NME has definately become more mainstream in recent years as it has attempted to fill the gap left by other music mags that have gone *splat* and now caters for such a wide variety of popular music that it aint ever gonna please everyone, but at least its better than Q. On a side note, although the bulk of the general music buying public do not play an instrument, it definately increases your appreciation of most music if you personally do, and you begin to like music simply for the skill with which it is played, or so i have found anyway