Smash Hits

Smash Hits was a pop music magazine published fortnightly in the UK from 1978 to 2006.

Links to The Human League
The Human League were featured a number of times with interviews, features, full page colour pictures and song lyrics. The group was first mentioned in the August 23 - September 1979 issue in a feature entitled 'Sheffield Rising' documenting the city's music scene and upcoming bands. Although they misspelt Phil Oakey's surname, the feature predicted that "they'll be among the leading groups of the '80s".

The magazine's 'Bitz' news section reported both the group's split ("League Division Two", issue November 13 1980, p.13) and the new band formation (issue November 27 1980, p.14).

The Human League have appeared four times on the prestigious front cover, twice with photographs of Oakey, Catherall and Sulley, once with a photograph of just Oakey and twice with photographs of Catherall and Sulley.

In the March 4 1982 issue, the magazine ran a 'satirical special' cartoon strip drawn by Harry North depicting the history of the group up to that point (pp. 30-33).

The group was featured in the magazine for the last time in the September 5 1990 issue, upon the release of the 'Heart Like a Wheel' single.

Images

 * selected images

Resources:

 * Like Punk Never Happened - Brian McCloskey's Smash Hits Archive blogspot


 * Like Punk Never Happened - Brian Mccloskey'S Smash Hits Archive on flickr