22 iconic music logos explained

8/13/2019 22 Iconic Music Logos Explained

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22 Iconic Music Logos Explained

By Sue Apfelbaum and Laura Forde

03.06.2013OPINION

We break down the stories behind nearly two dozen of the most iconic logos in New York


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In verdant White Lake, New York, near where Woodstock took place, the seeds of thrash-metal band

Anthraxs visual identity were first planted. Though he grew up in Rockland County, guitaristDan

Spitzand his family would spend summers upstate, and through his older brother Dave later a bassist

forBlack Sabbathhe became friends with a local teen namedKent Joshpe,who would eventually design

theAnthraxlogo.

I used to always draw these caricatures of all our friends, recalls Joshpe, who now has an advertisingagency in Rochester. When the guys formed Anthrax, Danny asked me if I would do the logo and their

first album cover [1983sFistful of Metal]. They explained to me that they wanted it to look like a guys face

was being punched through from the back of the head, he says, laughing.

They wanted it to look like a guys face was beingpunched through from the back of the head - KentJoshpe

TheFistfulillustration is comically gruesome, but Joshpessharp-angled, interlocking letterforms worked

perfectly and have stood the test of time. WhenPeter Corristondesigned the second Anthraxalbum,Spreading the Disease,the letters got refined, but Joshpes logo design remained. I think I was

somewhat influenced byIron Maidens logo, Joshpe recalls. I tried not to look [at] too many others,

because I didnt want it to feel like anyone elses.

For Cooper Union design professor and metal fanMike Essl,Joshpes lettering has another precursor.

Every time I see it, I think theres a direct line toHerb Lubalin,to theAvant Garde typefaceand the whole

era of custom typography, he says. Avant Garde was one of the first typefaces that had all of these

ridiculous ligatures, or letterforms that connect, a very metal quality. Humbled by the comparison,

Joshpe says, Hes one of my favorites. I think for logos, Herb Lubalin is god. -Sue Apfelbaum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Spitzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Spitzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Spitzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Spitzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sabbathhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sabbathhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sabbathhttp://www.antithesisadvertising.com/http://www.antithesisadvertising.com/http://www.antithesisadvertising.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthrax_%28band%29https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthrax_%28band%29https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthrax_%28band%29https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fistful_of_Metalhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fistful_of_Metalhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fistful_of_Metalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Corristonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Corristonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreading_the_Diseasehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreading_the_Diseasehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreading_the_Diseasehttp://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/loudwire.com/files/2012/08/Iron-Maiden-Logo.jpghttp://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/loudwire.com/files/2012/08/Iron-Maiden-Logo.jpghttp://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/loudwire.com/files/2012/08/Iron-Maiden-Logo.jpghttp://mike.essl.com/http://mike.essl.com/http://mike.essl.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Lubalinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Lubalinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Lubalinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITC_Avant_Gardehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITC_Avant_Gardehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITC_Avant_Gardehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITC_Avant_Gardehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Lubalinhttp://mike.essl.com/http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/loudwire.com/files/2012/08/Iron-Maiden-Logo.jpghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreading_the_Diseasehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Corristonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fistful_of_Metalhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthrax_%28band%29http://www.antithesisadvertising.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sabbathhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Spitzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Spitz


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Even before designer Reid Miles joined Alfred LionsBlue Note Recordsin 1956, the jazz label was well

known for the visual artistry of founding art director and photographerFrancis Wolff.During the transition

from plain 78s to packaged 10- and 12-inch LPs, designers Paul Bacon, Gil Melle and John Hermansader

played a role in what Leonard Feather, in his liner notes for 1955sThe Blue Note Story, described as the

painstaking attention to quality... present every step of the way in the material used for the pressings, in

the excellence of the recording, in the design and production of the covers, and in everything else that goes

to make a finished, thoughtfully prepared product.

Most record labels didnt integrate a logo into theactual design, but [Reid] didnt try to hide it. Heexploited it. - Michael Cina

Miles wasnt the first designer at the label but he best defined its aesthetic, delivering more than 400

covers in his 11years at Blue Note. Miles didnt share a passion for jazz (he preferred classical) but he

understood how to graphically interpret the music as Lion described it. As design critic Robin

Kinrossnoted in 1990 inEyemagazine,Miles cool, clear work was representative of what was happening

in New York graphic design at the time: It fed on a lively photographic culture and on a good stock of

typefaces in the printers and reproduction houses especially of the American sans serifs. Under Miles

the label adopted its first brand identity system, abstracting a musical note as its logo.

While numerous books celebrate Miles dynamic use of type and unconventional photo cropping, history

takes the icon for granted. By default well credit Miles, who used it extensively as a design element that

moved around within each composition. The icon is also a conduit for practical information the catalogue

number sits inside the oval and the tagline The Finest in Jazz Since 1939 resides in a rectangular box. The

first cover to feature the logo was Blue Note 4017, Horace SilversBlowin the Blues Away, released on

August 28, 1959. As Michael Cina, a Blue Note collector and designer who has applied a similarly

standardized approach to his work for theGhostly label,points out, Most record labels didnt integrate a

logo into the actual design, but [Reid] didnt try to hide it. He exploited it.- Sue Apfelbaum
http://www.bluenote.com/http://www.bluenote.com/http://www.bluenote.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Wolffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Wolffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Wolffhttp://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/cool-clear-collectedhttp://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/cool-clear-collectedhttp://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/cool-clear-collectedhttp://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/cool-clear-collectedhttp://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/cool-clear-collectedhttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/sam-valenti-ghostly-international-specialhttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/sam-valenti-ghostly-international-specialhttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/sam-valenti-ghostly-international-specialhttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/sam-valenti-ghostly-international-specialhttp://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/cool-clear-collectedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Wolffhttp://www.bluenote.com/


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TheCBGBlogo has long since transcended its humble beginnings at 315 Bowery. What had once been a

dirty club in a fringe location is now enshrined within an expensive menswear boutique. Even whenPatti

Smithperformed the clubs last rites in October 2006, it was well past its home for undergroundrock

prime. (Founder/ownerHilly Kristaldied of lung cancer less than a year later.) But the essence of CBGB &

OMFUG staggers on. Its an idea thats been perpetuated, commodified and memorialized ad nauseam.

And while much of its history has been documented, little has been said about where that infamous logo

came from.

Kristals ex-wife Karen has claimed credit for designing and painting it, but the truth might have gone with

Hilly to the grave. If she did paint it, I wouldnt be surprised if she looked at some sign painters alphabet

book for inspiration, says typographerNick Sherman,a consultant for the The Cooper Unions typeface

design program, who sees links to 19th-century Tuscan wood type.

Because of the clubs cachet, all these people walkaround with such ugly chests! - Rich ard Hell

With its split ends and spurs in the middle,Tuscan typehas a Western feel, which makes sense considering

the club was originally meant to showcase Country, Bluegrass, Blues & Other Music for Uplifting

Gormandizers rather than the punk rock that made it famous. Painted askew and DIY-style on its dingy

white awning, the CBs logo was like a beacon for misfit artists, poets, and musicians, all drawn to the

clubs Wild West saloon vibe.

Those days are long gone, though.Richard Hell,one-time bassist forTelevisionthe first band of the punk

scene to play CBGB, in 1974 doesn't know the logo's origins either, but had this to say via email: Im

continually struck, when I see it on t-shirts everywhere, by the horror/ hilarity of the phenomenon.

Because of the clubs cachet, all these people walk around with such uglychests! -Sue Apfelbaum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBGBhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBGBhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBGBhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patti_Smithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patti_Smithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patti_Smithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patti_Smithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilly_Kristalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilly_Kristalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilly_Kristalhttp://nicksherman.com/http://nicksherman.com/http://nicksherman.com/http://fortheloveoftype.blogspot.com/2010/02/tuscan-type.htmlhttp://fortheloveoftype.blogspot.com/2010/02/tuscan-type.htmlhttp://fortheloveoftype.blogspot.com/2010/02/tuscan-type.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_%28band%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_%28band%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_%28band%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_%28band%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hellhttp://fortheloveoftype.blogspot.com/2010/02/tuscan-type.htmlhttp://nicksherman.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilly_Kristalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patti_Smithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patti_Smithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBGB


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I sawnew waves return to the 50s and 60s aesthetic as an absurdity that onlyDevostheory of de-

evolution could explain, saysRudolf Piper,who together with partnerJim FourattfoundedDanceteria,

one of the citys most famous nightclubs of the 1980s. Fouratt said at the time, We deliberately try to

present serious music in a vulgar format, to use the original connotation of the word. Stumped as to what

to call their vulgar new venture, Piper, Fouratt andDavid Kingrecall passing the Garment Centers liveliest

lunchspot,Dubrows Cafeteria,when lightning struck not far from the clubs original location at 252 West

37th Street. Fouratt exclaimed: Thats it! Danceteria!

The clubs dance-punk eclecticism defined the early 80s: DJs like Bill Bahlman,Johnny Dynell,Anita

SarkoandMark Kaminsmixed post-punk with disco, hip-hop with electro. Two years later, the multistory

club moved to its most famous location, 30 West 21st Street, where newcomers likeMadonnaopened for

the likes of ManchestersA Certain Ratio(in 1982). Art Attack Wednesdays featured highbrow artists such

asPhilip GlassandDiamanda Galas.The third floor included a video lounge and a restaurant. Its all about

mixing up these different kinds of people. Fouratt toldThe New York Times.

I had always been fascinated with the use of a blackrectangle to sup posedly o bscure the ident i ty of

alleged miscreants in the tabloid press. - David King

King, a British graphic designer best known for creating the logo of the anarchist punk bandCrass,had

been working in London for ten years before moving to New York in 1977. By day he drew illustrations

forPsychology Today, covers for Penguin Books and Christmas cards for MoMA. By night, he was in a

punk band called Arsenal.

Inspired by an old photo of aWhite Castlewaitress in a book about American cafeterias, King created the

image of the Danceteria Lady. A zig-zagging eighth note covering her eyes gave the logo its new-wave edge:

I had always been fascinated with the use of a black rectangle to supposedly obscure the identity of alleged

miscreants in the tabloid press, King recalls.Kaufmann Bold,a whimsical connecting script, reinforced

the campy Americana feeling. King extended the crossbar of the t to bisect the dot on the i a nice
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finishing touch. We had several prototypes, most of them based on the drawings ofSerge Clercfrom

Paris, Piper recalls, but ultimately this one hit the mark. -Laura Forde

Every story aboutDef Jambegins with howRick Rubinstarted the label in his NYU dorm room in 1984;

that his first release was of his own punk band,Hose,and the second was ItsYoursby T La Rock and

Jazzy Jay, whichRussell Simmonsheard, thought was the freshest track going, and couldnt believe had

been produced by a well-off white kid from Long Island. Its all incredible and all true. And once Rubin and

Simmons officially joined forces, they put out one genre-defining record after another, introducingLL Cool

J,Beastie BoysandPublic Enemyto the world at large.

I grew up with 7- inch sing les. The logos on tho se,f rom all of the smal l indie labels of the 60s and 70s,

were the inspiration. - Rick Rubin

The logo that branded this venture was also a DIY Rubin creation. As Dan Charnas bookThe Big Payback:

The History of the Business of Hip-Hoprecounts, Rubins aunt worked atEste Lauder,where they had

the tools he would need to craft the Def Jam word mark. In an email, Rubin recalls, In the pre-PC days,

the creative department at Este Lauder had lots of press-type options. I played with a few layouts before

settling on the cap D and J, offset as you see them now, with lowercase letters filling out the name. He was

drawn toHelveticabecause its not decorative in any way, and because of that, has a naked graphic and

informational quality. Its easy to take seriously. Although his major was film, he says, I took a design

class at Harvard in the summer between my junior and senior years of high school. I enjoyed it, but Im not

sure it was training for what was to come.

As for the tone-arm graphic that graced the labels 12-inch sleeves, Rubin enlisted a friend in the dorm: I

asked her to copy an image of the tone arm from myTechnics turntableso it would look like a blueprint.

When asked what he had in mind when designing the logo, he replied, I grew up with 7-inch singles. The

logos on those, from all of the small indie labels of the 60s and 70s, were the inspiration. I wanted

something that fit in that canon. -Sue Apfelbaum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Clerchttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Clerchttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Clerchttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Def_Jam_Recordingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Def_Jam_Recordingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Def_Jam_Recordingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubinhttp://www.discogs.com/artist/Hosehttp://www.discogs.com/artist/Hosehttp://www.discogs.com/artist/Hosehttp://www.discogs.com/T-La-Rock--Jazzy-Jay-Its-Yours/master/89259http://www.discogs.com/T-La-Rock--Jazzy-Jay-Its-Yours/master/89259http://www.discogs.com/T-La-Rock--Jazzy-Jay-Its-Yours/master/89259http://www.discogs.com/T-La-Rock--Jazzy-Jay-Its-Yours/master/89259http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Simmonshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Simmonshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Simmonshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LL_Cool_Jhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LL_Cool_Jhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LL_Cool_Jhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LL_Cool_Jhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beastie_Boyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beastie_Boyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beastie_Boyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy_%28group%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy_%28group%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy_%28group%29http://www.amazon.com/Big-Payback-History-Business-Hip-Hop/dp/0451234782http://www.amazon.com/Big-Payback-History-Business-Hip-Hop/dp/0451234782http://www.amazon.com/Big-Payback-History-Business-Hip-Hop/dp/0451234782http://www.amazon.com/Big-Payback-History-Business-Hip-Hop/dp/0451234782http://www.esteelauder.com/index.tmplhttp://www.esteelauder.com/index.tmplhttp://www.esteelauder.com/index.tmplhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helveticahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helveticahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helveticahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technics_SL-1200http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technics_SL-1200http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technics_SL-1200http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technics_SL-1200http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helveticahttp://www.esteelauder.com/index.tmplhttp://www.amazon.com/Big-Payback-History-Business-Hip-Hop/dp/0451234782http://www.amazon.com/Big-Payback-History-Business-Hip-Hop/dp/0451234782http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy_%28group%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beastie_Boyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LL_Cool_Jhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LL_Cool_Jhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Simmonshttp://www.discogs.com/T-La-Rock--Jazzy-Jay-Its-Yours/master/89259http://www.discogs.com/artist/Hosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Def_Jam_Recordingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Clerc


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I dont like pretty. I like secret gems,James Murphytold The New Yorkerin 2010. You wanna feel like

beauty is a rare thing. Disco-punk labelDFAremains one of New Yorks jewels even if it is, increasingly,

not a secret. Celebrating its 12th anniversary this year, the label (founded by Murphy,Tim

GoldsworthyandJonathan Galkin)arrived on the scene at the precise moment in 2001 when New York

needed a musical boost.

DFAs musical style comprises a carefully wrought combination of ingredients: live drums, analogsynthesizers and a fondness for cowbells. The design approach dense with scribbles, rubber-stamping,

and heavily photocopied text is equally eclectic, skewing more punk than disco. Its not polished, so

people dont think of it as design, says art directorMichael Vadino,but its allvery contemplated. He

adds, Some human element has to be injected, otherwise everything just looks like it came out of a

machine.

Sure, we could make everything slick, perfect,amazing but thats not interesting. - MichaelVadino

According to Vadino, he and Murphy share a slight bit of OCD. Sure, we could make everything slick,

perfect, amazing but thats not interesting. Instead they intentionally added constraints, paring down

their design tools to pencils, graph paper and Polaroids. Thats when really interesting things happen.

When youre constrained you have to get creative. He says the most common feedback he gets from

Murphy is: Its looking good, but can you make it a little bit shittier? Theres something funny about two

self-described obsessives concerned with making things look like crap.

Until recently, DFAs logo a doodle of a lightning bolt remained unattributed. As Vadino recalls, At the

studio one day back in 2000 somebody just scribbled this little lightning bolt on graph paper and at the

top added [the letters] DFA. And I was like, That kind of rules. That should be your logo. James and Tim

just totally dismissed me. I was like, I dont care. Im going to use it. So I just started putting it on flyers,

and that became the de facto logo. It was only in 2010, after a retrospective of DFAs graphic work in

Sydney, that Murphy claimed authorship, telling Vadino: I drew that fucking thing. -Laura Forde
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Murphy_%28electronic_musician%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Murphy_%28electronic_musician%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Murphy_%28electronic_musician%29http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/dfa-filmhttp://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/dfa-filmhttp://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/dfa-filmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Goldsworthyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Goldsworthyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Goldsworthyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Goldsworthyhttp://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/jonathan-galkin-interviewhttp://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/jonathan-galkin-interviewhttp://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/jonathan-galkin-interviewhttp://www.thevine.com.au/music/interviews/dfa-records-visual-artist-michael-vadino-interview/http://www.thevine.com.au/music/interviews/dfa-records-visual-artist-michael-vadino-interview/http://www.thevine.com.au/music/interviews/dfa-records-visual-artist-michael-vadino-interview/http://www.thevine.com.au/music/interviews/dfa-records-visual-artist-michael-vadino-interview/http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/jonathan-galkin-interviewhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Goldsworthyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Goldsworthyhttp://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/dfa-filmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Murphy_%28electronic_musician%29


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Erick Sermon and Parrish Smithmet in high school on Long Island and started making music together in

the mid-80s under the name EPMD: Erick and Parrish Making Dollars. Both were equal parts MC and

producer, and they stated their ambitions plainly. Working the word business into every album title,

EPMD took a calculated approach to getting signed; the song Please Listen to My Demo even details the

doors that closed on them before landing their first deal with Fresh, a hip hop imprint of Sleeping Bag

Records. In 1987 they put out their first single, Its My Thing, which opens with the helicopters from Pink

Floyds The Wall before looping in the funk of The Whole Darn Family and a vocal from Marva Whitney.Street smart yet playful, with a laid-back energy that inspired the next decades West Coast gangsta rap,

EPMD had the drive and skills to make it big.

The fine-art playing fie ld was the on ly avenue for usas art ists to start developing careers and try ing to

get paid for our work. - Eric Haze

Uptown graffiti writer Eric Haze was just as driven. As a member of Marc Ali Edmonds Soul Artists crew,

Haze got to know The Beastie Boys, started doing work with them, and soon made a name for himself.

Since the downtown gallery scene was already enamored with street art, the fine-art playing field was theonly avenue for us as artists to start developing careers and trying to get paid for our work, Haze says.

Realizing he preferred the written word and letterforms to painting, Haze went to the School of Visual Arts

in 1982 and set out, he says, to become the premier logo designer of my generation. In 1987 he designed

covers for Public EnemysYo Bum Rush the Showand LL Cool JsBigger and Deffer,where he famously

riffed on the Kool cigarette logos overlapping Os. Those groups were repped by Russell Simmons and Lyor

Cohens hip-hop juggernaut Rush Artist Management, which included EPMD.

Haze got hired by Fresh to create the logo for the groups 1988 debut,Strictly Business,without having met

the duo or heard their music. At that point, Run-DMC was the sole existing iconic logo in hip-hop, so I

took my cues from the strength of the bars in that logo, he says. With that bold, custom-lettered mark,

Haze proved he was no amateur, and made EPMD look like the contenders they were.- Sue Apfelbaum
http://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/epmd-fireside-chathttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/epmd-fireside-chathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo!_Bum_Rush_the_Showhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo!_Bum_Rush_the_Showhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo!_Bum_Rush_the_Showhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigger_and_Defferhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigger_and_Defferhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigger_and_Defferhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strictly_Business_%28album%29https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strictly_Business_%28album%29https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strictly_Business_%28album%29https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strictly_Business_%28album%29https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigger_and_Defferhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo!_Bum_Rush_the_Showhttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/epmd-fireside-chat


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Faniaart directorIzzy Sanabriais better known for his exuberant album covers and his larger-than-life

stage presence as the Fania All-Stars MC than he is for designing its logo. For someone dedicated to

improving the image of Latin artists while bringing salsa music to the world, a logo seems minor; yet for

nearly 50 years the Fania mark has held tremendous weight as a symbol of great Latin music.

The label was started in 1964 by bandleaderJohnny Pachecoand his lawyerJerry Masucci.They enlisted

Sanabria, whod previously designedthe coverof Pachecos smash 1960 album,Pacheco y Su Charanga,on Alegre Records. That became the biggest-selling Latin album at the time, says Sanabria, whose

woodcut rendering of a flutist on that cover became iconic as well. For his first Fania commission,Pacheco

at the NY Worlds Fair,Sanabria revived that woodcut style, only this time with an image of a percussionist

and bold lettering that he razor-cut from black paper.

Sanabrias hand-drawn logo type wasnt so muchprecise as it was ful l of c haracter.

If thebeveled-typeFania logo in the upper right corner looks generic, thats because it was. The first one

was done at the printers, says Sanabria. [Around 1968] Jerry wanted a new logo, so we went through

some typefaces until we found something that he liked, and from that I deviated, he says. With its angled

block letters leaning inward (to form the shape of a mesa) and a bubbly dot over the I, Sanabrias hand-

drawn logotype wasnt so much precise as it was full of character. That design endured for 26 years,

branding such infamous Sanabria covers asRay BarrettosPower(inspired by the story of Samsons hair)

andWillie ColnsThe Big Break(spoofing an FBIs Most Wanted flyer).

Todays logo is froma pastel artworkby fashion illustratorJoe Eulafor the Fania All-Stars 30th

anniversary album cover, with the letters F-A-N-I-A stretched tall, rising up high behind the musicians.

Eventually we decided to use that as the basis for a logo, says Sanabria, who standardized the colors and

redrew the letters with straighter lines. The spirit of the previous logo is there in Eulas rendition, which

Sanabria describes as like a piece of fine art. -Sue Apfelbaum
http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/bugalu-on-broadwayhttp://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/bugalu-on-broadwayhttp://izzysanabria.com/http://izzysanabria.com/http://izzysanabria.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Pachecohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Pachecohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Pachecohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Masuccihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Masuccihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Masuccihttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lPlUR7AnL.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lPlUR7AnL.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lPlUR7AnL.jpghttp://www.parisjazzcorner.com/pochs_g/083114.jpghttp://www.parisjazzcorner.com/pochs_g/083114.jpghttp://www.parisjazzcorner.com/pochs_g/083114.jpghttp://www.parisjazzcorner.com/pochs_g/083114.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bevelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bevelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bevelhttp://www.discogs.com/Ray-Barretto-Barretto-Power/release/1491848http://www.discogs.com/Ray-Barretto-Barretto-Power/release/1491848http://www.discogs.com/Ray-Barretto-Barretto-Power/release/1491848http://www.discogs.com/Ray-Barretto-Barretto-Power/release/1491848http://www.discogs.com/Ray-Barretto-Barretto-Power/release/1491848http://www.discogs.com/Willie-Colon-La-Gran-FugaThe-Big-Break/master/305638http://www.discogs.com/Willie-Colon-La-Gran-FugaThe-Big-Break/master/305638http://www.discogs.com/Willie-Colon-La-Gran-FugaThe-Big-Break/master/305638http://www.discogs.com/Willie-Colon-La-Gran-FugaThe-Big-Break/master/305638http://www.discogs.com/Willie-Colon-La-Gran-FugaThe-Big-Break/master/305638http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F1SBFBQ1L._SY300_.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F1SBFBQ1L._SY300_.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F1SBFBQ1L._SY300_.jpghttp://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/28/arts/28eula.html?_r=0http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/28/arts/28eula.html?_r=0http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/28/arts/28eula.html?_r=0http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/28/arts/28eula.html?_r=0http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F1SBFBQ1L._SY300_.jpghttp://www.discogs.com/Willie-Colon-La-Gran-FugaThe-Big-Break/master/305638http://www.discogs.com/Ray-Barretto-Barretto-Power/release/1491848http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bevelhttp://www.parisjazzcorner.com/pochs_g/083114.jpghttp://www.parisjazzcorner.com/pochs_g/083114.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lPlUR7AnL.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Masuccihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Pachecohttp://izzysanabria.com/http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/bugalu-on-broadway


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Sometimes it seems like the streets of New York are paved with gold Fools Gold,that is. A slight

exaggeration, but you dont have to go far to find the hybrid dance-music and hip hop labels stickers

underneath your feet, slapped onto sidewalks and curbs as well as most any other available surface. Shaped

like a gold brick and spelled out in bulbous, hand-drawn geometric letters with the counters filled in, the

Fools Gold logo and the name it bears reflect the Williamsburg brands tongue-in-cheek take on hip hop

posturing.

We wanted something that could have the swagger of hip hop but not be so on the nose something that

didnt take itself too seriously, saysNick Catchdubs,who co-founded the label with fellow DJ/producerA-

Trakin 2007. The approach from the start was lets have an artist-run label for the sorts of oddball

records we were playing in our DJ sets, he says.

A lot of dance music, its very, very self-serious.This is supposed to be fun. - Nick Catchdu bs

In the beginning there was also an eclectic minister of art sharing the helm: Joshua Prince, AKADust La

Rock,the man behind that sticky image and all of the labels artistic output for its first few years. For a

generation reared on the Nickelodeon channel, Princes cartoony logotype is especially merry and familiar.

Writing from his current base in LA, Prince says his process involves doing extensive research into any and

all elements related to the content. In this case, what he turned up was gold, in all its many forms and

late 80s and early 90s house and hip hop record-sleeve and label graphics. He cites design influences

ranging from theDesigners Republics work for Pop Will Eat Itself and the Warp label to Genesis P-

Orridges Psychick Cross and the occult.

The solid-gold identity lends itself well to merchandise, of which they sell plenty, and to the labels own Mr.

Goldbar mascot, who could give Mr. Peanut a run for his money. A lot of dance music, its very, very self-

serious, says Catchdubs. This is supposed to be fun. -Sue Apfelbaum
http://www.foolsgoldrecs.com/http://www.foolsgoldrecs.com/http://www.foolsgoldrecs.com/http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/new-york-stories-nick-catchdubshttp://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/new-york-stories-nick-catchdubshttp://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/new-york-stories-nick-catchdubshttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/a-trak-live-at-fool-s-gold-rap-partyhttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/a-trak-live-at-fool-s-gold-rap-partyhttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/a-trak-live-at-fool-s-gold-rap-partyhttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/a-trak-live-at-fool-s-gold-rap-partyhttp://dustlarock.com/blog/http://dustlarock.com/blog/http://dustlarock.com/blog/http://dustlarock.com/blog/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Designers_Republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Designers_Republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Designers_Republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Designers_Republichttp://dustlarock.com/blog/http://dustlarock.com/blog/http://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/a-trak-live-at-fool-s-gold-rap-partyhttp://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/a-trak-live-at-fool-s-gold-rap-partyhttp://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/new-york-stories-nick-catchdubshttp://www.foolsgoldrecs.com/


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A month after graduating fromRhode Island School of Designin 1992,Kevin Lyonsknocked on the door of

the Groove Academy offices. I had seen an ad inPaperand mistakenly assumed it was a record store, he

says. There he metMaurice BernsteinandJonathan Rudnick,founders of a marketing and concert-

promotions company dedicated to the preservation of funk and creators of the New York club nightGiant

Step.After glancing at Lyons sketchbook, they gave him a crack at designing the partys logo.

It basically said everything about who we were. -Maurice Berns tein

Giant Step, founded in 1990, may have imported its retro vibe a fusion of bebop, beatnik and funk from

Londons acid-jazz scene, but its hip hop energy was pure New York. The name came from two places,

recalls Bernstein. For those that knew, there wasthe Coltrane reference,but it was also a statement of

intent: we wanted to take a musical leap from what was going on in the city at that time. In 1990 that

meant a five-dollar cover and a young, mixed crowd getting its groove on to seamless DJ sets of house,

funk and jazz-infused hip hop. There were also live musicians in the mix: a flutist, horn players,

percussionists, rappers and singers, in an evolving house band who came to be known asGroove Collective.

Rather than create another homage toReid MilesBlue Note album cover designs, Lyons recalls being

inspired by the playful hand-lettered style of the title sequence from the 1960s TV seriesMy Three Sons.I

thought, What if the word giant was a trumpet, with the wood-type-style letters kind of bouncing up and

down? He stayed up all night working on it. I drew it a million times and edited the letters with Wite-

Out. The core of the drawing is still being used today. He nailed it, recalls Bernstein. It basically said

everything about who we were. -Laura Forde
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The face paint and high-heeled boots have come and gone, but KISSs logo is forever. Few insignia are as

potent as that bold-lettered K-I-double-lightning-bolts. As striking as everything else about the NYC

rockers, itsbarely been altered since the mid-70s with the exception of aneutered versionused in

Germany since 1980, in response to accusations that the band was glorifying the Nazi SS insignia (both of

which use runic-style lettering).

By all accounts, lead guitarist Ace Frehley had a knack for art and designed it. According to one story,

Frehley wrote the name over a poster forWicked Lesterthe band Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley left to

form KISS and came up with those Ss on the fly. What doesnt get mentioned is that some of Wicked

Lesters artwork used a jagged lightning bolt in place of its own single S. Whats also unknown is Paul

Stanleys role in making the logo.

Nothing really lined up. The two Ss were at differentangles and kind of leaning. It just bugged me. -Michael Doret

Hand-lettererMichael Doret,who created the elaborate artwork for the bands 1976Rock and Roll

Overand 2009Sonic BoomLPs, recalls that while he was working on the latter, Paul was over here at my

studio and I asked him about that logo. And he said to me that he drew that on his kitchen table very early

on, with a T-square and a triangle and some technical pens. In a 2004Billboardinterview, Simmons

stated that Frehley designed it but Stanley drew it, creating the original logo that would be used on every

cover. Not Dorets, though. I never really liked the way it fit together, says Doret, whose iconic work

includes theNew York Knicks logo.On both the album covers that I did, I redrew it, he admits, noting

that Stanley told him, Youre the only one Ive ever allowed to redraw this logo.

So, what needed fixing? I look for geometry in things, and just nothing really lined up. The two Ss were at

different angles and kind of leaning. It just bugged me, says Doret. The first time around, [on]Rock and

Roll Over, I never even told them. But I think Paul knew.- Sue Apfelbaum
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14/24

MTV, the first 24-hour music-video network, launched on August 1, 1981, revolutionizing both music and

television. The brand image that emerged with this brave new visual world was as radical as what it

represented. Well beforeGoogle Doodlesand GIFs, founding MTV creative directorFred Seibertflouted

good logo-design standards when he lobbied forManhattan Designs block-lettered M and spray-painted

T-V and its concept of mutability helping establish the channels personality as young, rebellious and

unpredictable.

Despite pressure to work with big-name designers, Seibert favored the unknown firm it was cofounded

by his childhood friendFrank Olinsky.Seibert and Olinsky grew up together in Huntington, Long Island,

and Seibert credits Olinsky with turning him onto music and the revelation that cartoons are made by

people. My father was an animator and commercial artist, and he taught me how to use the tools of the

trade, says Olinsky.

Most logos are designed by print designers andthen mot ion designers have to f igure out how to

move them. That strikes me as kind of stupid. -

Frank Seibert

Manhattan Design had a tiny shop in the back of a tai chi studio above Bigelow Pharmacy in Greenwich

Village; it was there, after more than eight months of work and long before the MTV name had even been

decided upon that Olinsky posted a prototype of that logo on the wall. He cites being inspired by punk,

graffiti and an animated childrens show from his youth,Winky Dink and You,which invited home

audiences to complete scenes by drawing on clear plastic sheets draped over the front of their TV sets. The

epiphany to make something that vandalized the establishment and could be morphed in countless ways

turned out to be right for the time and the medium. Most logos aredesigned by print designers and then

motion designers have to figure out how to move them, says Seibert. That strikes me as kind of stupid.

The corporate types at the channel hated everything about it, says Seibert, but accepted it with the wordsMusic Television added beneath it in Helvetica ironically, that part got hacked when the network
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redesigned the logo in 2010. That it endured almost 30 years is a testament to its early premise. As Olinsky

observes, The idea was that nobody really owns this, which is, in a traditional sense, very anti-logo

thinking.- Sue Apfelbaum

Nervous Recordsfounder Michael Weiss grew up with the music business in his blood his father was a

record distributor who also ran a disco label called Sam Records. That Weiss might end up starting his own

label around his generations dance music hip hop and house, by artists such as Black Moon, Todd Terry,Armand van Helden and Masters At Work was an easy bet, certainly nothing to be nervous about. So why

the name? Before I launched Nervous Records I was promoting hip hop tracks for a different label, and I

was a bit hyperactive in my approach. I used to bring records to a well-known hip hop DJ namedChuck

Chillouton WBLS. I would go up there at 11:30 PM on Friday nights and was very insistent that Chuck play

my songs before the show ended at midnight. He would call me Captain Nervous cause I was always so

nervous that the show would end before he had a chance to play my song.

The logo Weiss commissioned for his label in 1991 also captured the frenetic energy of DJs who were eager

to get hold of the newest and hottest limited-edition vinyl. The idea was to create a parody of a super-hero

character in the DJ world, says Weiss. This was before DJs were considered the massive stars they are

now. But in my world, the independent NYC dance label scene, DJs and producers were our stars.

The Arsenio Hall flat-top h airs ty le was in v ogue andI thought of th e idea of having a speeding reco rd

buzz the top off of the characters afro. - Marc Cozza

Weiss knew an art director at EMI/Chrysalis namedMarc Cozzawho had done some covers for Sam

Records, whom he asked to design a logo. My first and only idea was to create an iconic character that

could live on its own, without even using the word nervous, says Cozza. I was channeling George

Herrimans Krazy Kat and also theSuperwestcomic books. At the time, the Arsenio Hall flat-top hairstyle

was in vogue and I thought of the idea of having a speeding record buzz the top off of the characters afro,

leaving him shaking but with a perfect haircut.
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The first logo was circular, since it was designed with vinyl in mind, and used a simple sans-serif font. In

2004, Weiss had it updated to better suit the digital marketplace, making it square and setting the figure

against a brick wall, with graffiti writing byBlake KEO Lethemto embellish the urban aspect.- Sue

Apfelbaum

New York hardcore,the sped-up, ideological hybrid of punk and metal that emerged in the early 80s, has

many factions and one overarching symbol of solidarity: the letter X with the initials N-Y and H-C writtenthrough it. That tribal mark not only brands the local scene but has also spawned countless copycats in

cities and suburbs around the world.

Club bouncers would write an X on the hands of underage kids at shows. By some accounts, Ian MacKaye

and Jeff Nelson of D.C.sThe Teen Idles(and later Minor Threat) had gotten their hands Xd at a West

Coast club and Nelson, a designer, brought the image into their artwork. Over time, as they asserted a

drug-free message as inspired by hardcore heroesBad Brains,the symbol morphed to signify straight edge.

As Glen Cummings, former guitarist for NYHC bandLudichristand a designer who has studied the X in

depth, explains, It changed from I cant drink to I wont drink [and as the scene grew more violent] to

Ill beat you up if you do.

In a way, the NYHC logo was a declaration of ourscene, a statement. - Kevin Crow ley

While Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front and Murphys Law came to define New York hardcore, it was the lesser-

known straight-edge band The Abuseds lead singer Kevin Crowley who put the NYHC X on the map. He

started using it as part of his painstakingly drawn flyers for the bands shows at clubs like CBGB and A7 in

Alphabet City. As Crowley recently told theNoise Creep blog,I wanted to make people remember us[and]

I wanted our music and the artwork associated with the band to be cohesive. The hardcore scene was pretty

territorial. New York, Boston, D.C. it was almost the way people are with sports teams. I was a huge fan

of the music coming out of those other cities, but NYC was my hometown! In a way, the NYHC logo was a

declaration of our scene, a statement.
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In addition to being a badge of hometown pride, the symbol was an easy way for unknown bands to

communicate, Hey, were part of this genre on their flyers, says Cummings. Steven Blush, author and

filmmaker ofAmerican Hardcore,also credits The Abused with taking the X to the next level, noting that

the four letters of NYHC brought tothe X a perfect symmetry. Crowley says, The truth is, I never

imagined it would catch on like it did.- Sue Apfelbaum

The muscular man with the tattooed bicep, downward glance and raised-up tambourine symbolizes aparticular time and place that lasted only a decade, yet it remains permanently fixed in dance music legend

and gay culture. Housed inside a parking facility at King and Varick Streets from 1976 to 1987,Paradise

Garagewas the perfect name for the concrete space that became a haven for music lovers, and especially

for gay men who could feel safe as their true selves. On Fridays and Saturdays, DJ Larry Levan threw epic

parties that centered around acceptance and community, in contrast to the more decadent focus of

competing clubs. In New York there were two logos that stood out: Studio 54s giant 54 and Paradise

Garages garage man, says former Garage DJDavid DePino.

Nearly everyone who attended describes the Paradise Garage in sacred terms. It was church, says

DePino. People went to dance, to worship the music, to release all their frustrations of the week. DePino

helped Levan and Michael Brody find the space and held many roles, including being one of the few

besides Levan to spin records there. Hes also one of the last survivors Brody died of complications from

AIDS in 1987, Levan from drug-related heart failure in 1992.

Five years into the club there was a second logomade, with a dancer in the forefront and in back of

h im was a rainbow pyramid. There was an up r is ing

against it. - David DePino

DePino doesnt know who first drew the logo, but he clearly remembers its model: Willie Gonzales, head of

security during the Garages first couple of years and a professional body builder. The tambourine wasntpart of his persona, but the curly hair and ripped muscles were. The logo is perhaps best remembered in
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neon, in the form of an illuminated sign at the top of the ramp that led to the clubs entrance.

Merchandising helped seal its destiny, too. DePino recalls how people started drawing the logo on their

own t-shirts and some dancers would go through several on any given night: People would come to the

Garage in their regular clothes and they would change to dance. And you would sweat there was no air

conditioning there. Thats when Michael started saying, I should sell t-shirts and people will buy them.

The second he did, they sold out in one night. DePino also remembers what happened when Brody tried tobreak with tradition. Five years into the club there was a second logo made, with a dancer in the forefront

and in back of him was a rainbow pyramid. There was an uprising against it.- Sue Apfelbaum

The world at large first witnessedPublic Enemywhen The Beastie Boys took them on their 1987Licensed

to Illtour, introducing thousands of suburban kids to the activist flip side of the Beasties rambunctious

party rap. While the headliners stage act included writhing girls in cages, Public Enemys Chuck D, Flavor

Flav and DJ Terminator X came off dead serious, flanked by footmen in military garb and backed by a

banner bearing the image of a silhouetted figure locked in the sights of a rifles crosshairs. PEs entire

presentation served as a wake-up call.

That disquieting graphic identity, paired with an Army-inspired stencil logotype, was designed by PE

mastermind Chuck D. Born Carlton Douglas Ridenhour in Queens, he had earned his bachelors in graphic

design from Adelphi College in 1984 with the goal of working in the art department of a record company.

He did not see himself becoming a successful recording artist Rick Rubin hounded him relentlessly until

he signed with Def Jam let alone an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The mod el for the god father hat-wearing fig ure has

been mis taken for a state trooper, bu t it was in fact E-

Love, LL Cool Js producer and sidekick.

AsChuck Dtold the Red Bull Music Academy in Barcelona in 2008, I always liked to see the rock n roll

guys; they had logos, so why couldnt it be the same in rap? I wanted to make the music legitimate, as much

as other genres. Chuck came up with the concept, cutting and pasting a mock-up by hand. The model for

the godfather hat-wearing figure has been mistaken for a state trooper, but it was in fact E-Love, LL Cool
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Js producer and sidekick. I cut E-Loves picture from a magazine, blackened it in, pasted on crosshairs

and put it through a copying machine, Chuck explains via email. That rough image was then refined and

rendered for use by clean-up manEric Haze,who art directed the cover of their debut album, Yo! Bum

Rush the Show. When the time came to create his artwork, [Chuck] knew exactly what he wanted, recalls

Def Jam art director Cey Adams. His idea was that the black man is a target in America.- Sue Apfelbaum

For original punk rockers Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone, less was more. Their economy ofdress tight tees, biker jackets, ripped jeans and canvas sneakers matched the efficiency of their sound:

fast, compressed, unadorned rock n roll. An odd bunch from Forest Hills, Queens, the Ramones banded

together in 1974 as brothers in musical ambition (if not blood). But friend and artist Arturo Vega visually

communicated a more is more approach in their logo, enlarging the Ramones name in a heavy, highly

visible typeface and incorporatingthe Great Seal of the United States.

Vega designed many of the bands graphics throughout the Ramones 22-year career. Born in Mexico, he

was enamored with symbols of power, specifically the bald eagle in US heraldry. I always thought of the

Ramones as... an all-American band, Vegatold the Fringe Underground site.In a 2012 podcast interview

withGoing Off Track,he described modeling the eagle on the Ramones t-shirt design from the reverse side

of anEisenhower dollar.An early poster centers on Vegas midsection and his eagle belt buckle, blown up

from a photo-booth self-portrait.

The punk scene was trying to distance itself fromthe hipp ie scene. What better way to do so th an

embrace patriotism? - John Holmstrom

Punkmagazine cofounder and Ramones illustratorJohn Holmstromrecalls that image: There was a

vague feeling of S&M about it, and its simplicity to me defined the New York punk rock scene. In 1976, the

bicentennial year, Vega decided upon the eagle from the US seal, modified the iconography, and added the

band members names (which would change with the lineup over time). The emblem first appeared on the

back of the Ramones second album,Leave Home,released in January 1977.
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Using a national symbolwas a perfect move back then, because the punk scene was trying to distance

itself from the hippie scene, says Holmstrom. What better way to do so than embrace patriotism? For

the band name, Vega wanted to be simple and direct with an all-caps sans serif, eventually settling on

Franklin Gothic, the same font that would appear on the Run-DMC logo a decade later. Most of the original

Ramones have passed on, but Ramones t-shirts are as present as ever. The logo, Holmstrom says, has

become so iconic, not just for the band but for all of punk rock.- Sue Apfelbaum

Run-DMC was one of the first rap acts to break into the mainstream. In addition to their clockwork

rhymes, earworm hooks and guitar riffs that fed their cross-genre appeal, it didnt hurt that the Hollis,

Queens, trio looked sharp in unscuffed, unlaced shell-toe Adidas, fedoras and Kangol hats, and thick gold

chains. Keeping with their tougher-than-leather image was a killer logo that looked invincible writ large on

t-shirts and merch. Stacked between two thick red lines and set in Franklin Gothic Heavy, the all-caps

RUN and DMC form one of the most imitated logos of all time.

Finding out who designed it... thats tricky. Graffiti artist turned designer Cey Adams, who did the hand-

lettering on Run-DMCs self-titled debut, is often given credit by mistake. When asked, Adams responded,

To this day, nobody really knows for sure exactly who did it. But it was done by a designer in England that

did theKing of Rockalbum and the You Talk Too Much single [in 1985]. Now the truth is out: Ashley

Newton, then the head of A&R at Island Records and now the CEO of Columbia, commissioned the logo

from the labels in-house team, specifically one Stephanie Nash.

Franklin Gothic was tough and forthright wi thoutbeing old-fashioned or faddish. [Its a] good, solid,no-nonsense font. - Stephan ie Nash

Nash, now co-principal ofMichael Nash Associates,a London design studio, did not expect any individual

credit. I remember listening [to the music] and thinking how visually typographic it was, she says via

email. Rap was very inspirational for me at that time: large, meaningful, hard-hitting words used with

such power that I had not heard before. Her choice of the typeface came about simply: At the time we had

a limited number of fonts available, and Franklin Gothic was tough and forthright without being old-
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fashioned or faddish. [Its a] good, solid, no-nonsense font. Run-DMCs name helpedin having two sets of

three letters. The fact that its lasted so long she attributes to MF Benton, the typefaces designer, and the

strength of Run-DMC itself. If the same graphic had been done for a pop band, it would not have acquired

the same kudos.- Sue Apfelbaum

The French may claim to have invented the discothque 30 years earlier, but on April 26, 1977, two

Brooklyn natives elevated the concept to mythical status. Studio 54, located in a refurbished 1927 operahouse on West 54th Street, was the creation of Ian Schrager and the late Steve Rubell. It was a place where,

according to British socialite and writer Anthony Haden-Guest, people shed the dull gravitational tug of

quotidienne life, and lost themselves in a voyeuristic jostle.

A year earlier, Parisian Queen of the NightRgine Zylberberghad upped the disco design ante, spending

half a million dollars outfitting her New York outpost of Regineswith a hexagonal lighted dancefloor and a

sculptural mirrored ceiling. The result was an art deco extravaganza thatNew Yorkmagazine deemed the

ultimate narcissistic trip.

Not for long. Rubell and Schrager hired Broadways best interior and lighting designers to oversee Studio

54s renovation, the centerpiece of which was a 5,400 square-foot dancefloor surrounded by ten silverbanquettes, awash in an array of over 400 lighting effects a never-ending spectacle. But the clubs most

notorious design curiosity was surely theMan in the Moon,a suspended, cut-out cartoon of a half-moon

face, paired with a moving cut-out coke spoon that discharged a fizz of light as the two made contact.

The logo bo rrows i ts chunk y th icks and hair l ine th ins

from the art deco let ter forms that were so

fashionable in the 70s.

The clubs graphic identity, designed byGilbert Lesser(1935-1990), was appropriately slick, perfectly fusing

the decadence of the deco revival with strict Bauhaus geometry. Lesser, a designer best known for hisdistinctive theater posters forEquus(1974) and The Elephant Man(1979), custom created the elegant,

tightly constructed 54. The logo borrows its chunky thicks and hairline thins from the art deco letterforms
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that were so fashionable in the 70s, but its rigorous geometry and strong diagonal axis were more 60s,

allowing it to be effectively tipped at an angle, as it appeared on the clubs earliest black VIP cards.

Rubellwas so concerned with the clubs aura of exclusivity that the doorman kept crowds of people waiting

outside even when the club was not full. As Village Voicegossip columnist Michael Musto said, Studio 54

was not just the be-all and end-all, it was the be-there-or-end-it-all. For a non-celebrity, getting beyondNew Yorks first velvet rope was its own reward.- Laura Forde

In 1981 Tom Silverman sawAfrika Bambaataaand recognized that the DJs mixing of Kraftwerk with funk

was the future. Silverman, who ran a dance music industry newsletter at the time, was attuned to DJ

culture and saw the beginnings of hip hop emerge in a post-disco world. When Bambaataa agreed to do a

record with Silverman, Tommy Boy was born. The labels first single was, per Bambaataas suggestion,

Havin Fun by Cotton Candy, and featured a logo that Silverman hadcopied outrightfrom a wooden

crate ofTommy Boy grapes.Next came Afrika Bambaataa and the Jazzy Fives Jazzy Sensation, which

gave Tommy Boy the legitimacy to necessitate an official logo.

Monica Lynch, Tommy Boys first employee (and, later, a partner in the label) recalls, It was a very small

operation with no money. We didnt have an art department. It was really kind of down and dirty. Sheenlisted her friend and artist Steven Miglio to design a logo, which he did using Letraset and press type.

Miglio bookended the words Tommy and Boy with uppercase letters, aligning them so that their stems

dropped down below the baseline, and he added three dancing figures, all flipped around with curved

arrows directing their movement. It was based on the kids spinning on their heads, breakdancing on a

piece of cardboard on the street, says Miglio. The thought was, if you put them on the label and then spin

around the record, maybe itll look like theyre spinning.

If you put them on the label and then spin aroundthe record, maybe itll look like theyre spinning. -Steven Migl io
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The goal was to create a logo that had that visual energy and that clearly communicated b-boy culture,

says Lynch, and in that Miglio succeeded. The first release with the new logo was Afrika Bambaataa and

Soulsonic Forces Planet Rock, which became a massive hit, selling more than 600,000 copies and

earning Tommy Boy major recognition. The logo would go on to be associated with artists like Queen

Latifah, De La Soul and Digital Underground, as well as numerous beats compilations.

In 1989, Silverman hired logo designerEric Hazeto update the logo. Haze took out the arrows, changed

the typeface and the relationship between the letters, and hand-drew and recomposed the figures.

Silverman notes, They originally had bellbottoms, and then when Eric redid it he changed the clothes they

were wearing.- Sue Apfelbaum

TheWu-Tang Clans bat-winged W made its first appearance on the group's 1993 debut single Protect Ya

Neck, as part of a more detailed hand-drawn illustration laden with the groups spiritual and martial arts-

inspired symbolism.

Mathematics, who designed the original logo, says, The thing was to try and make something to stand out,

kinda like the Batman insignia. Although most of his work with Wu-Tang has been developing the groups

sound through a vast repository of samples, the former graffiti artist turned producer from Jamaica,Queens, studied graphic and commercial art at Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High

School.

An early version showed a warriors severed head,held by his d readlocks by a hand extending from the

W, and had Wu-Tang Clan written through it in fauxAs ian-style handw rit ing.

Math had already been messing around with a few logo variations when it came down to an all-nighter as

Protect Ya Neck was going to print. At the time, I was doing carpentry work with my pops, he recalls,and RZA, Ghost, Power [Oliver Grant, Wu-Tang executive producer] and U-God, they came to the job at
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like ten oclock in the morning and picked it up. An early version showeda warriors severed head,held by

his dreadlocks by a hand extending from the W, and had Wu-Tang Clan written through it in faux Asian-

style handwriting. As RZA notes in the Wu-Tang Manual, That one was too gory, but I liked how he wrote

the letters, so I had him come up with the sword because my tongue is my sword. But that didnt reflect

everything I was about either. So I told him it needs to represent the sword, the book and the wisdom.

By the time their first album,Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), came out later that year, gone were the

sword and book, but the mark of the W in yellow, and still with Wu-Tang Clan written through it

remained. - Sue Apfelbaum

A version of this article appeared inThe Daily Note,a free daily newspaper distributed in New York

during the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy.

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22 iconic music logos explained

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