Analysis of three different music magazines

1. By Ellie Zambakides

2. Masthead
The name of the magazine ‘NME’ is a shortened version of the
previous name ‘New Music express’. The name is rather informal
and has connotations of rebellion and defiance. The name of the
magazine ‘NME’ sounds like the word ‘enemy’, this similarity is
purposely done to reflect the type of rebellious and possibly
aggressive music that the magazine features. Moreover, it mirrors
the audience and how they would act as the name is quite
alternative and defiant, the people reading the magazine and
listening to the music featured will resemble the same rebellious
attitude. The large capital letters ‘NME’ in the left top hand corner
visually stand out to the reader as they are in a deep red. The choice
of colour signifies danger as well as allowing the title to stand out
against the magazine as it is the only thing in red so our eyes are
drawn to it as everything else is blue, black and white. Furthermore,
the colours will continue to reflect that audience as the title is
different to the rest of the front cover, and stands out, and doesn’t
conform to the rest of the page, much like the audience.
Sell-line
The main sell-line is the name of the band ‘My Chemical Romance’
and how they ‘conquered the nation’ is in a large black and white
font. The black text on a white background stands out as the text is
both large, and the white background of the text is very visible
against the black clothes that the members are wearing. It also
sticks to the black, white and blue colour scheme. The other smaller
sell-lines are to draw in the audience and get them to buy the
magazine even if they are not fans of the main band featured (My
chemical Romance) they might be incised by their favourite artist in
the sell-line. For example ‘live’ in the same colour and style as the
main sell-line, to keep continuity and to make it seem important
like the main sell-line. The white and blue writing stands out against
the black jacket of the lead singer. The quotes pulled from the text
in the magazine also catch the audiences attention. The quote
‘…drugs, getting drunk, and dancing all night’ is quite rebellious
actions so the readers will be intrigued to buy the magazine and
find out more.
Main Image
The image on the front cover is of the band ‘My Chemical Romance’
it takes up most of the page and shows the band in an almost
descending order. The order in which the band are placed in is done
by the individuals popularity, as Gerard Way is the ,most prominent
member in the image it shows he is the most well know. This is
because more people are likely to know his face and see the
magazine and buy it as they are familiar with him. The Medium shot
of the band show their facial expressions which seem almost
emotionless or slightly (almost) angry. This is shown by the members
are looking straight into the lens as if they are looking at the reader.
Moreover, the band are wearing black and this both represents their
style of music and fashion. In addition their style has connotations of
rebellion which mirror the attitude the bands fans are likely to have
to everyday life. The bands clothes are probably how their fans
would dress. The colours of the main image are mainly black and
white due to their black clothes and dark/light hair (especially Gerard
Way’s hair as its white/silver). This plain colour scheme allows the
red masthead to stand out more, it also supports the anchorage text
‘the week the world went black’ as they normally dress is all black as
it would be referring to their song ‘the black parade’. It also is clear
that the main story of the magazine will be about the band and how
successful they have been.
Freebies
The ‘massive posters’ also included in the
magazine are there to interest the reader if they
are fans of the artist on the magazine. There is a
small photo of the posters so you know what you
are getting. Moreover, the yellow and black ‘FREE!’
draws people’s attention to the posters.
Colour Scheme
The front cover uses three main colour which are, black white and
blue, however there are small sections of red and yellow to attract
the audiences attention to those particular places as the magazine
wants the reader to see them. The use of white and black reflects
the bands image as they are quite punk rock and tend to wear those
colours, furthermore it is likely to be the colours that the audience
dress in. the third colour is a fairly light blue which is used for the
sell-lines to take the readers attention away from the other aspects
of the magazine. The blue is a neutral colour so whilst it stands out
from the rest it is not too distracting and vibrant. In addition the red
adds a sense of danger and lets the reader know it is NME magazine
as red is a very common colour used in the magazine.
Barcode
The barcode is placed in the right bottom hand
corner of the magazine so we can clearly see it
but it does not take up too much of the front
cover. In addition, it in a place were there is
important image or text that the barcode would
be covering up.

3. Masthead
The name of the magazine is ‘Kerrang!’ and the exclamation mark
suggests that the magazine is loud. This means that the magazine
will have louder music eg rock and punk. Moreover, it reflects the
artists that will be featured in the magazine, like Fall Out Boy,
Evanescence, Paramore etc. In addition, the name of the magazine
sounds almost aggressive and also sounds slightly like an
onomatopoeia which is quite alternative and would echo the
potential audience of the magazine. The title of the magazine is in
large black letters with a white background. The black stands as the
rest of the page is very colourful so as the letters are so large, and
they are in black it is very clear, and visible. The thin white lines that
randomly go across the name, look almost like broken glass which
further emphasizes that the name sounds like an onomatopoeia as
it seems like the words have smashed glass, giving it a rebellious
feel. Furthermore, the name is covered by the band member’s (Pete
Wenz) head. The letters A and half of the N are covered to show the
importance of the band member. Despite this, the magazine name is
still recognisable as it is well know so I can afford to be slightly
hidden as we know what the title says.
Main Image
The image on the front cover is of the band ‘Fall Out Boy’ and
despite the fact the band members take up most of the front cover,
as the front cover is very busy they do not stand out too much. On
the other hand, the fact that a member is covering the ‘Kerrang!’
name it highlights the importance of the band. Moreover, the three
members in black are seen as less relevant as they are wearing black
so they do not stand out as much, and they are smaller. Whilst the
bassist Pete Wenz is the most focal point as he is the one covering
the name of the magazine, he is bigger, and also he is wearing
orange unlike the rest of the band. Both distancing himself from the
band and also making him more visually noticeable as we see the
orange before the black. This is most likely because he is the most
well known member so the magazine show him off more to entice
people to buy a copy if they know he is in it. The colours used in the
image are black and orange, this is to make the bassist Pete stand
out more, and also because black us a colour the band dress in a lot
and it also resembles how the fans would dress. In addition, the
band are holding ice creams which injects some humour into the
image as also supports the cover line ‘the heat is on’ as it mocks it as
the cover line implies both the idea of competition and summer. So
Freebies
There are lots of freebies on this front cover. In
large white writing with red backgrounds it reads
‘FREE CD’ and ‘FREE POSTERS!’. The posters are
then previewed so the reader can see if they like
the artists who the poster is of. The white writing
on a red background makes the freebie stand out
more against the rest of the front cover.
Sell-line they band literally have ice creams for humour purposes.
The main sell-line is the name of the band ‘Fall Out Boy’ in large
white letters central on the front cover. The text also reads ‘the heat
is on’ suggesting the idea of some sort of competition/a play on
words as it was printed in the summer Kerrang issues. The sell-line
saying ‘PLUS!’ catches the readers attention as they will be drawn to
look at the names of the audiences favourite artists of bands that
will be featured in the magazine. The colour of the main sell-line is
white as the background is quite colourful and busy so a plain and
simple colour will stand out more. The yellow/orange colour
reading ‘the heat is on’ completes the running theme of orange that
Barcode
is on the front cover and ties in with the summer vibe as it is white
The barcode is placed in the right bottom hand
a bright colour. Moreover, the orange/yellow ‘PLUS!’ once again ties
corner of the magazine so we can clearly see it
together the orange theme whilst the red background sections the
but it does not take up too much of the front
information off from the rest of the magazine and also to make the
cover. It avoids covering up any of the text right at
writing easier to read.
the bottom of the front cover.
Colour Scheme
The front cover uses a variety of colours which is unusual as front
covers tend to use three main colours. However, fiery colours like
red, yellow and orange appear a lot on the front cover. This could be
due to the fact it is a summer issue so the makers of the magazine
are tying in the orange colours as they have connotations of summer.
Furthermore, this clear orange theme is very prominent as one of
the members is wearing a very bright orang top. The blue in the
background also creates colours that would appeal more to males
than females as it uses blues, whites, blacks and oranges. The
important sell-lines all have a background colour to them to section
off the front cover from images and text/important information. In
addition the amount of colour used on the front cover could be
because the target audience is likely to find these colours appealing.

4. Masthead
The name of the magazine is ‘Q’ the one letter name is because
originally it was to be called Cue (as in the sense of cueing a record,
ready to play), but the name was changed so that it wouldn't be
mistaken for a snooker magazine. Another reason is that a single-letter
title would be more prominent on newsstands, so there is a
higher chance of people picking up the magazine. The simplicity of
the white Q on a red background is very clean and simple and
implies that the music featured in the magazine will be of good
quality and be simple, yet effective. The colour scheme used is once
again very clean and simple and stands out as it is a very rich red
that is used. Furthermore, a slight part of the Q is covered by the
artist on the front ‘Jake Bugg’. This is done to exaggerate his
significance in the magazine and that his is very important in the
issue.
Main Image
The Image on the front cover is of the solo country/rock artist ‘Jake
Bugg’. The musician takes up most of the front cover, however our
eyes are mainly drawn to his guitar as it is large and very red which
attracts our attention, additionally it juxtaposes with the back
clothes he is wearing making it even more eye catching. Jake is not
looking at the camera and his body is slightly twisted creating quite
an artistic shape, which the magazine normally creates. He holds the
guitar as if he is in the middle of playing a song and all of the sell –
lines are placed around his body and his guitar. In addition, he is
wearing dark clothes with a leather jacket which has connotations of
a rocker vibe and would reflect the dress sense of the people who
listen to his music. Moreover, the musician is slightly covering the ‘Q’
to highlight that his is the main focus of the front cover. The red
guitar brings out the red in the mast head and the names in the sell-lines
to complete the front cover. Also it is very vibrant and stands
out a lot, whilst the red also symbolises passion and the passion he
has for music. The dark colour of his clothes represent mystery and
they give an edge to the front cover as it is mainly red, blue and a
hint of gold and yellow, so the black brings a new element to the
front cover.
Sell-line
The main sell-line is the name of Artist ‘Jake Bugg’ is in large white
letters that almost shape the guitar he is holding. This creates quite
an artists effect that out eyes are immediately drawn to. The font is
always quite creative and playful to further grab our attention. The
badge ‘His most revealing interview’ makes the reader curious and
increases the chances of the reader buying the magazine as they
are excited. The words ‘most revealing’ emphasizes that the
interview will be like no other interview Jake Bugg has done, which
will intrigue people. Other sell-lines such as ‘Ellie Goulding’ and
‘Metallica’ are other artists that Jake Bugg fans probably listen to.
The Red colour of the names of the artists stand out against the
blue background highlighting their significance in the magazine. In
addition, the gold colour of the other sell lines imply they story
featured about that is likely to be less important as the gold is not
as vibrant and eye catching. Additionally, the white writing of the
main sell –line ‘Jake Bugg’ is very striking against the black clothes
he is wearing and the red guitar. Likewise the badge/sell-line that
reads ‘His most revealing interview’ is in a gold circle which is very
contrasting to the rest of the front cover as it is a block colour of
Gold with white writing.
Colour Scheme
The front cover uses the colours red, black, blue and a small bit of
gold and yellow. The colours are quite vibrant and bright so the black
writing and clothes give the front cover an edge. The gold makes the
magazine look expensive and classy and therefore giving the cover a
clean, sophisticated look. The red used in the names, masthead, and
guitar bring out the red in the guitar especially. The yellow Bob Dylan
special contrasts with the rest of the cover to add a different
element. The colours appeal to the target audience of the magazine
as it is young and fresh but still clean and refined. Furthermore, the
blue background provides a crisp and light feel to the cover as the
blue is a light blue yet it does not clash with any of the other colours.
The colours do not appeal to a specific gender as they are colours
that all genders would like, so it will allure most.
Specials
There is a Bob Dylan special, which most fans who
listen to Jake Bugg probably listen to Bob Dylan. It
has a picture and a bright yellow background
showing us it is a focal point however Jakes head
slightly covers it, implying he is still the main story
of the issue.
Barcode
The barcode is placed in the left side of the centre
of the front cover, which is unusual as normally
the barcode is in the bottom right corner. Despite
the more central placing of the barcode, it does
not stand out/distract our eyes from the rest of
the cover.