Iconic Record Label Logos

These graphics invoke the essence of the music produced.

Works of Art: 10 Iconic Record Label Logos - Wednesday (Jan. 15), Def Jam released an image of their new logo (above), which celebrates the label's 30 years in the game. The vinyl-like graphic is an update to a logo that's just as storied as the name that it symbolizes, as their original — with it's simple layout — has become one of the most ubiquitous in all of hip-hop. Here are more iconic record label logos.(Photo: Def Jam Recordings)
Tommy Boy Records - Launched in 1981, Tommy Boy Records was home to notable acts in the late 1980s and early 1990s like Queen Latifah and House of Pain. The logo was designed by graffiti artist Eric Haze, who designed logos for everyone from Public Enemy to EPMD, and products for brands like G-Shock and Nike. It featured three b-boys doing their thing under the clean "Tommy Boy" block letters, artfully capturing hip-hop's essence.  (Photo: Tommy Boy Entertainment)
Motown Records - Three distinct polygons placed side by side make up the classic Motown Records logo, creating a distinguished "M." That sleek and chic logo ended up on the records of some of the most incredible acts in music over the last half-century.(Photo: Motown Records)Ruff Ryders - The Ruff Ryders logo in many ways felt like a personification of the label itself. With fierce, metalic lettering, "Ruff Ryders" sits in the foreground, placed over a much larger "R." It was hard and in your face, but still a bit flashy — much like the label's roster of artists. (Photo: Ruff Ryders Records)

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Works of Art: 10 Iconic Record Label Logos - Wednesday (Jan. 15), Def Jam released an image of their new logo (above), which celebrates the label's 30 years in the game. The vinyl-like graphic is an update to a logo that's just as storied as the name that it symbolizes, as their original — with it's simple layout — has become one of the most ubiquitous in all of hip-hop. Here are more iconic record label logos.(Photo: Def Jam Recordings)

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