Melody Maker

Melody Maker was a UK weekly music paper first published in 1926. In 2000 it was merged with the New Musical Express, a long-standing rival. Unlike Disc & Music Echo and Sounds, Melody Maker never had a regular column from Peel, although it featured the DJ in numerous articles and interviews.

As discussed with John Walters on Peeling Back The Years, Peel's victory in the DJ section of MM's 1968 readers' poll over Tony Blackburn may have helped to cement his position at Radio One. Walters commented:

"You look down a fairly straight poll – obviously the Beatles were in there and so on – and there was John Peel, and the top radio show was Top Gear. And I remember within Radio One people were absolutely astounded. And it was sort of resentment mixed with a reluctant acceptance that things had changed and that you had been a key part of it changing."

Peel would eventually win the same MM award 11 times.

On his show of 05 May 1997, which featured Blur's visit to Peel Acres, Peel showed off to the band his 1931 Christmas double issue of MM, as well as recalling a piece he did for MM's 50th anniversary and the fact that the lead article in the first issue had been about whether there was still a place for the banjo in the modern dance orchestra.

Links

 * Pathe News Online Archive: Peel at the 1968 MM Readers' Poll Awards and 1969 MM Readers' Poll Awards.
 * Wikipedia: Melody Maker