Chris Briant WGSB AS Media Studies
"Q" signifies cueing the music at the start of a music track, which symbolises a wide range of music as it doesn't link to a specific genre of music. The actual title of "Q" magazine is inriguing as a one-leter title was selected. This is because it was originally going to be named "Cue" but this may have caused confusion as the word cue is to do with snooker, so they wouldn't have got across the right message to potential customers. Also, a single-letter title was chosen as it looks more pronounced and is eye-catching on shop shelfs. The masthead of "Q" magazine is situated in the top left hand corner, which is similar to magazines such as "XXL" and "NME". The masthead itself is a red box with the letter "Q" in white and in serif font. By using a serif font for the masthead, the magazine keeps some of the history it has, and it looks sophisticated and professional. This works well next to modern cover lines, as it helps the masthead to be even more eye-catching. The vibrant use of red for the box that the "Q" is in, is distinct and sticks out on the front cover, as red is a colour that the eye is drawn to. Throughout its history, the house style of "Q" magazine has barely changed. The red and the white used in the masthead help to make the magazine look casual but still striking. It also aids it in being open, as the colours used don't make the magazine gender-specific. "Q" sometimes uses a strapline on the front cover reading something like "The world's greatest music magazine" which states to potential buyers that it is a magazine worth buying, as it is the best music magazine out there.
Masthead and Typography Analysis
"Rolling Stone" got its name from a song by the artist "Muddy Waters" called "Rollin' stone". To me the title of the magazine is a play on words to "rock and roll" as "stone" is another word for "rock" and "rolling" is simialr to the word "roll". However the title doesn't associate itself with a specific genre of music. The stance of the title on the front cover is rather striking as it makes the actual title stand out to the reader, as the red is eye-catching. The masthead is situated in the middle and at the top of the page, which is similar to magazines such as "Vibe" and "Kerrang!". The masthead itself is in a bold, red, serif font, with a white outline around it, and a black shadow around the outside of the words. By using a serif font for the title, the magazine looks elegant and gives off the impression that the magazine is of high quality. This ties in well with the cover lines, as they too are in serif fonts, so the whole front cover looks refined and prominent. The vivid use of red for the font colour of "Rolling Stone" makes the magazine stand out, due to red being an eye-catching colour. During its history as a music magazine, "Rolling Stone" hasn't changed its house style. All the colours used aid the title in being able to look impressive, as they don't overload the readers eyes with colours, but they are strong enough to keep their attention. They also keep the feel of the magazine minimal, as it doesn't aim at a specific gender.
"Billboard" indicates the power and significance the magazine has, as "Billboard" is the chart in America that determines what songs are most popular at the time. This means that it doesn't identify itself with a specific genre of music, however because the charts is a place for the most popular music, it does link with Pop music. The title of the magazine stands out to the reader because of the simplicity of the font, and the colours that have been used. The masthead is positioned in the middle and at the top of the page, which is similar to another magazine I have analysed, which is "Rolling Stone" and magazines such as "Vibe". The masthead is designed so that it is is a black, sans-serif font, with four different colours used to fill in the gaps in some of the letters. By using a sans-serif font for the title, the magazine looks modern and more appealing in todays market. This also helps the magazine to look fashionable and of great importance, which in turn will mean it looks more prominent on newsstands. The use of black for the font of "Billboard" keeps the magazine looking simple and minimal, but the use of red, yellow, blue and green to fill in the gaps in some of the letters distinguishes this magazine from many others in the music magazine industry. Throughout its history, the house style of "Billboard" has rarely changed, however at points it does differ from its usual look. This can be seen when the title is coloured in white font, mainly due it suiting the background behind. Also, recently "Billboard" has changed the design of its title to look like the second and third photos down on the left. This has made the title look even more simple, and in my opinion it looks better because it now looks extremely professional and refined. This all comes together to make the magazine for any music fan, as it doesn't specifically target a genre of music, or a certain set of people.
Essentially, music magazine mastheads don't change from issue to issue, and help recognise what magazine it is, as well as give each magazine its separate, individual identity, which potential customers should be able to see at first glance. There are some images below where the house styles stay similar, but may differ in terms of colour. However the font and the size of the mastheads stay constant throughout each issue.
