Džuboks

First issue of Džuboks, released on 3 May 1966, featuring the Rolling Stones on the cover.

Džuboks monthly magazine was launched during spring 1966 by the Belgrade-based Duga publishing company[1] in the aftermath of the Gitarijada music festival, held months earlier over three days at the Belgrade Fair, whose large attendance and euphoric atmosphere were indicative of the rising popularity of rock music locally.[2] The idea for a rock music magazine came from journalists writing for Filmski svet (Film World), a film magazine also published by Duga, who wanted a publication that would cater to the growing number of rock music fans in Yugoslavia by covering new releases of that musical genre.[3] As there were no rock music experts among the journalists employed at Duga, decision was made to extend an offer of becoming Džuboks' first editor-in-chief to Nikola Karaklajić, national chess champion, member of the Yugoslav national chess team, and radio personality who had already done much to promote rock music in Yugoslavia. Karaklajić accepted the offer and set about creating a magazine.[3] Although not a first popular music magazine to be published in Yugoslavia, Džuboks became the first Yugoslav magazine dedicated specifically to rock music, and furthermore the first rock magazine in a socialist state.[4][3][5] While interviewed for the 2011 Rockovnik documentary series, Karaklajić stated:

Due to being able to get my hands on foreign music magazines, I picked up the tricks used by New Musical Express, Melody Maker, Rolling Stone [Rolling Stone was actually established one year after Džuboks], etc. And we put together a magazine that ended up reaching a circulation of 100,000 copies, each issue flying off the newsstands within three days of appearing.[6]

The first issue came out on 3 May 1966.[1] There was a huge discussion among the editorial staff whether the Beatles or the Rolling Stones should appear on the cover of the first issue, and the opinion favouring the Rolling Stones prevailed.[3] Višnja Marjanović, who later succeeded Karaklajić as Džuboks' editor-in-chief,[1] talked about the magazine during her Rockovnik appearance:

Back then, the things we did in that magazine — publishing a photo of a bunch of shaggy-haired guys on the cover, writing about foreign musicians, publishing entire issues without mentioning a single Yugoslav singer, publishing sheet music along with English language lyrics so that local Yugoslav bands could cover those songs easier — were considered to be borderline scandalous in Yugoslavia [...] It was pretty revolutionary and unusual... The inaugural issue with the Rolling Stones on the front cover sold out immediately. The day after its release, you couldn't find the issue anywhere on the market. There was a big hunger and need for those sorts of magazines.[7]

However, the negative reactions did not come from the ruling League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ), but from conservative cultural circles,[8] and, according to Karaklajić, there was no political interference into the editorial policy.[8] Karaklajić further stated that the only political interference occurred after the magazine's launch via an SKJ representative asking for a meeting with the editors to "see what was going on and to advise us to be cautious, so as not to be regarded as someone's agency".[8]

Historian Radina Vučetić, in her book Koka-kola socijalizam (Coca-Cola Socialism), wrote:

During the 1950s, the Ideological Commission [of the League of Communists] often discussed the Western influences, considered 'decadent' and dangerous even after 1948, while during the 1960s these subjects remain almost unmentioned. During the 1960s, the [Communist] Party's main worries were dissidents and the rise of nationalism, as threats to the inviolable brotherhood and unity and the unquestionable Marxist dogma. It was probably estimated that a magazine dedicated to young audience could even prevent these dangers and that, by offering an abundance of rock sound and colorful pictures, it could diminish other problems. [...] Generally, there was nothing in the concept of Džuboks which could idicate that it was published in a socialist country — there weren't glorification of Tito, mention of the Party, Yugoslav self-management or the youth work actions, and all of it, from the front to the back cover, could have been printed in any Western country. Džuboks wasn't meant for young communists only, it was meant for young people.[9]

The magazine's circulation was 100,000 copies. In comparison, the circulation of all youth magazines published by Yugoslav university organizations (for about 150,000 university students Yugoslavia had at the time) was about 80,000.[5] Džuboks published the top list of Yugoslav hit singles.[5] The magazine also published top lists from the United States, United Kingdom, France and Italy, later joined by Dutch, Belgian, Norwegian and Brazilian top lists, and on several occasions the magazine published top lists from the Philippines and Singapore.[10] During the first three years of the magazine's run, posters of foreign and domestic stars as well as flexi discs featuring international rock hits of the day were often distributed with the magazine.[1] The discs were published in cooperation with the Jugoton record label, which at the time had a licence contract with EMI.[11] The magazine also advertised Western radio stations (publishing their frequencies and program) and music magazines (publishing information about ways of ordering them).[12]

After the 39th issue, released in July 1970, Duga stopped publishing the magazine.[1]

In 1968, Duga started publishing Mini Džuboks, which, beside music, covered entertainment and fashion.[1] Its first editor-in-chief was Sava Popović, and was succeeded by Višnja Marjanović.[1] The first issue of Mini Džuboks was released on 9 May 1968. After the 33rd issue, released on 20 February 1969, Mini Džuboks was discontinued.[1]

In 1974, Dečje novine publishing company from Gornji Milanovac renewed Džuboks under the name Ladin Džuboks (Lada's Džuboks) as a supplement to the women's magazine Lada.[13] The first issue of the renewed magazine features Zdravko Čolić on the cover.

The magazine soon appeared as an independent publication under the name Džuboks.[1] The first editor-in-chief was Vojkan Borisavljević, and he was followed by Milisav Ćirović, Peca Popović and Branko Vukojević.[1] The first issue was released on 1 July 1974, and the last, 171st, on 22 July 1983.[1]

In 1984, Džuboks resumed publishing once again, this time run by editor-in-chief Ljuba Trifunović. It was discontinued in 1985.[1]