Nick Hertzberg (Wet Cassettes-owner)
SPB: What band has the best logo of all time?
Hertzberg: This is a tough one. First of all, as someone who grew up a metal-head, my mind goes THERE first. Most "ordinary bands" change fonts and imagery and don't have a logo that sticks with them during their tenure, right? But, when I consider logos, not just album covers, you think of a brand. Something recurring and iconic. I think of bands like Metallica or Mayhem, where you see their logo and can already pretty much know what you're going to get even before listening. The fonts and flourishes transcend sound. Most places you go in the world, when music folks see the shirt you are wearing with their logo, they get it.
One of those more widely-known metal bands is instinctually a good answer. BUT as someone who does some professional design work myself now, my final answer has to be: Black Flag. Not only the 4 bars, but the font, and yeah--even the name, which is part of the logo I would argue.
The Misfits fiend skull could be high up there too, but as a kid scribbling anarchy symbols in sharpie markers on my food store paper bags turned into book covers, I could get "The Bars" drawn a bit easier than the skull, Metallica, etc. How many people have good looking Black Flag tattoos versus mediocre Misfits or Metallica tattoos?
Simplicity. A bold visual statement. Recurring across several albums and merchandise. Iconic. Letting the logo speak for the music itself.
If that doesn't describe an ultimate band logo, and doesn't describe Black Flag, I don't know what else does.
