Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Celebrates 30 Years of 'Alternative Press'

The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and Museum unveiled a special new exhibit, Never Give Up: Alternative Press Magazine at 30, presented by Roadrunner Records, Fueled By Ramen, and Jakprints, on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

To commemorate the milestone and Alternative Press' unparalleled 30 years of championing underground music and breaking some of the biggest names into the mainstream, the exhibit features a history of the magazine, its best stories and photos, and how the publication contributed a much-needed voice to the underground over the years. 

Special artifacts on display in the Rock Hall's Patty, Jay, and Kizzie Baker Gallery include:

• Contact sheets from various photo shoots.
• Cover art from hundreds of issues.
• Letters to Alternative Press magazine from fans and celebrities.
• Video interviews with musicians featured over the years. (The video interviews are with AP staff, current and past.)
• A Gibson 2013 Joan Jett signature model guitar signed by artists from the 2014 Alternative Press Music Awards.
• A pajama top worn by Jay Bentley (Bad Religion) onstage at every show of Vans Warped Tour '98 and never washed.
• Snare drum played by Byron McMackin (Pennywise) on entire Vans Warped Tour '01.
• Rob Zombie original artwork illustrating Alternative Press' record review rating system.

"We're thrilled to be highlighting 30 years of Alternative Press," said Karen Herman, the Rock Hall's Vice President of Collections and Curatorial Affairs. "We rarely get to focus exclusively on alternative music—and this exhibit gives us the opportunity to not only focus on contemporary artists and their music, but to celebrate the magazine that often gave these artists their first national exposure."

"When we started Alternative Press in 1985, we had no idea if we were going to be around in six months much less 30 years," said Mike Shea, founder and CEO of Alternative Press. "For music fans to have believed in us all these years and to result in us being honored with this exhibit in the Rock Hall is still so mind-blowing to us. We are extremely humbled and proud."

The exhibit features touch-screens, Alternative Press' "Top 30 Songs," a lounge area to read copies of the magazine, and an all-new mobile application that provides visitors with an interactive experience. The app "AP at 30," powered by hubEngage, uses bluetooth beacons set up throughout the exhibit and augmented reality scanning to provide visitors with exclusive content, such as quizzes, streaming videos, and related information. It is available for download on both the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store by searching "AP at 30."