Image via Complex Original
Popular culture has seen some truly impressive logos over the last handful of decades. Sometimes the logo itself stands on its own and become an anecdote within popular music. It is evident that a great logo for an artist or band can be just as recognizable as their name itself. Some contain detailed images while several take on specialized typography. In other cases the logo is used for identity purposes (see Prince's "Love Symbol #2."), some were even created by accident.
There could be an argument that there isn't enough emphasis today on logos, but yesterday's timeless gems show an impressive track record. Whether these logos were the face of a movement, a focal point of an elaborate marketing plan, or part of an album artwork, they are the 25 most important of all time. Click here to see who made the list.
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25. Misfits
Designers: Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only
Year created: 1979
When the Misfits delivered their "Horror Business" single in the summer of 1979, they in turn found the new face and image of their band. Two of the bands' members, Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only, created a logo that often has been looked at as a work inspired by the film The Crimson Ghost (1946). Yet, there are a few people who believe it derives from a failed line of satire-horror comics by Stan Lee. The simple black and white logo design portrays a skull-like face that still remains prominent within pop culture decades after it's inaugural launch.
24. The Who
Designer: Brian Pike
Year created: 1964
The Who made their presence felt among their fellow rock peers of the '60s and '70s primarily by playing louder than anyone else. The group had the theatrical Roger Daltrey at the helm as lead vocalist, backed by guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and a madman named Keith Moon on drums. Long before The Who sold 100 million records worldwide, they were just another blues-based band seeking an identity during the early stages of rock & roll branding.
The Who logo, a classic and clean look, has an underlying meaning of masculinity, while embracing their British identity. Their logo is as simple as it gets—the Royal Air Force's target-style logo, overlaid with the band's name in black. The custom font used by the band was created by fellow Englishman Brian Pike in 1964. Most notably, the lettering features an arrow, which appears atop the letter "o" of the bands name, creating the gender symbol for male (and also indicating their meteoric rise to come).
23. Metallica
Designer: James Hetfield
Year created: 1983
Metallica is known for their pioneering style of heavy metal, which is most evident on their biggest hits like, "Enter Sandman," "Master of Puppets," and "One." While the group's presence on stage spans three decades, their infamous spike-edged linear logo helped the band tremendously from a branding standpoint. The band can thank frontman James Hetfield who was the artist behind the design of the original. Since 1983, the logo has subtly evolved through appearances on album covers and band paraphernalia.
Throughout heavy metal history, logos have been tremendously important in delivering that initial brutal impact—even before the music itself. Metallica's logo, like the band, continues to stand as a timeless classic of the genre.
22. Black Flag
Designer: Raymond Pettibon
Year created: Early 1970's
Black Flag's impact on the punk rock genre was unprecedented, and their logo was as brutal and uncompromising as their sound. During their early years, Rwhen the band was known as Panic, Raymond Pettibon played bass alongside his brothe, guitarist and frontman Greg Ginn. Pettibon, a graphic artist by trade, did not carry over into the early years of Black Flag, but his impact was still tremendous.
Pettibon, born Raymond Ginn, suggested the group's new name during that transitional phase in the late '70s. And aside from the name, Pettibon created a logo. The inspiration was the reversal of a white flag, a symbol commonly associated with surrendering. The stark four-bar design was a hit amongst Los Angeles teens, who helped in spreading it into the graffiti scene and adopting as their own. It's since been co-opted countless times, but the original has never lost its primal power.
21. Aerosmith
Designer: Raymond Tabano
Year created: 1971
When guitarist Raymond Tabano left Aerosmith a year into the group's existence, no one realized the lasting impression he would leave. Tabano, who was replaced by Brad Whitford the early months of 1971, gave Aerosmith a symbolic identity before his departure. Aside from his early work on the strings, Tabano also was the artist behind the Bostonian group's now-familiar logo.
The logo is winged-style, with the letter "A" centered within a circle as the focal point. The group's name appears beneath in psychedelic-style lettering. The first unveiling of the beta-logo came in 1974, on the cover of the group's second studio album, Get Your Wings. From there the logo evolved into a tighter fit, with the name appearing directly attached to the winged emblem. Aerosmith would go on to record many chart-topping hits, while continuing to keep their Boston bad boy image—and their wings.
20. Daft Punk
Designer: Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Year created: 1997
When Daft Punk burst onto the dance scene in 1997, little if anything was known about the duo. Beginning with low-budget simple disguises, the group would later become infamous for their futuristic robot outfits. Maybe just as famous as their look was their logo. Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, half of Daft Punk, designed the logo, which first appeared on their 1997 debut, Homework.
The French duo has since elevated themselves to higher levels with plenty of success behind their Alive 2007 set and their 2013 Random Access Memories release. While the identities and lives of Thomas Bangalter and de Homem-Christo continue to remain somewhat of a mystery, the linear-stacked logo remains as recognizable as the duo's signature helmets.
19. Run DMC
Designers: Stephanie Nash, MF Benton
Year created: 1984
Run-D.M.C is considered one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time. The trio of Run, DMC, and Jam Master Jay hailed from Hollis, Queens, and played an influential role in spreading hip-hop to the masses. When the group launched their self-titled debut album, graffiti artist Cey Adams helped with the design of the group's name. Island Records later turned to Stephanie Nash and MF Benton, members of a team that inadvertently created the timeless logo seen here.
The typography of the logo is simple and bold, with white capital letters between red bars on a black background. They say imitation is the best form of flattery. If that's the case, Run-D.M.C should blush over the amount of times this classic logo has been reinterpreted or remade.
18. Red Hot Chili Peppers
Designer: Anthony Kiedis
Year created: 1984
The Red Hot Chili Peppers may have been founded in the mid-'80s, but they still have one of the strongest cult followings of today's generation. Maybe it's because the bands formation actually took place when they were still in high school, as the four founding members all attended L.A.'s Fairfax High School. And it was during the groups prep-time for their self-titled debut where they came up with their classic logo.
Frontman Anthony Kiedis has been credited as the artist behind the asterisk-style logo. On many different occasions, the symbol has been often associated with the "Star of Affinity," which refers to chaos. Some fans of the Los Angeles band have also posed the idea of the design symbolizing an "angel's asshole." However, Kiedis stated in his book Scar Tissue that the logo was something he just came up with when the label asked for a logo to use in promotion of their first album. The eight-pronged asterisk stands as a focal point, which is completely surrounded by the bands lengthy name which appears clockwise and without spaces.
17. Sex Pistols
Designer: Helen Wellington-Lloyd
Year created: 1976
If The Who's logo stood as a celebration of the band's English heritage, then the Sex Pistols' served as an equally well-executed desecration of it. The band, home to such miscreants as Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, weren't exactly polite or pleasant. The image of the band was reflected within their simple logo, of cut-out, ransom note style letters. Helen Wellington-Lloyd, a friend of the bands manager, Malcolm McLaren, created the logo in 1976. The logo's first appearance to the masses came that fall, when Jamie Reid (another friend of McLaren) created promotional posters for the bands debut single "Anarchy In The U.K.."
Simple and minimalist, the logo was the perfect accompaniment to the band's rebellious image and raw sound. The logo would continue with the band throughout their brief existence in some form or another, including the garish pink/yellow scheme of their debut album. Perhaps no takes were more popular—or offensive—than their 1977 release of "God Save The Queen" which featured the band's riff on the Silver Jubilee portrait.
16. Led Zeppelin
Designers: Storm Thorgerson, Aubrey Powell
Year created: 1973
Led Zeppelin is considered as rock elite as it gets when it comes to their discography. The voice of Robert Plant and the superior guitar work of Jimmy Page helped the band stand out with ease amidst a sea of imitators. However, it was at least five years into the group's existence when the now-ubiquitous typeface logo was unveiled. Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis fame (who were also responsible for Pink Floyd's most iconic imagery) were the individuals behind the logo, which made it's first initial appearance in 1973.
At times the typography of the logo has appeared an entity in itself. However, an original logo which had appeared within the album Houses of the Holy, came attached with their "Swan Song" logo. That part of the logo was directly inspired by William Rimmer's 19th century work Evening (Fall of Day). Although the band only released four more albums, the logo itself has become a timeless entity in pop culture.
15. Van Halen
Designer: Van Halen
Year created: 1978
Driven by Eddie Van Halen's fiery guitar, his eponymous Los Angeles-based group—fronted by the flamboyant David Lee Roth—effectively created stadium-style hard rock. And 30 years before Van Halen's logo was inspiring world peace on South Park, it was spearheading their catapult into stardom.
The steel-like winged logo made from the bands initials (with the name overlaid on a banner) was just as polished—and pointed—as Van Halen's sound. For unknown reasons the band ended up only prominently featuring the logo on their first two albums, instead placing more focus on the artwork. During the Sammy Hagar era, the band debuted a new logo which was somewhat inspired by the original, instead this one was rounded in a 3-D circular format. At times the original logo has often been perceived as possible inspiration for other logos, such as the WWF and The Strokes.
14. Guns n roses
Designer: Bill White
Year created: Late 1980's
For a band that has sold well over 100 million records, the impact of their image and branding has to be taken into consideration. In Guns N' Roses case, their logo was as distinctive as the music they played. The Guns N' Roses logo depicts a top hat clad human skull in front of two crossed revolvers and a single rose. The band's name is emblazoned on a banner that runs across the top hat, and a thorned circle ties everything together. The image at first sight becomes instantaneously connected to the band, making it one of the most memorable logos in rock history.
There are a number of urban legends surrounding the logo. At times credit has been given to Slash, the band's former lead guitarist, who has famously sports a similar top hat as part of his image. Frontman Axl Rose has credited Bill White, a tattoo artist for the creation of the logo. There have been edits and variations to the logo over the 25-plus years of the bands existence.
13. The Strokes
Designer: The Strokes
Year created: 2001
At the turn of the century, The Strokes were credited with rejuvenating the indie rock scene—in New York City in particular. The five Big Apple residents delivered one of the most impressive debut albums in quite some time with Is This It. Behind singles like "Last Night" and "Hard To Explain," the band struck instant success, while leading a new wave of artists.
As befitting a band founded by the stepson of painter Sam Adoquei, The Strokes's image was almost as important as their sound. Nothing was bigger than the bands retro-inspired circular logo, which wouldn't have looked out of place on a '70s hard rock LP (or 3/4 sleeve jersey).
12. Public Enemy
Designer: Chuck D
Year created: 1986
By the time Public Enemy made their Def Jam debut, the upstart label had seen plenty of early success with artists such as LL Cool J, Run D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys. However, this time it was going to be different. PE's lyrics banged as hard as their beats, and rarely missed what they took aim at. And the mid- to late-'80s presented a target-rich environment.
One of the group's founding members, rapper Chuck D, designed the militaristic logo in 1986. At first glance it's easy to mistake the scope-targeted individual as a law enforcement officer. Instead the group has said the individual within the target is a b-boy dancer, named E-Love, who at the time ran with LL Cool J. Which actually makes more sense, seeing that the group was targeting the hip-hop status quo as much as anything else.
11. The Beatles
Designer: Ivor Arbiter
Year created: 1963
The Beatles undoubtedly had the biggest impact on pop culture of any rock and roll band ever. Even today, over 40 years after the group disbanded, Beatlemania is alive and well. Memorabilia and music sales are continuous, but the story behind the band's signature logo often goes untold.
Their "Drop-T" logo may not be the flashiest nor is it the most innovative, but it still holds a great deal of significance. Its creation dates back to 1963, when Ringo Starr was seeking a new drum kit with manager Brian Epstein. Starr and Epstein struck up a deal with Drum City owner Ivor Arbiter, which saw Starr trading in his old set for a new set of the retail location's Ludwig line. Their only request was that the band's name, with emphasis on the "beat" portion of the name, be designed across the drumhead. Arbiter mapped it out on paper for Starr and Epstein to see, and the rest is history.
10. Prince
Designer: Adopted By Prince
Year created: 1993
Prince has always found a way to stand out, going so far as to actually change his name to an unpronouncable symbol in 1993. This led many press outlets to refer to him as "the artist formerly known as Prince." At the time Prince was releasing material at an exceedingly rapid rate to work his way out of his deal with Warner Bros. Records, which meant the label was forced to prep mass amounts of material with the new logo.
The logo presents traits of the male and female sex symbols, as well as alchemy's soapstone symbol. The spiritual logo would be used by Prince from 1993 until 2000. He has since copyrighted the image as "Love Symbol #2."
9. AC/DC
Designer: Gerard Huerta
Year created: 1977
AC/DC may traditionally represent alternating current and direct current, but for hard rock fans the initials mean so much more. The Australian band rode a tide of double entendres and heavy riffage straight to the top, surviving both the death of their lead singer and guitarist Angus Young's schoolboy outfit. While much has changed over their 40-year lifespan, their logo has remained the same since 1977.
Bob Defrin, the art director at Atlantic Records, called upon Gerard Huerta to curate the band's lightning bolt logo, which debuted on Let There Be Rock. The lightning rod split the name in a definitive way while also playing off of the idea of electricity. Meanwhile, the gothic style lettering was actually inspired by Gutenberg's Bible. Fitting style for one of the most energetic bands in rock history.
8. Grateful Dead
Designer: Stanley Owsley
Year created: 1976
Over the years a number of logos and designs were used to promote the Grateful Dead, the biggest band to emerge from San Francisco's psychedelic scene. Images such as the "Dancing Bears," "Skull and Roses," and "Uncle Sam Skeleton," all helped in a continuous-motion of branding. None of those logos are considered more popular than the "Steal Your Face Skull" which first debuted on the Steal Your Face double-live album in 1976.
Stanley Owsley, a soundman for the Dead (and, er, recreational pharmacist), conveyed the initial idea to Bob Watson. Watson's original sketch consisted of a lightning bolt within a circle. A short time later the evolving logo was made into a spray-paint stencil by Ernie Fischbach to identify equipment easier. The skull was a later addition to the circular lightning bolt, with the latter replacing the top of the skull.
7. Kiss
Designer: Ace Frehley
Year created: 1973
KISS has always been a visual band, from their Kabuki-inspired makeup to their platform boots. And while frontman Paul Stanley is credited for coming up with the bands name, it was guitarist Ace Frehley who took it a step further with the creation of the iconic logo. The runic-style typography logo featured a lightning-bolt style double S, with the entire logo traditionally appearing in a red to yellow fade, which reflects the band's pyrotechnic-fueled stage performance.
Simple as it is, the logo was not free of controversy as the logo's "SS" appeared to resemble the Nazi Schutzstaffel insignia, which is now illegal in Germany. To get around that, all band paraphernalia and albums in Germany appear with an edited logo, which depicts the bands final two letters as "ZZ."
6. Queen
Designer: Freddie Mercury
Year created: 1973
Queen mastered the art of making over the top, stadium-style rock and roll. The band, led by the incredible voice of Freddie Mercury, turned out countless hits, including "We Are The Champions," "Bohemian Rhapsody," and "Killer Queen."
Queen's crest-styled logo is easily one of the most overlooked band logo designs in terms of how detailed and symbolic of the band's members it is. The logo, which contains the zodiac signs of each original member, was designed by Freddie Mercury prior to the band releasing their self-titled debut album. Both John Deacon and Roger Taylor are represented by the two lions symbolizing Leo, the crab that sits atop the "Q" represents Brian May's Cancer sign, and the two angel-like fairies represent Mercury's Virgo symbol.
The logo also appears to be heavily influenced by the Royal Coat of Arms. Within the crest is a huge phoenix-like dragon and crown, the latter directly attributed to the band's name.
5. Nirvana
Designer: Kurt Cobain
Year created: 1991
Nirvana spearheaded the grunge-rock movement of the early '90s, and in many ways, their simplistic—and therefore timeless—logo has kept their movement going strong long after the band itself dissolved. With Kurt Cobain at the helm, and the talented Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl behind him, it seemed like the sky was the limit for Nirvana. Over the course of their short career, which ended with Cobain's 1994 suicide, Nirvana made their presence felt, selling 75 million records worldwide to date and inspiring many would-be musicians.
When it came to Nirvana's logo, there was no glitz and glamour that many of the bands on this list had. Their look was grunge, and their popular logo fed into that mindset as well. What better way to communicate that from an art standpoint than with a take on the classic smiley face logo? The image made its debut in the fall of 1991 when it appeared on a party flier for Nirvana's Nevermind album; apparently, it was inspired by the logo of a Seattle after-hours club called "Lusty Lady."
4. The Ramones
Designer: Arturo Vega
Year created: 1975
The Ramones were the undisputed leaders of the '70s punk movement. With their uniform leather-jacket clad look and a machine-gun sound heavily influenced by pop music, The Ramones helped redefine rock and roll while creating a genre of their own.
And just as the band's sound influenced and inspired generations, so did the band's logo. The seal, created by the group's creative director Arturo Vega, used the seal of the President of the United States as a starting point. He said, “I saw them as the ultimate all-American band. To me, they reflected the American character in general—an almost childish innocent aggression." Swapping olive branches for apple branches and arrows for a baseball bat completed the All-American sentiment Vega set out to depict and added just the right amount of rebelliousness.
3. Wu-Tang
Designer: Mathematics
Year created: Unknown
The Wu-Tang Clan is viewed by some as the greatest hip-hop group of all time. They've not only had success as a group, but impressive solo careers as well. And as befitting founder RZA's vision of world domination, they've pushed their brand into worlds beyond hip-hop. As such, the Staten Island collective's "W" logo has become one of the most recognizable logos in pop culture.
The logo was reportedly designed by Wu-Tang DJ/producer/collaborator, Mathematics. The kung-fu inspired insignia features a blade-like yellow stylized "W," along with the group's name in a bamboo font. Traditionally, the logo appears in black and yellow, and can still be found on apparel and accessories from the Wu Tang Brand. Wu-Tang forever indeed.
2. Pink Floyd
Designers: Storm Thorgerson, George Hardie
Year created: 1973
Pink Floyd is simply one of the best live bands of all time. The polarizing psychedelic rock band from London pushed the boundaries of sound and lighting in their shows, inspiring artists for generations to come.
Much of the material that made these experiences so one-of-a-kind came from their historic 1973 release, Dark Side Of The Moon. The critically acclaimed album has a classic art treatment with an illustration of light passing through a prism. It was designed by Storm Thorgerson and illustrated by George Hardie of the art collective Hipgnosis.
Thorgerson's thought process for the logo was simple and to the point. The artwork celebrates the light aspect of the band's performance and also focuses on the triangle, which symbolizes thought and ambition. There was an alternate photographic version which featured the Marvel Comics star, The Silver Surfer, which the band turned down, according to Thorgerson. The logo has since become as recognizable as the band's name itself.
1. Rolling Stones
Designer: John Pasche
Year created: 1970
In 1970, the Rolling Stones found their careers going in a whole new direction. The well-established band were in the process of parting ways with their long-time manager, Allen Klein, and their label, Decca Records. Prepping the release of their ninth studio album, Sticky Fingers, the band launched their own label, Rolling Stones Records. Andy Warhol was enlisted to created the album's artwork; however, John Pasche's logo design became the most timeless aspect of the album outside of the music.
While the album contained a number of hits, including "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses," it was also the first album to feature the now-classic Rolling Stones logo. Pasche, a 26-year-old M.A. student at the Royal College of Art in London, began designing tour posters for the band before delivering the infamous tongue and lip logo design. The logo exaggerates Mick Jagger's mouth features while capturing the defiant personality of the group.
In many ways, Pasche's work allowed the group to finally feel comfortable, especially after they gained complete creative control following their departure from Decca. It became the official logo of the band and remains an iconic representation of the band and what they stand for over four decades later.