CLASSIC POP ANALYSIS Cover: The cover of Classic Pop has been designed so that it stands out on the

shelf as it combines a mixture of electronic eighties flair with a modern-day design. The colours used are very vibrant, particularly around the central image which makes Boy George stand out above the text. These colours (bright yellows, pinks and blues) are used in a way that reminisces the eighties vibe and fashion and therefore appeals to those who lived through it and those who take an interest in it. The font has been chosen to also carry that eighties design, for example the font used for the main cover line of Boy George looks to be handwritten in bright pink lettering and matches with the lipstick he is wearing, and therefore highlights eighties fashion and draws attention to both who the man on the cover is, and the style he is carrying. Sans serif fonts have been used to modernise the design and to create a feeling of the flawless electronic design of the eighties. Every section has a different font, for example the cover lines and the smaller descriptions are in separate fonts to make the cover lines stand out and are noticeable from a distance to draw the attention of the target audience. Overall the fonts and styles suggest a vintage image from the eighties. The cover also uses the grid design in thirds as one section of cover lines Is in the first thirds, the second third contains the central images, and the final third contains the other cover lines. In the dead area of the magazine, the barcode and price are placed. The images used are contrasting; the most important image is seen to be quite bright and the lesser images on the cover are quite dark, this contrasts the central image for it to stand out more. Specific photos have been chosen from the eighties so that the target audience knows who the feature is about, even though they may not have seen his face for years, they have chosen an old photo so that Boy George is recognisable from his youth. The image is directly related to the main feature as it depicts Boy George in the eighties, and the story is about his pop resurrection and how he is continuing his music, and so this shows a contrast between how he used to be and how he is reinventing himself. Boy George represents the electronic eighties as he is recognisable from the ear and therefore represents the eighties and the fans of the electronic music from the eighties. The pose used for the central image is very conventional and depicts Boy George with a neutral expression, however the style of photo is reminiscent of the eighties as the musician featured is wearing the clothes and is made-up in the way that he is recognised for from the era in which he was most famous. His hair is long and in plaits and he is wearing loud and extravagant make-up which is

stereotypical for the eighties. The cover lines give the impression that the magazine is revolved around retro music and the eighties fashion and style. The puff of Win a day at Vintage TV supports the idea of the oldfashioned era as Vintage TV is chosen as the prize as opposed to something more modern like MTV or Kiss. This all implies that the magazine contains mostly eighties music and styles. This style is evident in a way that will attract the reader at first glance and will stand out on the shelf. A strapline of electronic eighties eclectic is used to further confirm the genre of the magazine. The language used is short, sharp and straight to the point so as much information can be conveyed in the smallest space as possible, for example The pubs, bands and tragedies is straight to the point and gives a loose idea of what the story will revolve around. Also words such as resurrection are used to imply how the music of the eighties is being reborn in this magazine. Overall this magazine gives the correct impression, it is retro and modernises the eighties design as well as appealing to the nostalgic target audience. It is designed to appeal to the older generation who lived through the eighties, and other people who may take an interest in the music and fashion of the eighties. It doesnt however, appeal to the modern audience as it contains no indication of popular culture of our time. Anthem Publishing publishes this magazine, and also other magazines such as Musictech, Guitar and Taste Italia. These magazines would be distributed in the average newsagents. Contents:

The contents page in Classic Pop takes up a double-page spread. The colours match that of the front cover as the main logo and the left third where the title of contents sits on the page is primarily red, matching the logo of Classic Pop on the cover. The colours of the images are quite typically retro as the magazine is attempting to show the style through their design. The largest image, depicting Boy George as he is now, is a mixture of

the eighties photoshoots with a modern flair. The image of Boy George is the largest on the page as it relates to the main article in the magazine and the cover. The other colours of the photos give a retro mood and have connotations to the old eighties photoshoots of the bands and musicians. All of the images relate to the stories inside the magazine, and the page number on each picture shows which page the picture directly relates to. The poses of each picture, as well as the make-up, hair, clothing etc is used to create the eighties imagery and make the magazine as nostalgic and retro as possible. This gives the reader the impression that we are still living in the eighties and that the era lives on. The design of the contents page is unusual, but it uses the grid design as everything is pieced together perfectly as smaller and larger images are used but remain in the same space. The text also has its own space, and there is enough room between the text and pictures to differentiate between each section. The main font of the page numbers and the title of contents are typically retro which matches the pictures and the people depicted on them. The smaller writing that show the contents and a small description of each page is in sans serif which makes it easy to read, but also ensures that you notice the pictures first. The text in the contents page anchors the images on both the same page and the cover page. It carries on the house style that the magazine creates and its easy to tell that the contents go with the cover page. The language carries on being relatively formal and straight to the point, just as the cover is and addresses the reader as mature adults which is the large proportion of the readership is most likely to be. Overall the contents page carries on the impression of a retro style, reminiscent of the eighties, and organises things in a way that isnt usually seen in modern-day magazines and therefore sets itself apart. The contents page gives a good and clear insight into what is inside the magazine through its clever use of images (as well as the sizes of those images) which anchor the text. This magazine is clearly aimed at people who lived through the eighties and want to go back to the era in some way.

Double-page spread:

The double-page spread is retro but has a modern flair. It uses vibrant and primary colours to liven up the page. This use of loud colour is linked back to the eighties and therefore helps to maintain the house style. It gives an impression of electronic music as the colours are mainly neon and relate to the electronic eighties era. It creates a very vibrant and happy mood and successfully helps to capture the eighties design. The words link to the images as the body text discusses Boy Georges musical career and how he ended up doing what he is doing in the current era, and the images show different stages of his career over the years. This shows a progression of Boy Georges musical career that is then anchored by the text which describes it in more detail; in other words it describes the evolution of Boy George. Multiple images are used to depict the various stages of Boy Georges fame in the eighties so that we are able to compare it to his music of this era. There are multiple images used, most of which are from the era of the eighties to continue the house style, and they all anchor the body text and allow the reader to reminisce and remember the era better. It represents how the music industry used to be and the image of popular bands and musicians at the time. Just as in the front cover, the makeup, hair and general style is the same as it is the style that Boy George is most renowned for. However the poses vary among the different styles of pictures as there are a mixture of photoshoots (in which the poses are well thought out and typical for an eighties photoshoot), candid photos (unplanned photos) and live performances which capture the moment of the performance and therefore are not posed, but are usually quite different to relaxed and natural candid photos. This creates an open and varied idea of Boy George.

The size and layout of the double-page spread is used wisely as there is a fair proportion of imagery to text, making it both interesting and factual, yet there is enough distance between the columns to see them as separate. The use of the font from the front cover is used in the drop cap and for the body text sans serif is used to modernise the writing. The whole article is factual and contains a lot of speech from Boy George himself, making it seem like an interview as well as exploration into the life of Boy George. The language used is relatively formal; however the quotes from Boy George are less formal, making him seem down-to-Earth in comparison. This grabs the attention of the reader as it makes Boy George seem more likable and human despite his fame. Play-on words are used often to make the article more interesting to read, for example the caption Everythings coming up roses is used on a picture of Boy George being presented with a rose by a fan. Overall this double-page spread has the desired effect as it reminisces Boy Georges eighties success and then goes on to discuss how he is musically in this era. This allows the reader to remember how he used to be and then question how he is now, and therefore be influenced to buy his new album to discover it first-hand. The cover and contents page gives a good indication of what the main article contains, and is well-designed with its vintage flair making it seem authentic to the time that it is based in. The magazine is evidently designed for an adult generation who took an interest in the music of the eighties, and still live in that era to some respect. It represents the readers are mixing their modern-day life with a flair of their youth. However the readers that are not addressed are modern-day youths as they would not understand the relevance of the music as they were not around during the time that it was most popular.