1. Magazine names
and mastheads.

2. Names of music
magazines.
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NME
Top of the Pops
Kerrang
Q
Vibe
Drowned in Sound
Smash Hits
Rolling Stone
BMG
Blurt

3. Types of names for
magazines
Acronyms – These are letters that stand for a certain group of words. They are
short, effective and are instrumental in a magazine becoming well known by
people. Not many people know what these acronyms stand for, but that isn’t
really a problem. An example of an acronym name is NME which stands fow
“New music express”.
Phrase – Phrases are popular and are usually used to give a certain feel or
sense of mood to a magazine. Some of them can be used to relate to the
genre i.e. – Top of the Pops. An example of a phrase name used to display
a mood is “Drowned in sound”.
Connotative – When looking at connotative names, we can simply think of
connotations of certain things. For example red for passion or love. When
they are used in magazine names, they cover what music involves or
represents. For example “Vibe” can be used to represent the feeling that
individuals get when they listen to music.

4. Analysing the name “NME”
The name “NME” is not only simple and iconic, but is powerful. For music fans everywhere, NME
is a household name. It’s in their speech almost everyday. And it’s what they read religiously.
NME is a powerhouse in the magazine industry, but it’s the logo that really gives the front of their
storm across the business. The fact that NME is an acronym gives a great affect. These three
letters represent everything that the magazine stands for. From being one of the world’s leading
magazines, to their radio station.
What also makes NME a great name is the fact that not everybody knows what the letters stand
for. I have used an image with the acronym and the actual words to show the meaning so it is
easier to understand. But for the readers and fans of NME, they will feel that somebody who
knows what it stands for is perhaps “One of their own”. It gives a sense of identity and belonging
to the person who knows what NME stands for.
Furthermore, the iconic double stroke affect around the letters makes them stand out – literally
and metaphorically. This effect adds to the simplicity of the logo, which in actual fact, makes it
even more iconic. Unlike connotative titles, acronyms don’t need much colour or don’t use colour

5. Analysing the name “Kerrang”
Kerrang may sound like a strange, random word which doesn’t fit into the English
language – but in actual fact, it’s an incredibly clever and smart name for a music
magazine. “Kerrang” is an onomatopoeic word/sound for the sound that a guitar makes
when strung by the user. This instantly brings the audience into the world of genre of
Rock music, as the affect of reading the name almost sounds like they are listening to
the genre that the magazine is based on.
Not only is the name itself clever, but the font type is also extremely affective. The font
type and size are big, bold and stand out from the rest of the front cover. The bold
writing expresses how Rock music can be very “In your face” and loud. The use of an
exclamation make further expresses the feeling of the genre. The font type is unique
and will instantly stand out on the shelves at supermarkets and newsagents. In
addition, the effect on the text which makes it look like smashed glass is a real
representation of Rock as a genre. Guitarists and Rock bands in general are renowned
for smashing their instruments at concerts, so this is a direct relation between the
name, magazine and genre.

6. Analysing the name “Drowned
in sound”
As already mentioned, “Phrase names” are a brilliant way of naming a magazine. They are
used to depict or give a sense of feeling and emotion to the reader. In this case, “Drowned
in Sound” is a brilliant name for a magazine. Everything from the colours in the logo, the
name and the logo itself are cleverly intertwined with each other and relate to the UK Music
scene excellently.
First of all, the name “Drowned in sound” relates to the way that fans of music feel about
listening to it. The phrase “Drowned” suggests how those who are real fans of music, get
lost in it and can never get out (Which is a positive thought). Despite being a hyperbole, the
word “Drowned” is a great way of displaying the thoughts and feelings of music fans.
When discussing graphology, this logo is probably one of the most intriguing and interesting
to look at. First of all, in the letter “O” in the word “Sound”, there is a small image of a
person struggling in what appears to be a form of liquid. This metaphorically represents the
feeling of “Drowned in sound”, with the person representing the population of music fans
and the water representing the “sound” (Music), that these fans get lost in on a daily basis.

7. Analysing the name “Rolling
Stone”
The magazine name “Rolling Stone” is probably the most simple, yet one of the most
affective magazine names in the music magazine industry. Across the world, rolling
stone is a magazine that is instantly recognised due to it’s standout name, unique
text font and range of famous musicians.
The first thing that makes this name affective is… well, the name. For a magazine
based on classic rock, there is no better name to have than that of one of the most
famous rock bands of all times – “The rolling stones”. This name gives Rolling Stone
a huge advantage over other magazines in an advertising aspect, as the name
Rolling Stone is most likely to attract fans of classic rock towards their
magazine, even if there are other magazines dedicated to the genre. The name also
instantly relates to the genre.
In addition, the text font of the magazine relates to the genre as it looks typically
“American”. Classic Rock is a genre that emerged from around the late 60’s/early
70’s and as strange as it sounds, a lot of advertising, companies and even car
manufacturers used fonts like this as it looked slick, stylish and cool. As well as
looking stylish, the font looks classic, with over exaggerated flicks on the ends of
letter and a slight shine to each one.

8. Analysing the name “Vibe”
The connotative name “Vibe” works it’s purpose well. The use of connotative names is to
give a relation to a certain topic other than what it actually is. An example of this is
red, which has the connotations of love and passion. “Vibe” has the connotations of
liveliness, fun and excitement. A vibe is a particular feeling that a person gets from
listening to music, so contextually, “Vibe” is a brilliant name for a music
magazine, especially one that is based on the genre of R&B and Hip-Hop.
Furthermore, the name “Vibe” is simple. R&B and Hip-Hop are genres in which the artists
do not tend to care too much about anything other than their music, money and
themselves. Whilst the word “Vibe” does not mean or represent a lack of care, the
simplicity of the name does.
The logo itself, is grammatically incorrect and informal. The letter “E” in the name of
magazine is in lower case whilst everything else is in capital letters. This highlights the
informality of the genre itself.