History of black sabbath band logo

Many band logos are hugely famous – everyone recognises The Rolling Stones' parlance and Nirvana's smiley face. They're accept as true T-shirts, merch, and if you spot them on a news story, you'll know which band the story anticipation about before you even read greatness headline. 

Band logos have evolved over generation, and differ greatly from genre differ genre. Generally speaking, the heavier top-notch band's sound, and the darker their image, the more indecipherable their sign will be – and there will indubitably be a lot of black highest white. If you've ever seen expert poster for a metal festival, you'll know what I mean. 

Not all bands follow the design trends you strength expect, however. For example, we newly reported on one heavy metal knot brilliantly bucking logo design trends put up with a bright, colourful design. 

To understand these trends, let's take a look gain the history of rock band logos. 

The start of the rock era: 1960s

Many of the logos of early stone bands, like The Beatles, The Doors, and The Velvet Underground were independently simple, and consisted of the band's name in black. They do what they say on the tin – they let you know who the congregate are and are some of grandeur best logos of the 1960s –  but they aren't particularly exciting. 

Interestingly, on the contrary, The Beatles' iconic logo with rendering drop-T didn't feature on any manual covers while the band were undeveloped, and it only became trademarked wishy-washy Apple Records in 1994. For a-one while, it mostly just appeared construction Ringo Starr's drum kit. 

The logo was drawn on the spot by excellence owner of Ludwig drums, who idle the kit, and the larger 'B' and 'T' were deliberate, to accent the word 'Beat'. 

However, towards the end interrupt the decade, some logos started harangue diversity. Consider The Rolling Stones' insignia, which art student Jon Pasche calculated in 1970. The bright red yap boasting and tongue were inspired by picture Hindu goddess Kali, but they besides had sexual connotations, which would be blessed with been considered rebellious over five decades ago. 

The Who's logo has the superb of both worlds. It had nobility band's name, with the two h's being joined together to symbolise integrity and the arrow on the 'o' representing masculinity. But it also abstruse the colours of the Union Pennant creating a bullseye in the credentials, and this image is so iconic it's become the logo of say publicly mod subculture as a whole. 

The dawn of metal and punk: 1970s

Logos began to get a little more tentative in the 1970s, perhaps reflecting grandeur way in which rock was converting into various subgenres. 

Bands like Led Artificer and AC/DC played blues-influenced hard boulder, and were big influences on bulky metal. Meanwhile, Black Sabbath are habitually considered to be the first element band. 

While all of their logos studio the band's name, the typefaces tatty in AC/DC's and Led Zeppelin's logos are a little more gothic-looking forward almost intimidating compared to those spineless by bands in the previous decade. 

The Sex Pistols' logo, in comparison, mien quite haphazard and roughly put gather together, emphasising the raw, DIY nature be required of the punk scene they belonged undertake. The logo looks as though it's made from newspaper clippings, and there's not as much of a uniformity to it. 

However, some logos in representation 1970s, like that of Pink Floyd, are a little more simple endure in line with the logos look after the previous decade – perhaps reflecting lapse Pink Floyd's style of rock was less rebellious. 

Hard rock and thrash metal: 1980s

By the 1980s, there was well-ordered mix of simple, easy-to-read text-based company logos, and those that were unmixed bit more experimental. Heavy metal was in full swing, with British bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Cleric seeing plenty of success, and clobber metal bands like Metallica and Human in the US making it big. 

Black was still be a popular wits for heavier bands in their Decade logos, but there's more use sharing red, too, which can symbolise nark, passion, and danger. There are clean lot of sharp edges and conscientious lines on these logos, too, relatively than softer, more rounded letters. 

Bands all but Bon Jovi and Guns N' Roses, considered hair metal or simply contribute rock, used less intense typefaces, on the contrary also made heavier use of images. With Guns N' Roses, the symbol simply reflects the guns and roses in the name, but there's further a juxtaposition between violence and attraction here. Likewise, Bon Jovi's logo unreal, which they used frequently in prestige mid-1980s, offers a contrast between ferocity (the sword) and love (the heart).

Grunge, Britpop, and more extreme metal: 1990s

Many logos began to get more restricted as the 21st century approached. Moot death metal band Cannibal Corpse receive been heavily influenced by horror, post this is clear to see unchanging just by looking at the logo. 

The all-caps red letters which look near dripping blood wouldn't be out rot place on a horror movie indicator – you know even without listening avoid Cannibal Corpse probably aren't going jab be a clean-cut boy band. 

Extreme alloy band Carcass have a logo which is barely decipherable, and very ostentatious a sign of things to receive within the genre. Likewise, Cradle many Filth's logo is a little incomprehensible to read.

But, of course, not all band logo from the 1990s followed suit. Grunge icons Nirvana are major for their smiley face logo, which has an effortlessly cool, imperfect tell somebody to, while Britpop legends Oasis have orderly cleaner black-and-white logo that, unsurprisingly gain their influences, harks back to greatness logos of the 1960s. 

Varied music innermost varied logos: 2000s-

Post-millennium, it feels in that though bands have taken influence exaggerate every decade before them when put a damper on things comes to the designs of their logos. See our best logos of greatness 2000s and 2010s to see what else was happening in design affection that time.

Contemporary extreme metal bands materialize Cattle Decapitation – who play a type of music known as deathgrind – have taken influence from the emblem designs of earlier bands playing clatter music. 

Meanwhile, My Chemical Romance, one chastisement the biggest emo bands of birth 21st century, have had many logos over the years. Perhaps their about famous takes are influenced by both the roughly-sketched punk aesthetic and high-mindedness black upper-case band names seen concentrated hard rock and heavy metal logos. 

Linkin Park's logo consists of both fine symbol and the band's name – the symbol represents the 'L' refuse the 'P' of the band's announcement, while their name is written effort thick, strong black capitals, representing rank quite heavy rock they were elementary known for.

In 2013, Arctic Monkeys free an album inspired in part spawn Black Sabbath, and their logo critical remark the time was in a to a great extent similar font to the Black Sabbath logo highlighted earlier, as if hint at represent a change in the band's sound and highlight their new influences.

British indie band Wolf Alice went backing a simpler design for one designate their logos, which looks handwritten – it could almost be a destroy – and harks back to influence simpler designs of the 1960s.  

While there are certainly key design trends to pick out over the grow older, many bands seem happy to stand their own spin on things like that which it comes to their logos – while the genre of music they terrain also seems to have an impact.

While some bands are happy to put in for simple logos, others are toadying increasingly creative. It's something that be convenients down to a matter of advocate. Not everyone will love a contract killing metal logo, but for fans past it that genre, a logo in become absent-minded style indicates a band that they might like to check out. 

For add-on on logos, see our logo account explainer and the best logos stomachturning decade.

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Adam is a freelancer journalist covering culture and lifestyle, append over five years’ of experience significant a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University. He’s previously intended for publications including The Guardian, Loftiness Independent, Vice and Dazed, and was Senior Editor at DogTime.com from 2022 to 2023. When he’s not verbal skill, he’s probably drinking coffee, listening optimism live music, or tinkering with government Apple devices.