From Notes to Symbols: Band Logos and their Meaning

Music is a universal language that connects people around the world. It has the unique ability to trigger emotions such as grief, joy, enthusiasm and longing without even speaking a word. It is thus used in creative therapies to counteract mental illnesses.

In our youth years, many of us decorated our rooms with various articles of famous musicians. Every object, be it a poster, a T-shirt with the logo of our favorite band or a signed album cover, spoke volumes About us personality and our musical preferences. Some of them were extremely bizarre , such as the so-called "Kiss Kasket" , the Rolling Stones phone or the Slayer Christmas sweater.

However, everyone has one thing in common, the logo of the respective band. It is not just a simple graphic or lettering, but your visual trademark . But have we ever asked ourselves what is actually behind this logo? What is behind the artistic symbol that often represents more than just the name of a band?

The Rolling Stones

The tongue logo is undoubtedly one of the most iconic logos of all time. It is a trademark that is known to many, but is not always associated with the legendary rock band.

Although many believe that Andy Warhol , the famous pop art artist, designed the logo, it was actually designed by the then art student John Pasche . The Rolling Stones commissioned him after Mick Jagger was impressed by a tour poster he designed.

The inspiration behind the design is not based on Mick Jagger's lips, as is often assumed. Instead, Pasche found his creative suggestion, in a illustration that the singer presented to him. It was the image of the Hindu goddess Kali , which she shows with an open mouth and tongue stretched out.

In 1971 the tongue logo was first released on the album "Sticky Fingers" . Pasche initially received fifty pounds for his work. Later he got another two hundred pounds and finally he sold the copyright in 1984 for £ 26,000.

The logo of the Rolling Stones has been changed several times over time, but its identity was preserved. Nowadays it is still printed on various products such as clothing, cups and other accessories.

Nirvana

Sometimes it doesn't take much to describe an entire world. This applies in particular to the Nirvana logo. The simple yellow face , with your eyes closed and a light smile became a symbol for the Grungs scene .

Kurt Cobain , the frontman of Nirvana, designed the logo itself. However, the inspiration comes from a surprising place: a strip club called "The Lusty Lady" in Seattle, which had a similar smiley on his roof. the subject of legal disputes in recent years .

Kiss

The most controversial logo of the 1970s belongs to the music band Kiss. After the members have agreed, Ace Frehley , the former lead guitarist, created the logo with Edding. Since he drew with the eye, the lines in the two "S" are not exactly parallel.

However, what the band had overlooked was the unfortunate similarity of the double-S in her logo with the SS runes. You should actually display lightning. This fact only became clear in the early 1980s when Kiss was pointed out by the German government. This meant that in countries that banished Nazi symbols (Germany, Austria, Israel, etc.) could not use their logo.

So the band was forced to adapt their logo in these countries. Fortunately, it was quite feasible by exchanging "flashes" This story is a memory that even the simplest symbols can have political and historical implications.

Aerosmith

In contrast to the Nirvana logo, which has not changed at all, the Aerosmith logo has been adapted again and again over the years . Raymond Toabano , one of her original members, designed the first version This design showed the name of the band, whereby every letter was framed by wings.

All subsequent versions differed significantly from the original logo. However, the wings and of course the name were preserved as the main elements. The last change in the logo took place in 1982 and was used for the first time on the cover of "Rock in A Hard Place" .

AC/DC

There are secret facts through the band that many do not know, including the meaning and origin of their name. The brothers Malcom and Angus Young developed the band name together after seeing the initials "AC/DC" on a sewing machine of their older sister, Margaret. These initials stand for "Alternating Current" and "Direct Current" (AC and DC). All members were enthusiastic about this proposal and thought that he embodies their energy.

The first version of the logo that you used between 1974 and 1976 presented itself like a classic warning , handmade with stencils. This option was taken as a starting point and further developed over time. Although the band led the name AC/DC and a flash in the logo from the start, the first version in no way is similar to the symbol famous today.

Queen

learned many interesting facts “Bohemian Rhapsody” published in 2018 Especially about her extravagant singer Freddie Mercury . Although the band consisted of four members, he was the creative streak of Queen (formerly known as Smile).

So it shouldn't be a big surprise that he is responsible majestic logo It almost looks like a coat of arms with a large Q, a crown, a fire -breathing phoenix and other elements. British nobility from the start . This feeling also conveys her logo, which has certain similarities with the coat of arms of the "British Coat of Arms" , which has badly bad the British monarchy.

In addition to the main elements, the zodiac signs of the Queen members can be seen. So there is a lion to the left and right of the Q. They stand for John Deacon and Roger Taylor . In the middle is a shellfish that symbolizes the constellation of cancer and thus stands for Brian May . And of course the two fairies at the bottom represent Freddie Mercury , who was a virgin zodiac sign. Except for the colors, hardly anything has changed over time.

FUN FACT: On the logo of “A Night at the Opera” in 1975, one lion blond is than the other - just like Roger Taylor.

Ramones

Almost everyone knows them, be it because of their music or through their logo, which is still printed and worn on clothing. punk rock scene in the 1970s , consisted of four members:

• Joey Ramone
• Dee Dee Ramone
• Johnny Ramone
• Tommy Ramone

Arturo Vega , the friend and art director of the band is often regarded as the fifth member . He is responsible for the logo, which, although it looks quite simple at first glance, is composed of several elements. It is clear that his inspiration comes from the American coat of arms .

Because the logo consists of a white head eagle that is circled by stars. In addition to the olive branch, he holds a baseball racket and in his beak there is a saying band on which the known words "Hey Ho Let's Go" are.

FUN FACT: The main source of your income has been the T-shirts with the Ramones logo for many years. Overall, they sold more shirts than albums.

Conclusion

It is always interesting to observe how all these world -famous bands started. This makes you aware that not always the best resources or the biggest budgets are important to create something unique Often it is passion , creativity and the unique perspectives that make a difference.