In terms of MLS history, the Seattle Sounders can be considered a relatively young franchise. The Seattle Sounders were established on November 13th, 2007. Yet, there is no doubt that they have had great success in a very short period.    

However, this is the second time the Seattle Sounders have been established as a franchise in a professional soccer league. The Sounders were originally established as a franchise in 1974. They competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for nine years. 

The Seattle Sounders have won four conference championships. (2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020). They are two-time MLS Cup champions. (2016, 2019).   

Additionally, they have won the U.S. Open Cup 4 times in franchise history. (2009, 2010, 2011, and 2014).  Their most recent triumph is winning the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup.

The Seattle Sounders are known for having one of the most passionate fan bases in the MLS. Before each match, the home fans participate in a tradition known as “March to the Match.”   Fans march from Occidental Park to the Seattle Sounders' home stadium before each match. The passion of the Sounders fanbase can be seen in the fact that they have four fan supporter groups. At the request of one of the minority owners of the franchise, the franchise established its marching band. The marching band is known as the Sound Wave.   

Great players like Clint Dempsey and Stefan Esei have played for the Seattle Sounders franchise. The Sounders have recently unveiled a new logo that will commemorate their 50th anniversary. In this piece, we will analyze the new logo they have established and their franchise's overall logo history. 

Not surprisingly, the Seattle Sounders’ 1st logo was established in 1974. A portion of the top half of the logo featured the Seattle Space Needle, a landmark that holds great significance for Seattle. The Seattle Space Needle was unveiled to the public at the 1962 World's Fair.

This logo's upper half also contains a soccer ball's upper half.  A portion of the soccer ball is white. However, there are sections of the ball that contain a blue star. The blue star covers most of the dark blue background within these sections. 

Three pairs of blue waves can be seen beneath the soccer ball. The waves are the midpoint of the upper and lower halves of the logo. 

The lower half of the logo contains a dark blue "SOUNDERS" wordmark in capital letters. The logo lasted until 1978. 

In 1978, the Seattle Sounders completely revamped their logo. Their primary logo was purely a "SEATTLE SOUNDERS" wordmark logo. The upper half of the logo is a green "SEATTLE" logo in capital letters. The bottom half of the logo contains the "SOUNDERS" wordmark. However, the SOUNDERS wordmark is mainly covered by a blue waterline.  

The "O" portion of the SOUNDERS wordmark is not green.   Instead, the "O" is represented by a light blue and white soccer ball. The rest of the letters in the "SOUNDERS" wordmark are green.  This logo lasted until 1995. 

In 1995, the franchise underwent a complete redesign, adopting a sophisticated new logo. The very top of the logo contains a small purple "SEATTLE" wordmark.

The intricate portion of this logo is the "SOUNDERS" wordmark. It covers most of the logo.  Just like the previous logo, the most exciting portion of this wordmark is the letter "O." The letter "O" contains a black and white killer whale that is jumping through the hole in the letter "O." The killer whale is hitting a black and white soccer ball. The black and white soccer ball is contained within a sunburst design. 

The rest of the "SOUNDERS" logo has a portion that is light blue and a portion that is dark blue. The dividing line between the light blue and dark blue portions is a waterline across the entire "SOUNDERS" wordmark. 

The bottom logo contains a tiny purple "PROFESSIONAL SOCCER" wordmark.  The logo lasted until 2009.

In 2009, the Seattle Sounders would completely switch their logo. The logo consisted of a green shield that contained a black-and-white version of the Seattle Space Needle. The shield contained a black and white outer trim. The green shield is covered by a white banner with black trim that contains a black "SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC" wordmark.

Behind the shield, a blue background with a black-and-white outline is visible. This logo lasted for 14 years. 

In 2024, the Seattle Sounders will celebrate 50 years as an organization by revealing its new logo designs. 

At first glance, the logo aims for a sophisticated yet straightforward approach. The franchise is not aiming to reinvent itself through this brand evolution. They are leaning towards the core values that have defined them as an organization. 

Like the previous logo, the new logo is a shield logo. Throughout the franchise's history, one of the main monikers of the Seattle Sounders franchise has been defined as "Eternal Blue, Forever Green. The background of the shield is green.  Specifically, the shade of green featured in the shield is Rave Green. 

On the interior part of the logo, the Sounders chose to pay tribute to the Seattle Space Needle, a similar approach to their previous logos. 

The Seattle Space Needle is located at the center of the shield and is depicted in a dark blue color.

The Seattle Sounders paid homage to their history by incorporating the year of their founding ("1974") as a wordmark. The "19" is on the left side of the Seattle Space Needle, while the "74" is on the right—two shades of blue serve as outer trims. 

One shade of blue is the same shade of blue seen in the shield, while the other is a lighter shade of blue known as Heritage Aqua.