Regular as clockwork, once every six years — no ifs ands or buts — I vacum under the desk in the basement crypt known as "my home office."

(Hey: for a long time, I believe Stephen King wrote in the laundry room of his mobile home. The only difference that I can see is he’s the most successful author of all time and I’m … erkk!)

Yes, well, as I said, I was vacuming — and I came across a cobwebbed CD way under the desk. It was a copy of New Miserable Experience by the Gin Blossoms. So that's what happened to that, I thought. (NME, by the way, is one of the finest artistic depictions of someone sliding into terminal alcoholism ever created. If you listen to the songs written exclusively or primarily by the late Doug Hopkins, well … it’s pretty powerful in it’s achingly dark and melodically lovely descent.)

Anyhoo, one thing that struck me, as I dusted the muck off the jewel case, was what a very cool logo the Gin Blossoms had/have.

Which made me wonder: what bands have the best logos? (Do not say that Prince-y symbol.)

Classic rock is overrun with logos we all instantly recognize — because some of them are actually pretty clever and also because there are only 19 bands officially cleared to have their music played on classic rock radio. As such, we’re fairly inundated with their merchandise. Here’s a representative sprinkling of classic rock bands and I’m not even supplying links because you already know the logo as soon as you read the name.

Cheap Trick. Yes. The Beatles and that "music note" pun in the "t." The Stones’ Warholian tongue. Styx. Kansas. Aerosmith. AC/DC. The Grateful Dead. Snore. (That’s not a band. That’s me falling asleep.)

How about this one that I like: Do you know the Gentle Giant "Olde English" logo? It looks great: particularly the rainbow color scheme on the cover of Interview.

Marillion's old school logo is very cool when they still drag it out. Public Enemy's logo is immortal. The Ramones’ riff on the Presidential seal is classic. Love Sigur Ros. Nine Inch Nails' bores me but it gets the job done.

Will new bands even bother with logos? If CDs are disappearing, what’s to logo?

Who am I missing? What band t-shirt would you wear just because of the logo — or would you? Go on, admit it: you have a t-shirt sporting the cover of the second Chicago album because you like that damned logo!