Classic Pop

Classic Pop magazine is the ultimate celebration of great pop and chart music - featuring both the stars of yesteryear and the classic pop-inspired acts breaking today, Classic Pop brings you closer to the genre and music you love. Each issue – with 80s pop at its core – brings you the very best exclusive artist interviews, in-depth features, music news and reviews celebrating the finest acts from the late-70s post-punk scene through to the pop, synth-pop, New Romantic, ska, indie, electronic and guitar greats of the 80s and chart stars of the 90s – plus the best new acts that embrace our classic pop heritage.

WELCOME

Classic Pop

SOUNDBITES

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

GARY ‘MANI’ MOUNFIELD • 16 NOVEMBER 1962 – 20 NOVEMBER 2025

HOLLY JOHNSON SET TO TAKE IT TO THE TK MAXX

CP’s John Earls scoops best writer award

SHIIINE ON WEEKENDER SPRINGS INTO GEAR

THE WONDER STUFF • THE INDIE LEGENDS BURST OUT OF STOURBRIDGE FOUR DECADES AGO AND THEY’LL BE CELEBRATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR INCEPTION IN 2026. CP JOINS FRONTMAN MILES HUNT TO REFLECT ON SOME OF THE BAND’S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS.

1 HIT WONDER

ALEXANDER O’NEAL HOSPITALISED AFTER APARTMENT FIRE

GEORGE GETS FAITHFUL REISSUE

LOST & FOUND

COLOURFIELD BOXSET WILL TELL THEIR COMPLETE STORY

NEW WAVE LEGENDS UNITE FOR UK DATES

My POP life • THE STAND-UP COMEDIAN AND PODCASTER TALKS TO CLASSIC POP ABOUT HIS LOVE OF BLUR AND GIRLS ALOUD AND HOW HIS KIDS HAVE INTRODUCED HIM TO THE JOYS OF SABRINA CARPENTER AND TAYLOR SWIFT…

ROBERT SMITH ‘CUREATES’ 2026 TEENAGE CANCER TRUST CONCERTS

Live tour farewell from Saint Etienne

90S TV ICON ALL SET FOR NEW RETRO EVENT

Ian Peel’s A to Z of POP • W IS FOR… WHOLE BAND COLLABS

This month in POP FEBRUARY 1981 • A NEW-LOOK HUMAN LEAGUE RELEASE THEIR FIRST SINGLE, ONE-HIT WONDER JOE DOLCE HOLDS OFF ULTRAVOX AND JOHN LENNON SCORES ANOTHER POSTHUMOUS NO.1

TOP 5 UK ALBUMS CHART • 8 FEBRUARY 1981

“CAFÉ BLEU SET A TEMPLATE FOR US: WE SHOULD NEVER BE SCARED OF WHERE AN IDEA MIGHT TAKE US” • Sometimes stereotyped as Paul Weller’s jazzy riposte to The Jam’s split, The Style Council were a much broader and stranger proposition than that. Mick Talbot, Dee C. Lee and Steve White discuss life inside one of music’s most relaxed collectives. “We emerged in the 80s, but we weren’t an 80s band,” they tell us…

SMOKIN’ HOT

NEW TOWN VELOCITY

COME TO JERUSALEM

BLONDIE EAT TO THE BEAT • THE BIG APPLE NEW WAVERS’ FOURTH LONG-PLAYER GAVE THEM ANOTHER UK NO.1 ALBUM AND SINGLE. AN ECLECTIC BREW OF FEISTY POP, IN MANY WAYS AN EQUAL, IF OVERLOOKED, SUCCESSOR TO THE GLOBE-CONQUERING PARALLEL LINES…

THE SONGS

THE PLAYERS

THE VIDEOS

POPARAZZI • READERS SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE PHOTOS AS THEY GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN PLANET POP

MIRROR MAN • AHEAD OF HIS REFLECTION ARENA TOUR, RICK ASTLEY JOINS CLASSIC POP FOR A JOURNEY THROUGH THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF HIS EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND CAREER

ONE IN A BILLION • WITH 1.7 BILLION VIEWS, NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP IS THE FOURTH MOST-WATCHED 80S MUSIC VIDEO ON YOUTUBE. BUT WHAT’S RICK’S VERDICT ON THE OTHER BIG-HITTERS IN THE BILLION CLUB?

TOUR REFLECTIONS

SIMPLY RED • THE BRAINCHILD OF MICK HUCKNALL, SIMPLY RED IMMEDIATELY ASSERTED THEMSELVES AS BRITAIN’S PREMIER PURVEYORS OF BLUE-EYED SOUL, ENJOYING CHART-TOPPING SUCCESS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC WITH A SOUND THAT REMAINS TIMELESS 40 YEARS ON

CLASSIC POP • Enjoy reading all the latest news from your favourite artists, plus in-depth interviews, reviews, competitions and more when you sign up.

“This album is the fulfilment of a lifetime” • Based on the unreleased songs...