When you think of the British media landscape, few names provoke as much strong reaction as The Sun. Known for its bold “Red Top” logo, sensationalist headlines, and influential political stance, it has been the heartbeat—and sometimes the headache—of Fleet Street for decades. Yet, behind the tabloid gossip and the iconic font lies a complex history of business takeovers, technological revolution, and cultural controversy that shaped modern Britain.
The history of The Sun newspaper is not just a story about news; it is a story about the changing tastes of the British public. From its humble beginnings as a serious-minded broadsheet to its transformation into a populist powerhouse under Rupert Murdoch, the paper has acted as a mirror for the nation’s obsessions. Whether you view it as a pillar of free speech or a source of sensationalism, understanding its past is essential to understanding the UK media today. Here are ten facts that reveal the evolution of Britain’s most famous tabloid.
1. The Sun Rose from the Ashes of a Boring Broadshoot
Most people assume The Sun was always a tabloid, but it actually launched on September 15, 1964, as a serious, large-format broadsheet. It was created by the International Publishing Corporation (IPC) to replace the failing Daily Herald, which had become too closely associated with the trade union movement and was losing younger readers. The original goal was to create a modern, “independent” daily for the “socially radical” youth of the 1960s.
However, the “first Sun” was a commercial disaster. It looked like the old Daily Herald but lacked its soul, and it certainly wasn’t the exciting British tabloid journalism force it would later become. By 1969, the paper was losing millions of pounds a year, and its circulation had plummeted. It was considered a “worthy but dull” failure that most experts predicted would vanish into history. It took a radical intervention from an Australian outsider to turn the “boring broadsheet” into a household name.
2. The “Sun King” Bought It for a Bargain
In 1969, a young Australian media mogul named Rupert Murdoch saw an opportunity that others missed. While the IPC was desperate to get rid of the failing paper, Murdoch swooped in and purchased it for just £800,000—to be paid in installments. At the time, he already owned the News of the World, and he wanted a daily title to keep his printing presses busy throughout the week.
Murdoch’s acquisition of News UK (then known as News International) was a turning point in the history of The Sun newspaper. He immediately threw out the high-minded broadsheet format and relaunched the paper as a compact tabloid. He hired Larry Lamb as editor and gave him a simple mandate: make it lively, make it populist, and make it scandalous. This “formula” of sex, sports, and celebrity gossip quickly became the blueprint for the modern tabloid, and within a few short years, sales began to skyrocket, leaving more traditional competitors in the dust.
3. It Invented the “Red Top” Tabloid Formula
The Sun is the definitive “Red Top,” a term used to describe British tabloids with a bright red masthead. While this look is common now, it was part of a deliberate effort in the late 1960s to differentiate the paper from its main rival, The Daily Mirror. Under Murdoch’s leadership, the paper developed a unique voice that was aggressive, patriotic, and unashamedly aimed at the working class.
This tabloid journalism style relied on short paragraphs, simple language (often aimed at a lower reading level), and an emphasis on human-interest stories over dry policy analysis. It used the weather, horoscopes, and “livelier letters” to build a relationship with its audience that felt more like a conversation at a pub than a lecture from an academic. By the late 1970s, this formula made it the biggest-selling daily newspaper in the United Kingdom, a position it held for four decades until it was eclipsed by free newspapers in the digital age.
4. Page 3 Was a Calculated Business Risk, Not Just Nudity
Perhaps the most famous—and controversial—feature of the paper was Page 3, which featured photos of topless glamour models. While the paper had always used “cheesecake” photography to boost sales, it wasn’t until the first anniversary of Murdoch’s relaunch in November 1970 that the nudity became a daily fixture. The first model was 20-year-old Stephanie Rahn.
The decision to include Page 3 was a brutal business move designed to steal readers from the Mirror. It worked; circulation doubled to 2 million within a year. For decades, the feature was defended by editors as “harmless fun,” though it faced relentless criticism from feminist groups who argued it was demeaning to women. It wasn’t until January 2015, following the “No More Page 3” campaign and a shift in cultural attitudes, that the paper finally discontinued the topless images in its print edition, ending a 44-year tradition that had become synonymous with the brand.
5. Tabloid Headlines Became a New Form of Literature
If The Sun is remembered for one thing, it is the headline. The paper’s editors, most famously Kelvin MacKenzie, turned the art of the headline into a punchy, often hilarious, and occasionally cruel form of short-storytelling. They utilized puns, alliteration, and sheer audacity to grab attention on a crowded newsstand.
The most legendary example is the 1986 headline: “Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster.” The story, about a comedian allegedly eating a fan’s pet in a sandwich, was later revealed to be an almost entirely fabricated publicity stunt, but the headline entered the British lexicon as a symbol of tabloid sensationalism. These headlines weren’t just titles; they were the paper’s identity. They made the news feel like a pantomime, creating a “us versus them” narrative that kept readers coming back every morning to see who the paper would “bash” or “booster” next.
6. It Broke the Power of the Print Unions in Wapping
In 1986, the paper was at the center of one of the most violent industrial disputes in British history: the Wapping Dispute. For decades, “Fleet Street” was the heart of the newspaper industry, but it was also controlled by powerful print unions who often blocked the introduction of new technology. Rupert Murdoch wanted to use modern computers to streamline production, but the unions resisted.
In a secret operation, Murdoch moved the entire production of The Sun and The Times to a high-tech facility in East London known as “Fortress Wapping.” When the 6,000 printers went on strike, they found themselves locked out and replaced by a smaller, non-union workforce. The strike lasted for a year and featured massive picket lines and clashes with police. Murdoch’s victory effectively broke the power of the print unions and signaled the death of the old Fleet Street era, paving the way for the modern, tech-driven media industry we have today.
7. The Paper That Claimed to “Win” Elections
The Sun has long wielded immense political influence in the UK. Historically, the paper supported the Labour Party in the 1960s, but it famously switched to Margaret Thatcher’s Conservatives in 1979, helping her win three terms. The paper’s editorial stance became a barometer for the nation’s mood, and politicians from all parties went to great lengths to stay on its good side.
This influence reached its peak in 1992. After a campaign of relentless attacks on Labour leader Neil Kinnock, the Conservatives won a surprise victory. On the front page the next day, the paper ran the headline: “It’s The Sun Wot Won It.” While historians debate whether the paper actually swung the vote, the claim itself terrified the political establishment. It led to a period where “wooing the Sun” became a mandatory part of any election strategy, most notably for Tony Blair, who famously flew to Australia to meet with Murdoch before his 1997 landslide victory.
8. A Single Headline Caused a Decades-Long Boycott
The darkest chapter in the history of The Sun newspaper occurred in 1989 following the Hillsborough disaster, where 97 football fans were killed in a crush at a stadium. Four days later, the paper published a front-page headline titled “THE TRUTH,” claiming that fans had picked the pockets of the dead and urinated on police officers. These claims were entirely false and based on unverified police reports.
The backlash in Liverpool was immediate and permanent. Citizens organized a massive boycott, and to this day, many newsagents in the city refuse to stock the paper. Despite several apologies over the years—most notably in 2012 after an independent report cleared the fans of all blame—the paper remains a pariah in Merseyside. This event serves as a stark reminder of the immense power of tabloid headlines and the devastating consequences that occur when that power is used irresponsibly.
9. The Sunday Version Was Born from a Phone-Hacking Scandal
For most of its life, The Sun was a six-day-a-week operation, with its sister paper, the News of the World, taking the Sunday slot. However, in 2011, the News of the World was shut down in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal, where it was revealed that journalists had illegally accessed the voicemails of celebrities, politicians, and crime victims.
To fill the massive gap in the Sunday market, Rupert Murdoch launched The Sun on Sunday in February 2012. While it lacked the “darker” reputation of its predecessor, it maintained the same populist tone and red-top branding. The launch was a success, but it occurred during a time of increased scrutiny for the entire News UK organization. It proved that the “Sun” brand was strong enough to survive even the collapse of its most closely related title, though the shadow of the hacking scandal continues to influence how the paper is regulated and viewed by critics.
10. It Is No Longer the King of UK Print Circulation
For forty years, The Sun was the undisputed champion of the UK newsstand, with its circulation peaking at over 4 million copies a day in the mid-1980s. However, the rise of the internet and social media has been unkind to traditional print media. By 2018, the paper’s print dominance was finally broken when it was overtaken by the free newspaper Metro.
Today, the paper’s future lies in its digital transformation. Like most modern outlets, it has shifted its focus to a massive online presence, using “clickbait” style stories and SEO-optimized content to reach a global audience. While its print circulation has dropped significantly (so much so that it stopped publically reporting its ABC figures in 2020), it remains one of the most visited news websites in the world. The era of the paper “winning” elections may be over, but its ability to stir up conversation and controversy in the digital age remains as potent as ever.
Further Reading
- The Sun King: Rupert Murdoch’s Power Play by Neil Chenoweth
- Stick It Up Your Punter!: The Uncut Story of The Sun by Peter Chippindale and Chris Horrie
- Dial M for Murdoch: News Corporation and the Corruption of Britain by Tom Watson and Martin Hickman
- Fleet Street: The Inside Story of Journalism by Ian Jack
- Tabloid Britain: Constructing a Community Through Narrative by Paula Chan
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