Examine the development of the music press from the 1970s to the present, comparing and contrasting the changes that came into play with the development of the online magazine format . The music press and journalists are often seen as an important link between artists/bands and consumers. Critics and journalists have played a historic role in the lives of many upcoming bands and are recognized by the music industry as playing a key role in promoting bands and artists. However, the music press is also known to play a role in promoting popular music as part of broader political, social and cultural concerns. Punk music is an example. Many claim that the birth of punk music occurred when the then newly formed "Sex Pistols" played their first concert at St Martins College in London. They were said to have "attempted to break into a music scene that had long been obsolete due to the fallout of the 1960s, the death of glam rock and the end of the pub rock scene." But others say it started in Detroit in the mid to late 60s. This saw the emergence of the Stooges and the MC5. They were raw, crude and often political, a far cry from their rock and roll predecessors like Elvis Presley. Many saw it as a breakthrough in a music scene that had long since become stale. The youth of the time were restless and bored with the music available to them and this exciting new musical genre changed the music press and even the world. Before this change, music journalism was often played very conservatively. We are a far cry from the fanzines of the punk era, whose DIY ethos was adopted by so many people that the practice of creating fanzines continues today even though most are created and published online.The V ...... middle of paper . .....m: A Rock's Backpages reader. United States: Bloomsbury Vivian, J (2009). Mass communication media. London: Allyn & Bacon. Sabin, R (1999). Punk Rock: So what? : The cultural heritage of punk. London: Routledge Cannadine, D (2004). History and media. London: Palgrave Horner, B (1999). A key term in popular music and culture. United States: Wiley-BlackwellWorks cited Shuker, R (1994). Understanding popular music. London: Routledge. Hoskyns, B (2003). The Sound and the Fury: 40 Years of Classic Rock Journalism: A Rock Backpages Reader. United States: Bloomsbury Vivian, J (2009). Mass communication media. London: Allyn & Bacon. Sabin, R (1999). Punk Rock: So what? : The cultural heritage of punk. London: Routledge Cannadine, D (2004). History and media. London: Palgrave Horner, B (1999). A key term in popular music and culture. United States: Wiley-Blackwell