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The whole article seems to vastly overstate how important the cover art was to the financial success of the album. People rarely buy t-shirts of an album cover
by cwyers 8y ago
The whole article seems to vastly overstate how important the cover art was to the financial success of the album. People rarely buy t-shirts of an album cover because they really like the artwork in isolation; it's very often because it reminds them of the songs on the album.
- rangibaby 8y agoMetal album cover or band logo t-shirts were a huge fad in Japan amongst young people, even those who didn’t like or know about the music. A metal head friend of mine said that he finally understood cultural appropriation!
- bostik 8y agoThere is a self-enforcing cycle. A good album sells merchandise, which quite often is using imagery from the album front. T-shirts, posters, ... you name it. Yes, the merchandise is bought as a reminder of a good experience but once it's out in the open, it becomes a form of brand advertising. Familiarity breeds interest (as well as contempt), and interest generates sales. NB. Unrelated to the other part of your comment - I would happily buy a shirt with The Division Bell's cover even if I didn't like the album. There are limits, though. I'm NOT paying £75 for a cycling jacket with that image - such a thing was available in the V&A exhibition.