An old Spice Girls one stuffed to the back of the cupboard? A classic Queen one, perhaps?
Or maybe something a bit heavier, like a hardcore Metallica one?
Band tees have become synonymous with the music industry. You’d be hard-pressed to find a band that doesn’t print their own T-shirts nowadays, especially at concerts and events.
However, big surprise: it hasn’t always been that way.
If you’ve ever wondered about the history of your favourite band tee, it’s time to grab a cuppa for a brief (yet mindblowing) band tee history trip.
If you’re looking for some truly magnificent branded festival merch for your brand, download your free copy of our Festivals & Events brochure now - rock on!
It’s thought that teenagers created the first example of the band tee. Called ‘bobbysoxers’, the teenagers grabbed pens and wrote the names of their favourite bands across their clothing to wear with pride.
However, the very first official band tee was reportedly made by an Elvis fan club in the 1950s.
During this time, ‘outsiders’ would differentiate themselves by what they wore - leather jackets and dapper bow ties.
In the 1960s, with the invention of the first rotatable multicolour garment screen printing machine, band tees could now be produced on a mass scale, and official merch tees were born.
This revolution in T-shirt printing meant that branded tees became easier and cheaper to purchase. This correlated with emerging subcultures such as punks, mods, and goths, and they were able to express themselves through the band tees they wore.
And band tees have gained in popularity ever since!
In the 1960s, protest tees were everywhere thanks to anti-Cold War sentiment. This eventually gave way to the band T-shirt we all know and love today.
That’s why band tees often stand for anarchy and resistance, for individuality and allegiances. There’s an emotional connection between the wearer and the tee, unlike any other piece of clothing.
"In today’s streaming world, merchandise is still one of the best ways that fans can express their passions and personalities."
Max Lousada, CEO of Recorded Music, WMG.
The pioneer of modern band merch, German-born Bill Graham, started as a concert promoter, managing acts like the Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company.
However, through his political endeavours and anti-Vietnam War protest clothing, Bill led the way for the clothes we wore to be more: to be a part of our identity.
This, in turn, led the way for artists such as Vivienne Westwood.
Outlandish, brave and rebellious: Vivienne Westwood was a trailblazer when it came to merging fashion with subcultures. She revolutionised the whole concept of the band tee with her anarchic slogans, helping them to become part of the mainstream fashion industry.
This culminated in the 1970s when Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren put their creative heads together and created the mindblowing “God Save The Queen” T-shirt for The Sex Pistols.
And we can’t not mention Katherine Hamnett, whose own range of slogan T-shirts (for example, Peace and Ban Pollution) were worn by musicians such as George Michael in Wham!’s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go music video, showing just how connected political tops and music are.
What music you listen to defines who you are. For many, it determines how they portray themselves to their friends, family and strangers, as well as showing the world, “Hey, this is who I am!”
Band tees are especially popular for building this individuality. By wearing a band tee, you become part of the group. They stand for community. For sharing a love of music, for being a fan of a particular band or genre.
Band tees allow you to hold onto those memories of seeing your favourite band live. Concert T-shirts usually have tour dates on them, which is a great way to bond with others who are wearing the same T-shirt long after the tour has ended.
The Rolling Stones’ tongue logo has only become more popular with age. Originally used for the first time on the release of their Sticky Fingers album in 1971, a T-shirt from that particular tour is on sale for £685 on eBay!
Back in 2011, a rare Led Zeppelin tee from their 1979 performance at Knebworth sold for a whopping $10,000! Originally printed as a fun alternative to a backstage pass, few were produced, leading to this one’s particular high resale value.
Probably one of the most recognisable band tees around, the Ramones T-shirt with Arturo Vega’s ‘Presidential Seal’ design was created to market the Ramones as the quintessential American rock band. And it worked.
Worn by fans and newbies alike, Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ T-shirt just sums up what band tees are. The design represents them, their music, their performances, and their fans. The record itself is seen as one of the most influential albums of all time, and it just goes to show that merch can have a massive longevity impact, too.
A pinnacle of the rock-and-roll genre, the original vintage black tee from Nirvana’s album Nevermind will always go down as one of the most popular band tees of all time.
This 2013 throwback was one of the most talked about pieces of band merch at the time. Wes Lang designed the skeleton emblazoned T-shirt (he also created artwork for The Grateful Dead), and stated that it was influenced by classic pieces from the 80s such as Metallica and Iron Maiden.
Read more: From Elvis to Kanye: Here’s everything you need to know about band merch
We’ve got everything you need to help your brand go down in merch tee history (at least, in your own office!) with our great selection of brandable T-shirts.
Or, if you’re looking to ramp up your event merch offering, check out our downloadable Festivals & Events brochure. Hint: You’re sure to find your perfect branded events merch item here.
You can also chat with one of our merchandise consultants today - go on, we’d love to hear about your favourite band!