Why Has the Cover of 'BURRN!' Featured the 'Same Faces' for 40 Years? — The Immutable Legends Who Rule the HM/HR World —
'BURRN!' is a magazine specializing in heavy metal (HM) and hard rock (HR). Since its launch in September 1984, it has remained a primary source of information for Japanese HM/HR fans (especially heavy metal fans) for over 40 years.
By the way, I imagine every long-time reader has felt this at least once.
"Wait? Is it this band on the cover again this month..."
Yes, the faces that grace the cover of 'BURRN!' lined up at magazine corners in bookstores have remained surprisingly unchanged from the 80s through the 2020s.
In this article, while looking back at the 'Top 10 by Decade' of the bands that have continued to grace the cover of 'BURRN!' from its inception to the present, I will consider the simple yet profound question: 'Why do the faces of the bands (artists) on the cover of 'BURRN!' never change?'
1. Transitions in the Top 10 Cover Appearances by Decade
First, let's list who was the face of 'BURRN!' in each decade. (*Includes related solo projects, derivative bands, etc.).
*The rankings were compiled and organized using AI based on publicly available cover images and are not strict official records.
[1980s] The Unprecedented Metal Boom
Bon Jovi
Mötley Crüe
Whitesnake
Iron Maiden
Ozzy Osbourne
Metallica
Yngwie Malmsteen
Deep Purple / Rainbow (Ritchie Blackmore related)
KISS
Guns N' Roses
The 80s, the early days of the magazine, were the peak of the LA metal boom. Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe boasted popularity and graced the cover. On the other hand, Yngwie Malmsteen, who made his major debut as a member of Alcatrazz in 1983, and Guns N' Roses, who appeared in the late 80s, became the darlings of the era. However, even at this point, the heavyweights from the 70s (Ozzy, Deep Purple, KISS) were already firmly entrenched in the top ranks.
[1990s] Ignoring the Alternative/Grunge Rock Trend and Sticking to the Belief in 'Metal'.
Guns N' Roses
Ozzy Osbourne
Bon Jovi
Metallica
Megadeth
Helloween
Yngwie Malmsteen
Mr. Big
Aerosmith
Skid Row
The 90s were a time when the storm of alternative/grunge rock raged across the US, and orthodox HR/HM faced a global slump. However, the cover of 'BURRN!' remained unshaken. Big names like Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and Megadeth continued to grace the cover, and in Japan, 'bands passionately loved in Japan' such as Mr. Big and Helloween also appeared on the cover.
[2000s] The establishment of absolute kings and the success of derivative metal
Metallica
Bon Jovi
Megadeth
Iron Maiden
Ozzy Osbourne
Judas Priest
Mötley Crüe
Dream Theater
Angra
Yngwie Malmsteen
Entering the 2000s, Metallica and Megadeth established their status as the absolute kings of the scene. While technical/progressive/power metal acts like Dream Theater and Angra also rose to prominence, the faces at the top remained almost unchanged from the 80s and 90s.
[2010s–Present] The legends who have now become 'gods'
Iron Maiden
Megadeth
Metallica
Judas Priest
Mötley Crüe
Michael Schenker
Helloween
KISS
Whitesnake
Avenged Sevenfold / Volbeat, etc.
Since the 2010s, the 'fixation' of the cover has reached its peak. Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, Mötley Crüe, Michael Schenker... They are no longer just popular bands, but continue to grace the cover as 'living legends (gods)' of classic rock/metal.
2. 'BURRN!' covers as seen through cumulative rankings
Looking at the history of over 40 years, the top 10 in terms of cover appearances are generally occupied by the following bands (and their related solo projects).
Mötley Crüe (including solos by Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, etc.)
Metallica
Megadeth
KISS
Ozzy Osbourne (including Black Sabbath)
Bon Jovi
Iron Maiden
Guns N' Roses
Judas Priest
Yngwie Malmsteen
Surprisingly, in the history of 'BURRN!' spanning over 480 issues, the top 15 to 20 artists alone account for more than half (nearly 50-60%) of all covers.
In other words, it is calculated that 'those usual suspects' appear on the cover at a rate of more than once every two issues.
3. Why do the faces never change?
Behind the fact that the faces on the cover do not change even as the decades pass, there are circumstances involving bands, magazines, and the media.
① 'Timeliness' such as album releases and tours in Japan determines the cover
In the first place, the cover of 'BURRN!' tends to feature artists who are the most talked about at any given time, such as those releasing new albums, performing in Japan, embarking on world tours, or reuniting. It is a natural editorial policy for a music magazine to present the information readers most want to know on the cover, and as a result, big names like Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest repeatedly grace the cover. Because they have long careers and regularly release new material and tour, they have overwhelmingly more 'opportunities to be on the cover' than younger bands.
② The aging of readers and 'guaranteed sales'
In these times, when it has long been said that the publishing industry is in a slump, the 'cover' is likely an important element that significantly influences sales for any publication.
The core readership that has supported 'BURRN!' for many years consists mainly of the generation that spent their youth in the 80s and 90s (currently in their 40s to 60s). Their heroes are, after all, Mötley Crüe, Metallica, and Maiden.
Rather than taking a chance by putting a promising young act on the cover, it is overwhelmingly more reliable in terms of sales to feature Metallica when they release an album or Megadeth when they tour Japan. As a commercial magazine, it may be natural to rely on 'big names who have the numbers'.
③ No 'arena-class' new generation heroes have emerged
Many wonderful bands have emerged since the mid-90s. However, compared to the big names who were active in the 80s, who sold out arenas around the world and became icons across generations, the scale of the market has inevitably become fragmented and subdivided. As a result, there are few bands with the scale to become the 'face' of the magazine, so perhaps they have no choice but to rely on legends of the past.
④ The 'immutability of aesthetics' of the HM/HR genre itself
In pop music and hip-hop, trends change every few years, and the protagonists change rapidly. However, the heavy metal genre is a culture that values tradition and formal beauty more than chasing trends.
The big names who have mastered the 'formal beauty of metal' do not fade no matter how times change. Rather, as they age, their outstanding performance skills and the activities they have accumulated over many years increase their persuasiveness as 'craftsmanship' and 'way of life,' and they begin to radiate the 'stature (aura)' worthy of gracing the cover.
That is why, even when a new generation appears, the presence of the big names does not diminish.
4. Summary: The unchanging cover is a 'symbol of greatness in the metal world'
The reason the cover of 'BURRN!' does not change is likely proof that the music known as heavy metal, which built its golden age in the 80s, still continues to strongly capture the hearts of many people. And that speaks to the magnitude of the existence of the legends who have continued to support that passion for over 40 years.
To put it another way, it is not that 'the cover does not change.' It is that 'there are bands there who have not lost their qualifications to be on the cover even after 40 years.' And that may be the uniqueness of the heavy metal genre.
And next month, 'that band' will probably grace the cover again. Seeing that and thinking 'them again,' while also feeling a sense of relief somewhere—that, too, may be the culture that the magazine 'BURRN!' has built over more than 40 years.
For reference, here are the all-time top 3 for the number of cover appearances in 'BURRN!'.
1st Place: Mötley Crüe - 27 times
2nd Place: KISS - 22 times
3rd Place (tie):
METALLICA - 21 times
MEGADETH - 21 times
OZZY OSBOURNE - 21 times