On this MOJO cover, John Lennon is the centre of visual interest. This is so that people are attracted to buying the magazine as John Lennon is very famous; furthermore, it allows the reader to see who will be featured in the magazine. John Lennon conveys a solemn look which leads the reader to believe that the section about him in the magazine will be serious. This will also attract readers as they'll be interested in reading about possible hardships that John Lennon has faced to reach the musical success that he has.
Lennon is in front of a plain dark blue background; this means that the reader will not be distracted by anything on the cover but him. He is also wearing a plain green tank top; very simple clothing allows the reader to solely focus on the musician, not the outfit. This plain background and simple clothing combination means that the reader will see John Lennon as more of an ordinary person, rather than a star with abstract costume and makeup. The image therefore doesn't make him look like the stereo-typical well-known, successful musician. He looks down-to-earth; which is another theme that may catch the readers attention.
Furthermore, the image is a mid-shot and the lighting is quite bright; meaning it is a clear image. The light exposes Lennon; the article about him in the magazine may also do this.
While John Lennon is obviously the main focus, different musicians are also mentioned in the cover lines, such as Nancy Sinatra, Bowie, Pink Floyd and The Stone Roses. These names would appeal to many readers as they are all quite well-known musicians. Even if they are not the main focus, they do attract attention.

Mark 6/10 Thoughtful comments on how Lennon is represented, especially your choice of the word 'serious'. This is a challenging question for which I have supplied answers on the class blog at the post on 25.01.21
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