# Top 100 US magazines by circulation - Some of the largest I've never even heard of **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 23, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417 "2010-05-23T00:52:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/1 "2010-05-23T00:52:46Z")
Just an FYI I thought was an interesting snapshot on the things we think are think are important enough to subscribe to magazine about. [Top 100 Magazines - Here are the 100 largest magazines based on circulation.](http://nyjobsource.com/magazines.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/2 "2010-05-23T01:00:31Z")
Wellll…there’s jokers in that deck. The AARP magazines are, I’m pretty certain, free circulation magazines that are advertising driven and, if considered ‘paid’ then it comes with a membership that a lot of people sign up for due to insurance and other reasons. Most of the rest of the top ten have a VERY high newsstand circulation, particularly the women’s magazines. So there are a lot circulated that are never read and are either thrown out or returned and subsequently produce an amended circulation report. National Geographic, however, is strongly subscription-based. Though the price is below cost of production and the magazine, as almost all do, makes its money through advertising. Those glossy full pages don’t come cheap, baby. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/3 "2010-05-23T01:26:09Z")
[_Gourmet_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourmet_magazine) folded last year. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/4 "2010-05-23T01:42:27Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Wellll…there’s jokers in that deck. The AARP magazines are, I’m pretty certain, free circulation magazines that are advertising driven and, if considered ‘paid’ then it comes with a membership that a lot of people sign up for due to insurance and other reasons. Likewise all the AAA magazines - they send them out to all members. The first one on the list I don’t know is #30, which seems to either be a religious or new-age thing. Altogether there are 10 that I’ve never at least heard of. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/5 "2010-05-23T02:01:29Z")
Yeah, a bunch of those are the kind that come with your membership. We get AAA Via and it promptly gets recycled. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/6 "2010-05-23T02:07:59Z")
Which ones have you never heard of? The top 20 are instantly recognizable to me, but then I browse through the magazine section at bookstores a lot. And I’m over 50, so I get those frickin’ AARP mags whether I want them or not. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/7 "2010-05-23T02:10:34Z")
Hey, where’s _Big Black Asses?!_ And _Modern Bride?!_ :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/8 "2010-05-23T02:18:15Z")
Am I the only one who subscribes to _Bodilicious Boobies_? And why it _Time_ still wasting trees? Haven’t they heard about the Internet? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/9 "2010-05-23T02:21:31Z")
> [@john mace](#): > > which ones have you never heard of? The top 20 are instantly recognizable to me, but then i browse through the magazine section at bookstores a lot. And i’m over 50, so i get those frickin’ aarp mags whether i want them or not. game informer magazine taste of home guideposts real simple ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/10 "2010-05-23T02:30:17Z")
I was stunned that _Boy’s Life_ outcirculates _Motor Trend_. I’ve never heard of anyone getting _Boy’s Life_ before in my life. ETA: oh, its the official magazine of the Boy Scouts. That explains it. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/11 "2010-05-23T04:00:12Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Hey, where’s _Big Black Asses?!_ And _Modern Bride?!_ :mad: Modern Bride is dead as a doornail, my friend. I love it when I get questions about my job! Game Informer is a membership magazine, and the membership gets you better trade-in values at Gamestop. Guideposts is for your religious aunt. Your mom reads Real Simple and Taste of Home. I’m assuming you are a guy, **astro** , who is not religious and does not play video games. ETA - in other words, yes, there are ringers in the magazine world. We get everything on that list at the liberry except for Maxim. (In fact, we get everything on that list plus 1,400 publications. We get magazines that nobody gets. We get magazines that only theoretical, fictional people get. We can tell, because they never get around to sending them to us.) ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/12 "2010-05-23T05:56:59Z")
Whither _Mental Floss_? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/13 "2010-05-23T06:45:46Z")
I’ve been hearing for years that **Maxim** has been kicking **Playboy** ’s ass in every measure that matters. Looks like **Playboy** still has a slight edge in circulation, if not advertising dollars… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/14 "2010-05-23T06:56:57Z")
In the top 50, I’ve never heard of these: GAME INFORMER MAGAZINE TASTE OF HOME SOUTHERN LIVING GUIDEPOSTS REAL SIMPLE REMEDY MD FAMILY FUN COOKING LIGHT ENDLESS VACATION IN STYLE EVERYDAY WITH RACHAEL RAY ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/15 "2010-05-23T06:59:56Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > EVERYDAY WITH RACHAEL RAY My god, you’re one lucky SOB! ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/16 "2010-05-23T07:03:20Z")
Reader’s Digest makes excellent toilet reading. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/17 "2010-05-23T07:05:46Z")
I’ve heard OF Rachel Ray, but not that she had a mag. Which is a couple of steps down from Oprah – I heard of her, and I’ve heard of her magazine, but I’ve never seen anthing inside the covers. which I occasionally see on racks by the checkout line. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/18 "2010-05-23T07:12:18Z")
I work for the company that publishes like a quarter of those. And my job has absolutely nothing to do with magazines. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/19 "2010-05-23T07:41:37Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > In the top 50, I’ve never heard of these: > > GAME INFORMER MAGAZINE > TASTE OF HOME > SOUTHERN LIVING > GUIDEPOSTS > REAL SIMPLE > REMEDY MD > FAMILY FUN > COOKING LIGHT > ENDLESS VACATION > IN STYLE > EVERYDAY WITH RACHAEL RAY So what’s in _your_ dentist’s waiting room? ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417/20 "2010-05-23T11:55:45Z")
We used to get Guideposts when I was a kid–I think one of my aunts bought us a subscription. It was somewhat like Reader’s Digest but with a more religious fundamentalist slant. It contained a lot of important moral lessons which no one in my family followed. My college roomate and I joked that we’d start a spoof magazine called “Guardrails” which would be subtitled “For when you hit the skids.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-100-us-magazines-by-circulation-some-of-the-largest-ive-never-even-heard-of/540417.md?page=2)