Crawdaddy (magazine)
Crawdaddy was an American rock music magazine started in 1966 by Paul Williams, a Swarthmore College student. Named after London's Crawdaddy Club, it began as Crawdaddy! and became one of the first publications to treat rock criticism with serious, thoughtful writing—earlier and more influential than Rolling Stone or Creem. It helped launch the careers of many writers, including Jon Landau, Sandy Pearlman, Richard Meltzer, Peter Knobler, and Samuel R. Delany.
Williams left in 1968, and Peter Knobler edited the magazine from 1972 until its last print issue in 1979. Crawdaddy was known for in-depth interviews and profiles, covering not only musicians but broader pop culture figures, filmmakers, actors, and even politics. It published early, influential work on Bruce Springsteen, including the first major profile in 1972; Springsteen performed at Crawdaddy’s 10th anniversary party in 1976.
The magazine briefly paused in 1969, then returned in 1970 as a monthly, with national distribution. Its staff included Greg Mitchell, Tim White, John Swenson, Jon Pareles, and others, along with notable photographers. Crawdaddy earned a reputation for sharp, independent criticism and a mix of serious music coverage and humor.
In 1979, the publication changed its name to Feature and shifted toward general pop culture, but financial problems led to only a few issues under that title. Williams revived Crawdaddy in 1993, publishing 28 issues through 2003. He sold the rights in 2006 to Wolfgang’s Vault, and Crawdaddy came back online in 2007 as Crawdaddy.com. In 2011 Paste Magazine began hosting the Crawdaddy archives and continuing some new content.
Crawdaddy is remembered as a pioneer of serious rock writing and a training ground for many writers who helped shape how people talk about music and culture.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:57 (CET).