Magazine Analysis

The  masthead of this magazine is arguably one of the most recognisable mastheads within music journalism. Rolling Stones magazine first started publishing almost 50 years ago in November 1967. This firstly provides the audience with a sense of reliability upon the contents of the magazine due to its long lasting popularity. The title connotes the world famous 'The Rolling Stones'. This connoted both success and rock music to the magazine as well as providing a sense of familiarity with the name of the band. The traditional red is used to provide a sense of seriousness to the article whilst also connoting a sense of power and superiority. The bright red will easily attract attention from readers whilst looking for a magazine as it quickly draws your attention. The typography of this masthead is significant as it provides a sense of nostalgia from the decade in which it was first published. Rolling Stone magazine has stuck with the same typography since its first publish in 1967. This gives off the message that Rolling Stone has stood the test of time within its field and that they do not have to renovate and change the elements of their magazine to stay successful.

The main image is what I believe to be the most powerful element in this issue of the magazine. Firstly, what grabs our attention is the fact that all of the band members are posing naked. This firstly may cause controversy due to their lack of clothing. However, it is also known that 5 Seconds of Summer (the cover models) have a following of girls in their mid to late teens. Therefore, by posing the band naked on the front cover would surely grasp their attention in someway. Furthermore, the fact that they are not wearing clothes may aim to serve a different meaning. For example, it may suggest that this interview has stripped them down of everything superficial and just publicises who they are as genuine people, without all that fame has brought them. This makes the image more powerful, as when closely analysed, we can see that the bands lyrics from their second studio album have been scrawled across their naked bodies. This is a powerful element to discuss as it suggests to the audience that their new songs have some straight from the band themselves and that they are personal.

The layout of this magazine cover is very clean and organised. The cover consists only of the masthead, a main image and a main cover line. This allows the audience to focus purely on the cover models and the story surrounding their cover. This suggests to buyers that the article will go into detail about their cover artist. For some, this may meet social needs, as it will provide sufficient information for the reader to use in order to socialize with those who have similar interests. Furthermore, the absence of clutter from the cover suggests sophistication and even a sense of honesty from the magazine. Audiences may be familiar with magazines using an abundance of fake story lines in order to attract customers. However, this is not a technique used by rolling stone which may attract a larger audience as they are more likely to trust in its honesty.

The magazine uses a very bold image in order to attract attention. This image bring connotations of music as, on a closer look, it becomes clear that the band have song lyrics written across their bodies. This will tell the audience that they are about to read an article mainly focused on music rather than celebrity status. Furthermore, the use of the bold red for the typography acts as an aesthetic trap for the audience. The red connotes seriousness, class and sophistication so will be more effective in reeling an audience in.

The I believe that the target audience for this magazine would be the explorer and the mainstream. I believe that the explorer would enjoy this magazine due to its covering of a wider variety of music therefore would channel their need for discovery. However, I believe that it would satisfy the mainstream audience as it would meet their needs for social interaction by providing a topic of interest and conversation with others