate	1993
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Mojo (magazine) is a British music magazine known for longform journalism, retrospective features, and collector-oriented coverage. Launched in 1993 during the era of Britpop and the rise of alternative rock, the magazine has positioned itself alongside publications such as NME, Q (magazine), and Rolling Stone for in-depth profiles of classic and contemporary artists. Its editorial focus bridges generations, discussing figures from The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Radiohead and Beyoncé.

History

Mojo was founded in 1993 by music journalists and editors influenced by the legacies of Melody Maker, NME, Q (magazine), and the broader shifts marked by Madchester and Britpop. Early issues featured coverage of artists like The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Neil Young, and Patti Smith while responding to contemporaries such as Oasis, Blur, Suede, Primal Scream, and The Stone Roses. Through the 1990s and 2000s Mojo documented revivalist trends connected to Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty, and archival estates such as those of Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix. In the 2010s the magazine adapted to changes affecting magazines like Q (magazine) and NME by expanding features on artists including Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Adele, Kendrick Lamar, and David Bowie while engaging with reissues and box sets from labels like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment.

Editorial content and features

Mojo's typical issue includes longform interviews, career-spanning features, and deep-dive discographies on figures such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. Regular columns examine collections and reissues by labels and estates like Rhino Entertainment, Geffen Records, and Motown, and profile producers and session players associated with Phil Spector, George Martin, Quincy Jones, Brian Eno, and Rick Rubin. The magazine runs thematic issues and cover features on movements and albums tied to Punk rock, Psychedelic rock, Soul music, and Hip hop via artists such as Sex Pistols, The Velvet Underground, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Public Enemy, and Kanye West. Special sections give attention to anniversaries and canonical works including Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Highway 61 Revisited, Exile on Main St., and Dark Side of the Moon, often accompanied by annotated track-by-track analyses and timelines referencing producers, studios (e.g., Abbey Road Studios, Sun Studio), and festivals such as Glastonbury Festival and Woodstock.

Contributors and staff

Mojo has featured writing from veteran journalists and authors connected to outlets like Melody Maker, NME, Rolling Stone, and books published by Faber and Faber and Little, Brown and Company. Contributors have profiled and interviewed artists including Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Björk, and Nick Cave, and have included historians and musicologists who work on figures such as Alan Lomax, John Peel, and Ralph Peer. Editorial staff have included editors whose careers intersected with publications such as Q (magazine), Uncut (magazine), and institutions such as the British Library and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Circulation, distribution and readership

Distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally through retail chains and newsagents that also sell NME, Q (magazine), and Uncut (magazine), Mojo reaches collectors, archivists, and adult readers with interests in artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley, and David Bowie. Circulation trends mirrored broader print industry shifts affecting titles owned by media groups such as EMAP, Bauer Media Group, and TI Media, with subscription and newsstand strategies adjusted in response to competitors including Rolling Stone and industry events like the consolidation of Universal Music Group assets. Readership demographics skew toward adults with an interest in legacy acts, reissues, and archival scholarship related to labels and catalogues such as Blue Note Records, Island Records, and Motown.

Awards and influence

Mojo has won industry recognition and contributed to the careers and legacies of artists featured on its covers, influencing narratives around figures such as David Bowie, The Smiths, Paul McCartney, Oasis, and Radiohead. Its longform features and reissue coverage have been cited in liner notes, box sets, and retrospectives issued by labels like Rhino Entertainment and Universal Music Group, and have informed museum exhibitions at institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Music Experience, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mojo's editorial choices have shaped critical discourse alongside awards and lists compiled by organizations including the Grammy Awards, BRIT Awards, and NME Awards.

Digital presence and special editions

Mojo maintains an online presence that complements its print edition, linking coverage of artists like Radiohead, Beyoncé, Kanye West, Adele, and Taylor Swift with podcasts, playlists, and special digital supplements. The title produces special editions and themed publications—collector's guides, anniversary issues, and boxed magazine sets—centred on albums and artists such as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Exile on Main St., The Beatles Anthology, Led Zeppelin IV, and career anthologies for David Bowie and Elvis Presley, often coordinated with reissue campaigns by Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group.

Category:Music magazines published in the United Kingdom