What artist/band has the most iconic logo in music history?
The music industry has seen some truly remarkable logos over the last decades. In more recent years, artists in popular genres like pop- and dance music work hard to build a brand to help with marketing.
“One good thing about music—when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
Bob Marley
In many cases, the logos are so well known that they become an anecdote within popular music. As music fans and logo fanatics, NewGlue will list the top 50 logos throughout music history, from motown to techno, starting with positions 50 – 41.
50. Rage Against The Machine
As cultural icons, Rage Against The Machine became the Beatles of a young and politically active generation in the 1990’s. Their logo, a closed fist raised in the air, might have been hard to trademark but it made a breakthrough and was a very appropriate symbol for the radical rockband that turned political messages into heavy-metal mega hits.
Alternate logo made on NewGlue
49. Scissor Sisters
The 80’s-influenced pop band Scissor Sisters have made great radio hits like “I don’t feel like dancin’” and “Take your mama”. Their logo, designed by the band’s guitarist Scott “Babydaddy” Hoffman in 2001, pictures a pair of scissors made out of two female stiletto-wearing legs, which visualises not only the band’s name, but also their visual style and sound.
Alternate logo made on NewGlue
48. The Strokes
The notorious indie rock-band from New York City, with lead man Julian Casablancas, received a cult status shortly after they hit the big scene. The logo, a chromed stylized wordmark, has a clear retro vibe and pays tribute to the 1980’s rock scene.
Alternate logo made on NewGlue
47. KORN
The heavy-metal band’s logo takes inspiration from the infamous words “Redrum” from horror classic The Shining, where the R is mirrored in a childishly written font. In 1996, the logo was tattooed on guitarist Brian Welch’s back by no other than Limp Bizkit’s singer Fred Durst.
Alternate logo made on NewGlue
46. Outkast
Genius rap duo Andre 3000 and Big Mike is hiphop’s most creative and visual group. The playful shield-logo is easy recognisable and was a great symbol when the band started in Atlanta in 1992. But as the duo’s appearance grew more stylish in the 2000’s, the logo felt more and more out of character.
Alternate logo made on NewGlue
45. The Who
English rock legends The Who were founded in 1964 and have made immortal songs like “Baba O’Riley” and “My Generation”. The logo, designed by Brian Pike, uses the colors of the English flag and is a copy of the Royal Air Force’s logo. The wordmark uses an arrow which many interpret as a reference to the symbol for the male gender.
Alternate logo made on NewGlue
44. Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an interesting case in terms of branding. Not only because of how they explore and overlap different musical genres like pop, hiphop and electronic music, but also because of the way they visually present themselves. The band, led by Blur singer Damon Albarn, always appear in the shape of four cartoon characters. Looking beyond the logo, Gorillaz have done a tremendous job in branding themselves.
Alternate logo made on NewGlue
43. Foo Fighters
During the Second World War, fighter pilots used the term ‘Foo Fighters’ to describe unidentified flying objects. The American rock band, founded by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, uses a logo that resembles the marks you would find on the side of a fighter jet from that era.
Alternate logo made on NewGlue
42. Radiohead
First appearing in the band’s classic album “Kid A”, Radiohead’s logo (commonly referred to as ‘modified bear’ ) was designed by graphic artist Stanley Donwood and the band’s legendary singer Thom Yorke under the alias ‘Tchock’.
Alternate logo made on NewGlue
41. Pixies
The Pixies was founded in 1986 in Boston and is said to have influenced bands like Nirvana, Radiohead and Blur. After the band broke up in 1993, they reunited in 2004. The band’s logo was designed by Chris Bigg as cover art for the singel ‘Alec Eiffel’ (1991). Since then, the logo has stayed with the band and become popular memorabilia on t-shirts and other promo items.
Alternate logo made on NewGlue
There you have it! A few of the best logos ever made in music. Stay tuned (no pun intended) for the next ten logos, positions 40-31!
If you, or anyone you know, are in need of a logo – look no further than NewGlue. We work with hundreds of top professional branding designers, creating quality logos at affordable prices.
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