Illustration of a white skull and bone with feathers on a blue sky background with white clouds and an outer red edge and yellow text

The Grateful Dead is an American rock band, formed in 1965, and known for its eclectic style, live performances and devoted followers known as "Deadheads". The illustration on this button is known as the cyclops skull, and was featured artwork in the liner notes of the band's 1977 studio album, Terrapin Station. The album was met with mixed reviews; some thought it was overproduced and a departure from the band's typical free-form style, while others believed it to be one of the best musical achievements of The Grateful Dead. 

Terrapin Station was recorded by founding members Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, along with newer members Mickey Hart and husband and wife, Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux, and was the band's ninth studio album. The Grateful Dead performed for nearly 30 years with its core members, along with a number of other musicians, and skulls and dancing terrapins are some of the symbols most frequently associated with the band. 

Illustration of a person with orange-yellow hair and large white teeth wearing a red and white checkered shirt and holding an what looks like an ice cream cone to their forehead on a light blue background

Released in 1972, Europe '72 is a live triple album of performances by the band, Grateful Dead. Recorded during the bands tour of Western Europe, the album is one of the bands most popular releases, having since been certified double platinum. As was the case with other releases by the band, the cover art was created by artists Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse. The front cover illustrates a large boot stepping  across the Atlantic Ocean towards Europe. The back cover, meanwhile, depicts a young boy smashing an ice cream cone against his head. In 2011. a second album titled Europe '72 Volume 2 was released with Stanley Mouse returning to illustrate the cover art which features the same ice cream boy from the original album.

Photograph of the band Girlschool with pink text in front of a blue background

The British heavy metal band Girlschool released their third album, Screaming Blue Murder, in 1982. The album marked the departure of founding bassist Enid Williams, who was replaced by Ghislaine 'Gil' Weston in the all-female band. Screaming Blue Murder only reached No. 27 on the United Kingdom Album Chart and received mixed reviews from critics.

Red text inside a red triangle on a black background

Founded in 1977, Def Leppard is a heavy metal rock band from Sheffield, England that has redefined the sound of UK rock. Its members Joe Elliott (lead vocalist), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick Savage (bass), Rick Allen (drums), and Vivian Campbell (guitar) are responsible for popular hits like "Rock Ages," "Love Bites," and "Pour Some Sugar on Me." The band's career started to reach success in the early '80s when they released their sophomore album "High 'n' Dry." On that album, the single "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" became one of the first music videos to debut on MTV in 1982.

Pinkish text on a striped background

The Commodores, an American R&B group, released their fifth album self-titled “Commodores” in 1977. The album spent eight weeks at the top of the R&B/soul chart and was their first in the top 5 pop chart. The group dedicated this album to Kathy Faye LaPread, bass guitarist Ronald LaPread's wife, who had recently died of cancer.

The members of the Commodores met in 1968 as freshman at Tuskegee Institute. They first became popular touring for The Jackson 5 in the 70s, and in 1972 signed a contract with Motown Records. Their most successful period was in the early 80s when Lionel Richie was co-lead singer. In 1986 they won their first Grammy for the song “Nightshift.”

Photograph of the band Bow Wow Wow near a river and trees

Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave group formed in 1980. The band has seen many reformations and a total of 17 members traded in and out. The group currently consists of original Leigh Gorman, Chloe Demetria, Zachary Thorne, and Les Warner. Gorman is the only current member who was part of the original lineup. 

Photograph of Bon Scott with red text across the bottom

Bon Scott was the Australian born lead singer of the rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. He was the lead singer and co-songwriter for three of the band’s early albums: High Voltage, Powerage, and Highway to Hell. Scott died after a night of heavy drink in February 1980. He remains so popular to this day that the National Trust of Australia has placed his gravesite on the list of classified heritage places. AC/DC fans from around the world raised money to have a life size bronze statue made of Scott. It was unveiled in Bellies Brae Car Park in Kirriemuir, Australia in April 2016.

Photograph of Bob Seger

American rock singer Bob Seger released Stranger in Town, his tenth studio album and his second with the Silver Bullet Band, in 1978. The album, which was primarily written by Seger, was certified platinum less than a month after its release in the United States. It was also Seger's first album to chart in the United Kingdom. The album's second single, "Hollywood Nights," has appeared in the games Guitar Hero World Tour and Grand Theft Auto V.

Purple text on an orange background with a photograph of the band underneath

It may be hard to believe, but the original name of the band that would become Black Sabbath was the Polka Tulk Blues Band. They went through several band member line-ups, and another name change before finally choosing the name of Black Sabbath in 1969. A heavy metal band from England, their music largely featured occult themes and horror inspired lyrics. Alcohol and drugs heavily influenced the band, so much so that lead singer Ozzy Osbourne was fired due to abuse. Critics and radio stations largely shunned the band however they sold over 70 million records worldwide and were inducted into both the UK Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Image from the Never Say Die album cover

The image on this button was designed by Storm Thorgerson for the cover of British rock band Black Sabbath's eighth studio album, Never Say Die! Thorgerson was a member of London-based art design group Hipgnosis, which specialized in creating cover art for musicians, including Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Styx, Def Leppard and AC/DC. The group dissolved in 1983, but Thorgerson continued working on album cover designs until his death in 2013. 

Never Say Die!, released in 1978, was the last Black Sabbath album to feature the band's original vocalist, Ozzy Osbourne. The album was criticized for being scattered, and at the time it was recorded, all members of the band were involved in drug and alcohol use. The Never Say Die! concert tour, with American band Van Halen opening for Black Sabbath, ran from May to December of 1978.