Q Magazine - The Smiths Front Cover
Q have featured The Smiths to be on the front cover of their magazine for this month's issue. Conventionally, the front cover of a music magazine includes a mid, mid-closeup or standard close up shot of the artist that is featured on that particular music magazine. In this issue of Q that I have selected to analyse features a mid shot of The Smiths; with Morrissey looking into the camera and Johnny Marr hugging him from the right side looking towards Morrissey.
Text surrounding them is in the clearly and typically the biggest font size on the front cover - with the text saying: 'THE' in a black box with white font colour with a small font size, and then 'SMITHS' in a much bigger size, this time, being compliant to the other purple colour text that has been used to stand out. For example, the other purple writing has been used in alternating text (the band's names on the left-hand side of the front cover. Also, 'New Album Preview' above that is highlighting the word 'preview' in purple font colour so it appeals and stands out to its target audience. The word 'preview' suggesting exclusive content that could definitely be of interest to the reader.
A quotation from The Smith's interview has been added to the front cover to grab the reader's attention, an insight to the interview itself if you will. "We were one of the greatest bands ever" suggests it's in first person talking about themselves. They speak highly of themselves here, stating they were one of the greatest bands, however this needs to happen to not only show insight into how they feel about themselves, but also the attention-grabbing statement that can 'draw the reader in' and urge themselves to want to read why, how, etc., all of those questions would automatically be raised in the reader's head, and spur them to read, thus purchase the magazine.
'Q', the magazine I am researching into, has conventionally placed their logo on the front cover in order for the reader to identify this magazine, in the top-left of the front cover (again, typical of Q's style); taking up about a sixth of the whole page. At the top part of the 'Q' of the logo, it states 'The world's greatest music magazine', which is often included within its magazine logo - if denoted in such a way, their moto of their work in their music magazines, plus the reputation it has built over the many issues and sales it has had.
Another feature of this magazine front cover is the barcode in the bottom-left section. Quite self-explanatory, the bar code has to ISP code and of course the barcode representing its ISP. It will also have the price of this issue too.
Some people even don't know The Smiths.The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The band consisted of vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. Critics have called them the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s.Q magazine's Simon Goddard argued in 2007 that The Smiths were "the one truly vital voice of the '80s", "the most influential British guitar group of the decade" and the "first indie outsiders to achieve mainstream success on their own terms".The NME named the Smiths the "most influential artist ever" in a 2002 poll, even topping the Beatles.
ReplyDeleteBy the way,you have wrote a very detailed article about the front cover of a music magazine.I found that alomst every magazine's front cover has a barcode image in the bottom-left section.