12 - The work of graphic designers in contemporary music graphic design and/or life style magazines and branding.

Music in the 1970's an onwards became very much about rebelling, against views in the political and economic scene. Punk music in England developed because of the economy being so poor, with unemployment rates being higher than ever. All this caused out of work youths in England to become angry and therefore rebellious. In the USA, mainly America, bands like The Ramones and Blondie were emerging, all having there own unique styles.

Eat to the Beat - Blondie
Designed by Norman Seef
collaborative - 1979

The graphic design for music towards the end of the 70's was very classy, like Blondie's Eat to the Beat cover, with the logo and a grayscale, almost sepia photograph. But that soon changed in the heading into the 80's with a DIY styled approach being applied to album covers, with two of the B-52's albums, using cut-out photographs of the band and applying them onto a bright background.

Self Titled - The B-52's
Designed by Sue Ab Surd
Photography by
George DuBose
1979

This was similar with most other bands, with cover art by many different designers, all using the same sort of style, like Bob Heimall & Stephanie Zuras who create the cover art to the right for Blue Angel. This differed slightly from Surd and Waldrop's designs for The B-52's as it wasn't just one cut out photo, the creators used five, and placed them on the cover at different angles, making the page looks very busy and gave it movement, however it still looks very DIY styled.

Wild Planet - The B-52's
Designed by Robert Waldrop
Photography by
Lynn Goldsmith
1980
All images taken from
This Aint No Disco
Jennifer Mcknight-Trontz
Thames & Hudson
First Published in 2005

Self Titled - Blue Angel
Designed by Bob Heimall &
Stephanie Zuras
Photography by Benno Friedman
1980