Flashback originates from the local fanzine Dead or Alive founded and published on 25 February 1983 by then 14-year-old Jan Axelsson in Norrköping.

It developed into multiple projects focusing on different aspects of subcultures; mainly punk, and changed its name to Flashback in February 1993.

The company publishes "Scandinavia's biggest neutral newsletter" with over 120,000 subscribers on a monthly basis.

In 2003, a trial in the Market Court ruled against Flashback Media Group AB and Jan Axelsson, determining that the forum had displayed illegal advertising for equipment for pirate decryption of cable TV, and ruling that the publishing company had not exercised sufficient editorial control over the content of the Flashback forum.

Since 2010 it is based in New York, USA and it is owned by Flashback International Inc.[4][5] In October 2010 Flashback Media Group AB started Travel Forum, a travel website with articles, guides, reviews and discussions of travel-related content.