Well before contemporary concepts of branding, rock and roll bands in music recognized the value of having an easily identifiable logo. Good imagery doesn't just give a band marketability, though; it helps them clearly represent themselves. It also gives their fans a visual to rally around. A good logo inspires good feelings and accurately depicts what both the band and the fandom are about.
Some bands have defined their look simply through choosing a great font and a stylized version of their name. Metallica and AC/DC immediately come to mind, and these logos serve the same function as a plain graphic. Some bands have blended their name into a design, or simply come up with an image that has become iconic. The best of these are unique, instantly connect to the act's personality, and relay more information about who that band is than even a description. A picture is, after all, worth 1000 words.
10 Linkin Park
A Visual Tribute
Linkin Park's original logo worked just fine. It featured an angular, interconnected "L" and "P" inside a circle. The image looked rough and embracing, like Linkin Park's style of nu-metal songs. Its sharp points highlighted the sharp sounds of early hits like "One Step Closer." The band, however, wouldn't stay the same - for both good and bad reasons - and their updated logo reflects the shifts.
Most notably, lead singer Chester Bennington committed suicide in 2017. The band went on hiatus until reforming in 2023 with Emily Armstrong taking on the vocal duties. The updated logo maintained the letters, but they're now situated inside a hexagon, with one side missing, representing the band as a sextet while honoring Bennington.
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As the band expanded its sound in a new era, the logo took on emotional resonance as well as instant recognizability. In 2024, they unveiled a new logo, something new and more abstract, as if they're moving forward and coming full circle, but acknowledging that they aren't the same thing. It welcomes the Armstrong era without forgetting Bennington.
9 Queen
A Complete Picture
Queen's logo, based on a Freddie Mercury drawing, goes against some basic design principles. It's busier than the other images in this list, but it's still remarkably effective. The more you look at it, the more you realize how many elements carry meaning, and while there's a lot happening, each part of the drawing conveys information about the band itself.
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The visual is set up like a royal crest (fittingly), and each animal represents the zodiac sign of each of the band's original . In the center of the crest lies a subtle "Q" made out of a ribboned banner. Inside the "Q," Mercury (who had a degree in graphic design) placed a crown of obvious significance for a band named Queen. It makes for a classic British royal visual, and it also looks great on a t-shirt.
8 Rage Against The Machine
Countercultural Resistance
From the very start, Rage Against The Machine knew the power of a good image. Their self-titled debut album unforgettably used a photograph of Thích Quảng Đức having set himself on fire in protest. The cover became iconic, and immediately revealed the rockers' countercultural mindset. They were a band of resistance, and they were going to make sure everyone knew it.
They were a band of resistance, and they were going to make sure everyone knew it.
Their more general band logo (they use several) captures the same idea in a simple visual, a clenched raised fist. The image has broad political meaning, having been used by a number of groups to represent solidarity in their resistance. RATM's use of it highlighted their general revolutionary stances. The band, which broke up in 2024, was never shy about its political ideas, and they made sure that stance came through distinctly.
7 Aerosmith
Got Their Wings
The core of Aerosmith came together in 1970 and, aside from some squabbling exits and returns, have stayed together for over 50 years. That iconic logo took some time to develop. Some of the early efforts were simply stylized versions of the band's name, as on their debut album cover. They briefly tinkered with a wing-based design in the mid-'70s, but it would take until 1982 for them to settle on a look.
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Once they found it, the look was perfect. The logo still has the band's name, but there are other elements that feature boldly. There's a central "A" inside a ring, with spread wings coming out both sides. It fits the band's moniker, with its reference to both flying and craft, but, more importantly, it suits the band's sound. The wings suggest the way the musicians take flight: wild rockers turned loose.
6 Van Halen
A Different Flying V
Another hard-rocking band took some time and some experimenting to find their logo before finally settling on one with wings. Van Halen's emblem is much cleaner than Aerosmith's, simply a VH with design (rather than bird) wings coming off the letters. The look has been debated over the years, and has changed more often than might be expected, while retaining its core.
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As it stands now, the band has it just right. It's not too busy, and the sharp edges match the feel of the band's bright metal sound. The group wrestled with its label decades ago to keep from looking too punk, an important stance given that they had nothing to do with the movement. The update from the 3-D version to the current one works; the original flying VH fit its time, but looks dated. The current logo represents a long history, but gives the logo a clean, modern touch.
5 Guns N' Roses
Colorful Violence
Guns N' Roses is another band that learned the best logos have more than just a name in them. This group's original banner-based design was nice, but it didn't help define the group's aesthetic. They switched to a symbol with, as you'd guess, some guns and roses. The symmetrical layout pleases the eye, and is instantly identifiable with Axl Rose, Slash, and the gang.
This group's original banner-based design was nice, but it didn't help define the group's aesthetic.
Although neither the logo nor the band's name have a deeper meaning ("Guns N' Roses" is taken from the names of L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose, two bands that merged to form this one), the symbol works. It's edgy with more than a hint of violence, but still with a flourish of color. It's an excellent image to have when you're listening to something like "Welcome To The Jungle" or "November Rain."
4 Pink Floyd
The Full Spectrum
Pink Floyd changed its logo several times over the years, but the one that still resonates, and that you're most likely to see on a t-shirt or dorm room wall, comes from the 1970s, the prism image associated with their album The Dark Side of the Moon. The look is clean, suggestive, and unforgettable. Its use as the cover for one of their finest albums (which also happens to be their bestselling) ensured its place in culture.
The picture itself fits the band's overall approach. Designed by artist Storm Thorgerson, the prism suggests many ideas without being beholden to any. It feels like a concert, darkness hit by a light show. It also suggests that the band covers a spectrum of ideas and emotions. The prism itself suggests curiosity and exploration coupled with a sense of wonder.
3 Grateful Dead
Steal Your Face
Probably no other emblem invites so much interpretation and makes so many connections as the Grateful Dead's "Steal Your Face" logo, created by sound engineer Owsley “Bear” Stanley and graphic designer Bob Thomas. The presence of a skull suits a band made up of the "dead," but this one feels more lysergic than menacing (although perhaps the band's music has influenced that reading). It, like the phrase "steal your face," also suggests having your mind blown, in this case, by amazing music.
Owsley Stanley has several claims to fame: he recorded many of the Dead's concerts (the collecting of which remains a significant part of Dead fandom) and became known as the Acid King, for reasons that would be fairly obvious given his prominence in the late '60s.
The other details are debatable. The 13-point lightning bolt in particular draws attention, with theories suggesting that the number of points relates to the steps in creating LSD or the number of American colonies (the former seems more likely). Specifics aside, a flash of lightning symbolizes an epiphany, connecting again with the transformative experience of hearing the Dead, particularly live.
2 The Who
Pop Art Roundel
The Who's logo ties to their roots. The roundel (the "target" part of the design) became prominent in pop art and was adopted by the Mods into their fashion. The Who were always associated with Mod culture (both in their early cultural scene and their concept album and film Quadrophenia). The image was used on 1960s concert posters and proved to be so catching that the band stuck with it.
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The other elements of the design are up for some interpretation. The arrow, especially when connected with the circle (an "o"), suggests masculinity or virility. The two h's in "The Who" are connected, which makes for a striking visual, but suggestions that it represents that band's unity are perhaps a bit off, given the act's propensity for in-fighting. It all adds up to a bright, memorable image that connects to the band's personal history, Great Britain's art history, and the subculture connected to both of them - and it's simply pleasing to look at.
1 The Rolling Stones
Tongue and Lips
The Rolling Stones' tongue and lips logo might be the goofiest on the list, but there's little argument against it being the most iconic. The Rolling Stones are one of the most successful rock and roll bands of all time, and they've used this logo consistently since its design in 1970. Mick Jagger worked with designers (the sequence of designs remains disputed) to come up with the image, based largely on imagery of the Hindu goddess Kali.
Regardless of who deserves credit (John Pasche and Ruby Mazur each make claims), the final logo was an instant hit. The large mouth connects with Jagger's own visage, but - more to the band's needs - they suggest the rebellion of rock. It's both a tongue stuck out to authority and a sign of sexual suggestiveness, a combination that's about as rock and roll as it gets. The striking image partnered with the Stones' overwhelming success has made the tongue and lips the greatest logo in the history of rock.