History of Billboard Magazine

The magazine on the left is the very first issue of Billboard magazine, which was published in 1896. However Billboard magazine didn't become very well known until 1936. It is clear that Billboard magazine has gone through some dramatic changes since the establishment. By looking at the first edition I can see that the target audience is probably for people who are a lot older because the colour scheme and imagery used isn't suited to a young audience. Also, it looks like Billboard magazine first came around to be an advertisement base for concerts and fairs etc. and not a magazine about music artists themselves as it says 'A monthly magazine for advertisers'. Over the years Billboard have changed their content and target audience to fit with the times. This was mainly because of the development of the jukebox industry during the 1930s, Billboard started to publish their iconic idea; the music charts. Originally there were only three specific genre-specific charts: Pop, Rhythm & Blues, and Country & Western. In the 1950s it introduced a section covering the television industry, including ratings charts for programs. It continued to carry news of fairs, carnivals, theme parks and other outdoor entertainments until 1961 when these departments were spun off into a new weekly magazine.

At the start of 1961, The Billboard was renamed Billboard Music Week. The publication was now devoted almost entirely to the music industry, with some coverage of coin-operated vending and entertainment machines on its jukebox pages. The title was changed to simply Billboard at the start of 1963. In 2005, the magazine and its web sites were repositioned to provide coverage of all forms of digital and mobile entertainment.