Nearly 40 Years of Rock-n-Roll

“Popular 1 rocks.” -Nikki Sixx, Mötley Crüe, 2009.

Some years ago, an adventurous young couple with a three-year old baby decided to publish the first rock-n-roll magazine in their country. Their names were José Luis Martín Frías and Bertha Yebra. Their three-year-old son was Cesar, and their other “baby” was called Popular 1.

The fact that yet another magazine about rock and roll existed in the world wasn’t that significant. What was extraordinary was the time and place in which it happened: Spain in 1973, under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.

Spain in the early 1970′s

Bertha Yebra, cofounder and muse of Popular 1

By the time the dictatorship collapsed with Franco’s death in 1975, the Spanish people had endured 40 years of poverty, political repression and cultural stagnation. In fact, the rest of the world classified Spain as a Third World country.
The Spain in which José Luis and Bertha grew up was a backward authoritarian religious theocracy, supposedly based on the Roman Catholic faith, which systematically abused its citizens while proclaiming the rule of God and decency.
Freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and the most basic of human rights were nonexistent. Repression of women, gays, and ethnic minorities was the norm. Those who opposed – or whom were merely suspected of opposing – the Franco regime were routinely imprisioned, tortured, and often executed.

Thus, publishing a magazine dedicated to the type of music that most glorifies sex, drugs, freewheeling lifestyles and a downright “fuck you, I won’t do whatcha tell me” attitude towards authority perhaps wasn’t the most… well, discreet move.

But it was pure rock-and roll.

Bertha and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd. 1970's. Photo: Martin Frías

The Early Days of Popular 1

In spite of their scant resources and limited English, José Luis and Bertha got right to work contacting their favorite rock bands. In those days, rock-n-roll was at its peak, and before they knew it, Popular 1 was introducing the Spanish population to The Rolling Stones, The Who, Nico, David Bowie, Queen, T. Rex, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Genesis, Bad Company… to name a few.

Patrick Moraz of Yes reading Popular 1, 1970's. Photo: Martin Frías

In 1976, Popular 1 was the only Spanish medium to cover the punk rock explosion. In the following years, it offered exclusive reporting on groups like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, even The Plasmatics. In fact, the magazine was so vanguard that, in 1980, it put Wendy O. Williams on the cover. This was a time when most magazines in the U.S. wouldn’t even do such a thing. A year later, in 1981, Popular 1 put David Lee Roth on the cover, thereby introducing the entire country to the greatness of Van Halen.

The Wendy O. Williams and David Lee Roth covers are typical examples of the groundbreaking character of Popular 1. It has always been ahead of the rest of the Spanish media – and occasionally, even the U.S. and British media – in terms of supporting new, up-and-coming artists that later went on to become legends. Van Halen, Guns ‘N Roses, Marilyn Manson, Public Enemy, and Jane’s Addiction are examples of bands that Popular 1 was writing about when the rest of Spain had never even heard of them.

The Next Generation: 1985-Present

But what happened to the three-year-old at the start of this tale? In 1984, at the age of 15, Cesar followed in his parents’ footsteps and began writing for the magazine. He’s never stopped.

The second phase of Popular 1 saw the discovery of groups like Guns N’ Roses and Jane’s Addiction. The content became more varied as well, including in every issue non-musical subjects that were nevertheless 100% rock-n-roll. This quirk was always present, though; for example, the magazine dedicated the cover to The Rocky Horror Picture Show the year the picture debuted.
The multidisciplinary, generalist point of view keeps Popular 1 fresh and surprising. Where else could you find not only interviews with rock stars, but also underground bands like Mother Superior and The Gits? Not to mention film directors (Russ Meyer, David Lynch, Jess Franco, Eugenio Mira), adult film stars (Sasha Grey, Marilyn Chambers, Seka, Nina Hartley, Veronica Hart, Vanessa Del Rio, Ginger Lynn), authors (Dennis Cooper, John Skipp), and cult personalities like Forrest Ackerman, Liz Renay, Raven De La Croix, and Elvira.

Today, nearly four decades after its birth, Popular 1 has influenced not one, but two generations of Spanish speakers worldwide who have grown up reading the magazine, only to later introduce it to their own children.

Popular 1 also enjoys an industry credibility that not all magazines can claim. The magazine’s unwavering commitment to remain underground and independent of outside interests has earned it the respect of countless artists, from Alice Cooper to Ian Astbury.
Courtney Love has said that she used to buy Popular 1 during the time she spent hitchiking in Spain. Lars Ulrich read Popular 1 for years — thanks to his parents, who lived in Spain in the eighties and nineties, and would send him copies of the magazine whenever it did an article on Metallica. During the Kobetasonik Festival of 2009, Nikki Sixx granted only one interview to the press. He chose Popular 1.

The reason? In his own words: “Popular 1 rocks.”