Magazine’s greatest hits showcase one of post-punk’s most innovative and artistically adventurous bands. Fronted by the enigmatic Howard Devoto and featuring the guitar genius of John McGeoch, Magazine crafted songs that blended art-rock sophistication with punk’s raw energy. From 1978 to 1981, and later in their 1989 and 2011 reunions, this Manchester outfit produced music that remains startlingly fresh and influential. These 20 tracks represent the finest moments from a band that refused to follow conventions, creating angular guitar work, literate lyrics, and atmospheric production that helped define the post-punk sound.
The Light Pours Out of Me
Opening their debut album Real Life in 1978, this explosive track immediately established Magazine as something special. The song’s urgent rhythm section drives forward while McGeoch’s guitar creates shimmering, cascading textures that live up to the song’s title. Devoto’s vocals alternate between controlled verses and explosive choruses, capturing the tension between restraint and release that would become a Magazine trademark. The production, handled by John Leckie, gives each instrument space to breathe while maintaining the song’s propulsive energy.
A Song From Under the Floorboards
From The Correct Use of Soap (1980), this track showcases Magazine at their most atmospherically unsettling. The song builds from a minimal beginning into a dense wall of sound, with Devoto’s lyrics painting claustrophobic imagery that matches the increasingly oppressive musical arrangement. McGeoch’s guitar work here demonstrates why he’s considered one of post-punk’s most innovative players, creating textures that sound simultaneously organic and alien. The song’s production layers keyboards, bass, and guitar into a sonic architecture that rewards repeated listening, especially when experienced through quality headphones that can reveal all the intricate details.
Rhythm of Cruelty
Another gem from Secondhand Daylight (1979), this track exemplifies Magazine’s ability to merge intellectual complexity with visceral power. The rhythm section locks into a hypnotic groove while Devoto delivers some of his most cryptic yet compelling lyrics. The song’s arrangement features unexpected shifts in dynamics and texture, keeping listeners engaged throughout its duration. Producer Colin Thurston captured the band’s live intensity while adding studio polish that enhances rather than diminishes their edge.
Sweetheart Contract
The Correct Use of Soap delivered this deceptively catchy number that wraps sharp social commentary in an almost pop-friendly package. The song’s melodic hooks disguise its lyrical bite, with Devoto examining relationships through an economic lens. Barry Adamson’s bass playing is particularly noteworthy here, providing both rhythmic foundation and melodic counterpoint. The track demonstrates how Magazine could create accessible music without compromising their artistic vision.
Definitive Gaze
Returning to Real Life, this opening track sets the album’s tone with controlled aggression and artistic ambition. The song’s angular guitar riffs and driving rhythm establish Magazine’s sound immediately, while Devoto’s vocal delivery suggests both confidence and vulnerability. The production captures the band’s raw energy while maintaining clarity across all instruments. This track particularly benefits from listening through proper audio equipment that can handle its dynamic range.
About the Weather
From Magic, Murder and the Weather (1981), this track finds Magazine incorporating more electronic elements into their sound. The song’s atmosphere is thick with synthesizers and treated guitars, creating an almost cinematic soundscape. Devoto’s vocals are more subdued here, allowing the instrumental textures to take center stage. The production by Colin Thurston and the band themselves shows their growing confidence with studio technology.
Give Me Everything
Featured on the EP Play (1980), this track captures Magazine in a more straightforward rock mode while maintaining their characteristic sophistication. The song’s urgent tempo and direct lyrics create immediate impact, while the arrangement includes subtle complexities that reveal themselves over time. McGeoch’s guitar alternates between rhythmic chording and melodic lead lines, demonstrating his versatility. The recording captures the band’s energy with crisp, punchy production values.
Upside Down
From their late-period album After The Fact (1989), this track shows Magazine adapting to late-80s production aesthetics while retaining their essential identity. The song features more polished production than their earlier work, with clearer separation between instruments and more prominent drum sounds. Despite the contemporary production, Devoto’s distinctive vocal approach and the band’s sophisticated songwriting remain intact. The track proves Magazine could evolve without losing what made them special.
Motorcade
Another standout from Real Life, this song builds tension through repetition and gradual intensification. The motorik rhythm suggests krautrock influences while the guitar work and vocals are purely Magazine. The song’s hypnotic quality makes it particularly effective for extended listening sessions, with the arrangement slowly revealing new details. The production captures both the song’s mechanical precision and its human warmth.
Touch and Go
From After The Fact, this track features a more straightforward rock arrangement than much of Magazine’s catalog. The song’s accessibility doesn’t mean simplicity, however, as the arrangement includes sophisticated harmonic progressions and dynamic shifts. The production reflects late-80s sensibilities with gated drums and prominent keyboards, yet the core songwriting remains distinctly Magazine. Devoto’s vocal performance here shows the maturity that comes with experience while maintaining his unique phrasing.
My Tulpa
Closing out Real Life, this track demonstrates Magazine’s willingness to experiment with song structure and atmosphere. The song’s eerie quality comes from the interaction between the rhythm section’s steady pulse and the guitar’s unsettling textures. Devoto’s lyrics explore psychological territory with characteristic obliqueness. The production allows space and silence to function as musical elements, creating a listening experience that’s as much about what’s not played as what is.
Because You’re Frightened
The Correct Use of Soap includes this track that showcases Magazine’s ability to create tension through dynamics. The song alternates between quiet, introspective verses and explosive choruses, with the contrast creating dramatic impact. McGeoch’s guitar work employs effects and unusual techniques to create sounds that enhance the song’s emotional content. The production captures these dynamic shifts perfectly, making this a favorite among fans seeking powerful music experiences.
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
Magazine’s cover of the Sly and the Family Stone classic, also from The Correct Use of Soap, completely reimagines the original. The band strips away the funk groove and rebuilds the song with their post-punk aesthetic, creating something that honors the original while being entirely new. The arrangement emphasizes the song’s melodic structure while adding Magazine’s characteristic tension and release. This track demonstrates the band’s broad musical knowledge and their ability to make any material their own.
Believe That I Understand
From Secondhand Daylight, this track finds Magazine in a more contemplative mood. The song’s arrangement builds gradually, adding layers of instrumentation as it progresses. Devoto’s vocals are more vulnerable here than on many Magazine tracks, matching lyrics that explore uncertainty and connection. The production by Colin Thurston gives each instrument clarity while maintaining an overall cohesive sound.
Burst
Another highlight from Real Life, this explosive track lives up to its title with sudden dynamic shifts and intense performances. The song’s structure feels almost chaotic, yet everything is precisely controlled and intentional. McGeoch’s guitar creates walls of sound that collapse and rebuild throughout the track. The production captures the controlled chaos perfectly, making this a thrilling listening experience.
Cut-Out Shapes
Secondhand Daylight features this track that demonstrates Magazine’s melodic side. The song’s relatively accessible structure doesn’t mean lack of sophistication, as the arrangement includes intricate interplay between instruments. The production emphasizes melody while maintaining the band’s characteristic edge. This track shows how Magazine could create memorable hooks without sacrificing their artistic vision.
Hello Mister Curtis
From their 2011 reunion album No Thyself, this track proves Magazine hadn’t lost their touch after decades. The song references Joy Division’s Ian Curtis while exploring themes of artistic legacy and mortality. The production is contemporary but doesn’t try to hide the band members’ ages or history. Instead, it embraces their experience while maintaining the energy and innovation that defined their original work.
Feed the Enemy
Secondhand Daylight includes this track that features some of Magazine’s most aggressive playing. The rhythm section drives hard while guitars create layers of texture and noise. Devoto’s vocals match the intensity, delivering lyrics that critique power structures and complicity. The production captures the raw energy while maintaining enough clarity to appreciate the musical sophistication beneath the aggression.
Model Worker
From The Correct Use of Soap, this track examines labor and identity through Magazine’s distinctive lens. The song’s mechanical rhythm suggests factory work while the lyrics explore the psychological dimensions of modern employment. McGeoch’s guitar work includes unusual techniques that create industrial-sounding textures. The production by Colin Thurston balances clarity with atmosphere, making both the lyrics and music equally impactful.
The Great Beautician in the Sky
Closing this survey is another track from Real Life that showcases Magazine’s sardonic wit. The song’s title parodies Pink Floyd while the music creates its own distinctive atmosphere. The arrangement builds from sparse beginnings to a dense conclusion, with each instrument adding to the overall texture. The production captures the band’s vision perfectly, creating a fitting conclusion to any Magazine listening session.
Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is Magazine’s music?
Magazine is primarily classified as post-punk, though their music incorporates elements of art rock, new wave, and experimental rock. The band emerged from the punk movement but quickly developed a more sophisticated sound characterized by complex arrangements, literary lyrics, and innovative guitar work that helped define the post-punk genre in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Who were the key members of Magazine?
The core members included vocalist Howard Devoto, guitarist John McGeoch, bassist Barry Adamson, keyboardist Dave Formula, and drummer John Doyle. Howard Devoto had previously co-founded the influential punk band Buzzcocks, while John McGeoch would later join Siouxsie and the Banshees and contribute to numerous other influential post-punk projects.
Which Magazine albums are considered essential?
The three original studio albums are all considered essential: Real Life (1978), Secondhand Daylight (1979), and The Correct Use of Soap (1980). These albums showcase Magazine at their creative peak and remain influential in post-punk and alternative rock circles, with many critics considering them among the finest albums of the post-punk era.
What happened to Magazine after their initial run?
Magazine initially disbanded in 1981 after releasing Magic, Murder and the Weather. They briefly reunited in 1989 for the album After The Fact, then came together again in 2009 for live performances and eventually recorded No Thyself in 2011, their final studio album featuring new material with most of the classic lineup.
How did Magazine influence later bands?
Magazine’s influence can be heard in numerous alternative and indie rock bands that emerged in the 1980s and beyond. Their sophisticated approach to song structure, John McGeoch’s innovative guitar techniques, and Howard Devoto’s intellectual lyrical approach influenced everyone from R.E.M. to Radiohead, helping establish post-punk as a viable artistic direction beyond punk’s initial three-chord simplicity.