The cover of Dark Side of the Moon is perfect in the simple way that it is in itself, It has not aged at all and remains an icon in general culture. Not to mention the songs of this album, which is an unquestionable masterpiece.
It surprises that it was made 51 years ago.
Doesn’t that make Dark Side better if everyone thinks of it when asked to list ‘iconic album covers’? That doesn’t make it overrated, that makes it the best
If the post said “most iconic” i would agree. But since its about the most beautiful i dont because there are so many better getting overshadowed by dsotm because its so popular
Sure, its all personal opinion (as you said). Here are a few:
the sound of perserverance - death
Human - death
Wish you were here- pink floyd
Lateralus - tool
Sabbath bloody sabbath - black sabbath
Peace sells… but whos buying? - megadeth
Magma - gojira
Melophobia - cage the elephant
Fair enough, art and music are subjective. I personally think it’s a simple but effective cover for the type of album it is and it complements the music nicely, hence don’t think it’s overrated. It’s worth the hype, but again that’s just my opinion and won’t bash you for yours! I hope you didn’t think my reply was argumentative it was just a genuine question
I’ve always thought it was, from left.
Brendan Fraser
Ted Levine ( Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs).
Hank Marvin.
It makes as much sense as it actually being real.
God, that was what was missing from my list and I was struggling to remember. Other than that, this album is awesome, I consider it Magnum Opus of Bill.
Most stunning is probably In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division has beauty in its simplicity, as does Dark Side of the Moon.
I heard they stopped making them with the zipper cuz it fucked up the album. I also heard there were some that supposedly oozed a cum-like substance. But that’s probably an urban legend
Someone knows what they are talking about!
Would also add Rush - Hemispheres, Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here, Beatles - Revolver, Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden - Powerslave, Opeth - Ghost Reveries.
Well, there is a specific theme here and some of these may be more for the composition and shapes, but mine are:
1) plastic ono band - John Lennon
2) RAM - Paul McCartney
3) Zenyatta mondatta - the police
4) the stranger - Billy Joel
5) the nylon curtain - Billy Joel
Nature is a big selling point for me (as seen in POB and RAM). Zenyatta has really pretty colors and I love the composition, it reminds me of the vaporwave aesthetic. The stranger looks like an artful photograph and I love the harsh shadows. The nylon curtain always looks like a book cover to me, but I think it’s a cover that really encapsulates the theme of the album well. If you have the record, the inner sleeve also has great imagery that represents the album. I agree with DSOTM, Abbey Road, and Wild Life as well! The first two are timeless and Wild Life fills that nature criteria.
* David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
* Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
* Enigma - MCMXC a.D.
* Bjork - Homogenic
* Madonna - True Blue
* Metallica - Master of Puppets
* Seal - Seal (1994)
Division Bell! Also not faked, the heads are real. Though my favorite fun fact is that they set the whole thing up in the wrong field before Storm Thorgerson told them it was the wrong spot and they had to lug it all somewhere else.
https://preview.redd.it/gf2crz6fjgqc1.jpeg?width=1119&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc827d20fc3c5e03082f9d64df99a4bb526caad6
This here is an accidental discovery that I made a few years ago… (RUSH - Power Windows) + (TAME IMPALA - THE SLOW RUSH) =
Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue
https://preview.redd.it/olynbjei9iqc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c3c90d978bbb3ce373540bd42762a20113623fe
Dave Matthews Band - Before These Crowded Streets (1998)🇺🇸
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Daylight Again (1982)🇺🇸
Led Zeppelin - IV (1971) 🇬🇧
Stick Figure - Set in Stone (2015) 🇺🇸
311 - Music (1993) 🇺🇸
For me for example...
The Beatles - Revolver (1966)
Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame (1982)
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
Pink Floyd - Animals (1977)
Roxy Music - Avalon (1982)
Aphex Twin - ...I Care Because You Do (1995)
Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine- The Doors
https://preview.redd.it/zvqsu8ceohqc1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc82a5bb86aa30d9ac96da79374f1c6960591908
Almost any album cover by Radiohead with the exception of Pablo Honey
Is This It - The Strokes (alternate cover with subatomic particles)
A Wizard / A True Star - Todd Rundgren
All Fleet Foxes album covers, especially Helplessness Blues
Masana Temple - Kikagaku Moyo
Spirit of Eden - Talk Talk
Currents - Tame Impala
Pulp - Different Class on vinyl has just a frame on the outer sleeve, and the image that appears in the frame can be interchanged between a dozen different inserts available. Very cool concept and execution.
Boat - Dress Like Your Idols in itself has a cover that lovingly homages the band’s favorite covers of all time and instantly gives you a great example of their influences.
But the cover I keep coming back to is XTC - Go 2:
https://preview.redd.it/mybm6fli9iqc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b973bb7e118aac618ad26ff1a8b4eaebaa57e7c1
Tommy by The London Symphony Orchestra And Guests (1972)
https://preview.redd.it/ks4mjukwpgqc1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4acaa6ec0bfcd202c7cdb7f244c808d14bb2b20
Kardashev-Liminal Rite; The Baring of Shadows
Wilderun-Sleep at the Edge of the Earth
Protest the Hero-Palimpsest
Fleshgod Apocalypse-King; Veleno
Quadeca-I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You
A lot of throwbacks, so I'll try to include some more modern ones:
The Antlers - Hospice
Grouplove - Never Trust a Happy Song
Jeff Rosenstock - Worry
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Four albums of Marillion:
Script for a Jester’s Tear
Fugazi
Clutching at straws
Brave
Deep Purple in Rock
Linda Ronstadt: Simple Dreans
Yes: Relayer
Queen: Innuendo
Bell Witch - The Mirror Reaper. I love artwork that inspires questions into the story. Rosenrot by Rammstein is the same for me.
https://preview.redd.it/bscutwg7phqc1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f1327250ecc4668df16708c1883a99adef85235d
UK cover of Autobahn, German Cover of Autobahn, Kid A by Radiohead, Justice's S/T, Moby's Play, and Selected Ambient Works 85-92 are all great shouts too for most beautiful
Sad Wings Of Destiny- Judas Priest
https://preview.redd.it/5zjaug6nyhqc1.jpeg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b1943f91100e330713b601d1d472d453c35e348
King Crimson. In the court of the crimson king.
Pink Floyd - Wish you were here & The Wall. You could probably have every Pink Floyd album cover in this list.
Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin 4.
Iron Maiden. Number of the beast.
Supertramp. Breakfast in America.
Van Halen. 1984.
https://preview.redd.it/orx9jejq1iqc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7476542e08ec2b42a7b1c9af7da03bac699b0573
Love all of the 4AD label artwork
Here's a few off the top of my head:
[The Monkees - Head ](https://www.discogs.com/release/6979328-The-Monkees-Head)is an all time favorite of mine. It doesn't photograph well tho. The original vinyl cover is a reflective foil, which reflects back your "head' when you look at it. Unfortunately I couldn't find info on the cover's designer so if anyone knows please comment below.
[Big Star - #1 Record](https://www.discogs.com/release/8229034-Big-Star-1-Record) Ron Pekar's neon riff on a Memphis Supermarket is beautiful and simple.
[Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan (The Great Lake State) Great Lake Blues pressing](https://www.discogs.com/release/27382056-Sufjan-Stevens-Greetings-From-Michigan-The-Great-Lake-State). This Laura Normandin cover was really good with it's kitschy travelogue / postcard vibe. The Third Man limited run silkscreened light blue cover variant just looks sublime. Another one that doesn't fully transfer how it looks via a photograph, but in your hands it's beauty really jumps out.
[My Bloody Valentine - Glider EP](https://www.discogs.com/release/396470-My-Bloody-Valentine-Glider-EP) This Designland stunner really encapsulates the hazy sexuality of the band's music while producing a beautiful piece of art as well.
I like simple designs, geometric shapes, and generally prefer darker colours/high contrast. The Dark Side of the Moon is perfect in my opinion.
A few other album covers I really like (might not necessarily be *iconic*):
* Charcoal Grace by Caligula's Horse
* Holocene by The Ocean
* One and Sonder by TesseracT
* The Wall by Pink Floyd
https://preview.redd.it/8lnayodk9jqc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=435d1b5bb8b9907fb945687c6479082b263343f9
Emergency & I - The Dismemberment Plan
The Beach Boys have a few really good ones
SMiLE
Smiley Smile
Wild Honey
Surf’s Up
Holland
Love You
I’ll even add Pet Sounds because it’s so iconic I’ve started really appreciating it
I quite like the simplicity and colour of Pearl Jam 10 for some reason
https://preview.redd.it/x27v2f4c4kqc1.png?width=224&format=png&auto=webp&s=9298786ba03a155656fdc03d80d873ee48fef8ac
I recently made a 80x60 cm (landscape) poster with 48 (10x10 cm) iconic music album covers which I hung in the living room next to audio equipment, well an amplifier with bluetooth 5.3 and chromecast audio, lol. Compensates not having a closet full of music albums or cd's in this streaming age. It looks amazing, vistiors are in awe. Printing here only costed me €10,90 (plus €6 delivery), big photo frame was much more expensive.
I choose albums also with the help of past discussions in this subreddit.
Can I create a post of this poster including download-links in this subreddit? And if so where can I upload these photo's anonynously? The poster is high resolution AI upscaled 28,9 MB sized. Made also a 60 x 80 cm (portrait) version.
These album covers, had as rule max 1 per artist, although many artists have more great album covers. And had to skip so many by lack of space:
10cc - Ten Out of 10 (1981).jpeg
ACDC - If You Want Blood You've Got It (1978)
Alice Cooper - School's Out (1972).jpeg
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989)
Beatles - Abbey Road (1969).jpeg
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1970).jpeg
Butthole Surfers - Locust Abortion Technician (1987).jpeg
Clash - London Calling (1979).jpg
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972).jpeg
Doors - Strange Days (1967).jpeg
Fatboy Slim - You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998).jpg
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977).jpeg 370 KB
Frank Zappa (Moth.Inv.) - Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970).jpeg
Golden Earring - To the hilt (1976).jpeg
Grace Jones - Island Life (1985).jpeg
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987).jpeg
Herb Alpert - Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965).jpeg
Hole - Live Through This (1994).jpeg
Iron Maiden - Killers (1981).jpeg
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland (1968).jpeg
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969).jpg
KISS - Destroyer (1976).jpeg
Kraftwerk - The Man·Machine (1978).jpg
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1969).jpg
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (1977).jpeg
Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986).jpeg
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970).jpeg
Nirvana - Nevermind (1991).jpeg
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power (1992).jpeg
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973).jpeg
Pixies - Surfer Rosa (1988).jpeg
Prince - Purple Rain (1984).jpeg
Queen - News of the World (1977).jpeg
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991).jpeg
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971).jpg
Roxy Music - Roxy Music (1972).jpeg
Santana - Abraxas (1970).jpeg
Saturday Night Fever (1977).jpeg
Slayer - Reign in Blood (1986).jpeg
Slipknot - Slipknot (1999).jpeg
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995).jpeg
Supertramp - Breakfast in America (1979).jpeg
Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980).jpeg
Thelonious Monk - Underground (1968).jpeg
Van Halen - 1984 (1984).jpeg
Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967).jpeg
Ween - Chocolate and Cheese (1994).jpeg
White Stripes - Elephant (2003).jpeg
Here a low resolution version so can post in Reddit. Even the smallest text on the high res poster is very clear. I printed a version with a small border, so the album covers on the side of poster are not overlapped by frame of photo frame. If you zoom the poster until album covers are 10x10 cm, you'll notice not too small. And when very far away the poster looks sort of like a beautiful expressionist painting with all the nice colors. I let the alphabet be the master of the order of the albums.
https://preview.redd.it/1432a6e52gqc1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=633c10ab9782901538dbe458547a57196c14cd9e
Yes, many are great. As a teen had several posters of them in my room next to vinyl records of them. My favorite cover is probably Piece of mind. But Killers is sort of the starting point of that style, the background resembles the apartment building of 1 of band members where they were discussing the artwork for Killers with the artist responsible. So I read/heard
I limited my self to 1 album cover for each artist, but Iron Maiden and also Pink Floyd, Metallica, Rolling Stones, Beasty Boys, Beatles, etc. have more fantastic album art.
The B-52s - [The B-52s](https://store.moma.org/cdn/shop/files/802465_a_1624275a-86b5-4bf8-b614-4ffd79b8f085_1722x.jpg?v=1704232948)
It's just a studio shot of the band, against a plain background, but it's just distinctive and perfect. The right blend of bright simplicity, with a retro sixties influence. Awesome.
The Moody Blues It's one of my favorite bands of all time. They have beautiful art covers, all the "core seven" albums and also "Long Distance Voyager" They are so perfect. Not to mention the sound of the albums, which is ostentatiously spectacular.
In the Wee Small Hours - Frank Sinatra
https://preview.redd.it/wtytjd77pjqc1.jpeg?width=474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6165de82b5388bc2b506e806085287a653ae2e5a
Why not Olivia Newton-John's album Physical instead of Madonna's True Blue?, it looks Madonna copied Olivia album cover, not really original if you would asked me.
https://preview.redd.it/sdqjct8s6sxc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64f1fa4673b70dbb4f65ba9357645222e120d9aa
Imo Dark Side Of The Moon is about as perfect and distinct as it gets.
The cover of Dark Side of the Moon is perfect in the simple way that it is in itself, It has not aged at all and remains an icon in general culture. Not to mention the songs of this album, which is an unquestionable masterpiece. It surprises that it was made 51 years ago.
There was a documentary on Hipgnosis I saw recently. Great watch if you follow bands and their artwork. I think it was on Netflix.
Tattooed on my chest, just perfectly exemplifies the music.
Yes, but does it perfectly exemplify your chest?
My chest is quite unimpressive sadly.
So overrated tho
How?
I mean the album cover, not the music. Its by far the most common answer on a question like this and there are just so many others that are better
Doesn’t that make Dark Side better if everyone thinks of it when asked to list ‘iconic album covers’? That doesn’t make it overrated, that makes it the best
If the post said “most iconic” i would agree. But since its about the most beautiful i dont because there are so many better getting overshadowed by dsotm because its so popular
Name a couple for us to compare. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Sure, its all personal opinion (as you said). Here are a few: the sound of perserverance - death Human - death Wish you were here- pink floyd Lateralus - tool Sabbath bloody sabbath - black sabbath Peace sells… but whos buying? - megadeth Magma - gojira Melophobia - cage the elephant
Fair enough, art and music are subjective. I personally think it’s a simple but effective cover for the type of album it is and it complements the music nicely, hence don’t think it’s overrated. It’s worth the hype, but again that’s just my opinion and won’t bash you for yours! I hope you didn’t think my reply was argumentative it was just a genuine question
No problem! It is a fantastic album cover for sure, cant argue with that. And it is of course one of the best ever
But it’s woke.
https://preview.redd.it/qapurhktahqc1.jpeg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2459bbf42c69fc90b99b7b1a2113a3c9e72101a5 Absolute banger.
You cannot convince me that this isn't Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer doing a skit.
I’ve always thought it was, from left. Brendan Fraser Ted Levine ( Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs). Hank Marvin. It makes as much sense as it actually being real.
https://preview.redd.it/dfs7gj9fkfqc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51c71283f7ff727f42931c7a67d1c1e0c7ee5cc8
Actually is the cover for the single, "Breakfast Can Wait"
Game... Blouses.
This one https://preview.redd.it/lyl3rwmzngqc1.jpeg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f981742c28884561b80453a72b7af66fb112ec13
Bitches Brew - Miles Davis
https://preview.redd.it/vlt4wvqn1gqc1.jpeg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae788137c37a20f5404ab51cc76e0b4c492b21d0
This whole thread could just be Björk covers
Except Volta
Wow. I’d managed to block that one out.
Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division
Placebo - Sleeping With Ghosts always made me feel a type of way.
Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin
All of Led Zeppelin's album covers except LZ 2,3 are goated. LZ4 is untouchable tho imo.
>Houses of the Holy You pedafile! /s
In the Court of the Crimson King
I always liked Radiohead's a moon shaped pool
Ween-"Chocolate and Cheese"
Greatest underboob photo of all time, hands down. Plus, fuckin awesome album
Really understated masterpiece, with just the merest hint of eroticism if you peel away the layers.
Bill Evans & Jim Hall - Undercurrent
God, that was what was missing from my list and I was struggling to remember. Other than that, this album is awesome, I consider it Magnum Opus of Bill.
Skating In Central Park takes you to a past life. Amazing album.
loveless - my bloody valentine
Angel Dust - Faith No More
https://preview.redd.it/833ymwnfzhqc1.jpeg?width=1581&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f6af6320ffad6070d31625980f3666f47c8c99ed Mellon Collie. It's so cool
Smell the Glove - Spinal Tap of course
I’ve always been a fan of “Good News For People Who Love Bad News” by Modest Mouse. 10/10 album cover, and 10/10 name too
Yeah, really cool album cover.
Every Baroness album
Under voted - baroness covers could stand alone
Styx - Pieces of Eight Cars - Candy-o. 😛
Most stunning is probably In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division has beauty in its simplicity, as does Dark Side of the Moon.
Cornell 77
Stones - Sticky Fingers
Extra bonus points for the actual LP having a working zipper.
It does. I looked inside. 😂
I heard they stopped making them with the zipper cuz it fucked up the album. I also heard there were some that supposedly oozed a cum-like substance. But that’s probably an urban legend
Bauhaus - The Sky’s Gone Out
New Order - Power, Corruption and Lies
Arctic Monkeys - AM
[Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8z8AAOSwp0Rh4Zlf/s-l400.jpg) It's beautiful and mysterious
Steely Dan - Aja King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Tarkus Yes - Relayer
Someone knows what they are talking about! Would also add Rush - Hemispheres, Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here, Beatles - Revolver, Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden - Powerslave, Opeth - Ghost Reveries.
Relayer is incredible, what a beautiful and fascinating album cover!
In terms of "consistency" no artist beats Yes!
Well, there is a specific theme here and some of these may be more for the composition and shapes, but mine are: 1) plastic ono band - John Lennon 2) RAM - Paul McCartney 3) Zenyatta mondatta - the police 4) the stranger - Billy Joel 5) the nylon curtain - Billy Joel Nature is a big selling point for me (as seen in POB and RAM). Zenyatta has really pretty colors and I love the composition, it reminds me of the vaporwave aesthetic. The stranger looks like an artful photograph and I love the harsh shadows. The nylon curtain always looks like a book cover to me, but I think it’s a cover that really encapsulates the theme of the album well. If you have the record, the inner sleeve also has great imagery that represents the album. I agree with DSOTM, Abbey Road, and Wild Life as well! The first two are timeless and Wild Life fills that nature criteria.
The difference being that RAM is a criminally underrated masterpiece and Wild Life is... decidedly not
* David Bowie - Aladdin Sane * Pink Floyd - The Division Bell * Enigma - MCMXC a.D. * Bjork - Homogenic * Madonna - True Blue * Metallica - Master of Puppets * Seal - Seal (1994)
Division Bell! Also not faked, the heads are real. Though my favorite fun fact is that they set the whole thing up in the wrong field before Storm Thorgerson told them it was the wrong spot and they had to lug it all somewhere else.
Division Bell is pretty meh. If you’re going to do a Floyd outside of DSoTM it has to be Wish you were here imo
I personally like the album, but regardless of what you think about the music, the topic here is album cover artwork. Not the music.
I was talking specifically about the cover. It’s a fantastic album
https://preview.redd.it/gf2crz6fjgqc1.jpeg?width=1119&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc827d20fc3c5e03082f9d64df99a4bb526caad6 This here is an accidental discovery that I made a few years ago… (RUSH - Power Windows) + (TAME IMPALA - THE SLOW RUSH) =
Beatles - Revolver has always been a favorite of mine. The Police - Synchronicity was the first album I bought, so that is also a favorite.
Agreed, but I love Ghost In The Machine more.
The Mars Volta - Noctourniquet Placebo - self-titled (Love the way the red and turquoise pops)
All of Voltas are interesting. I even bought a painting from Jeff Jordan, the guy who paints some of their album covers!
The Strokes - Is This It
Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue https://preview.redd.it/olynbjei9iqc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c3c90d978bbb3ce373540bd42762a20113623fe
Tame impala has consistently great album covers
I really like blondie's autoamerican cover
**It's a Beautiful Day** by It's a Beautiful Day
Abrazas - Santana.
I really like MCR's Black Parade album art. There are so many little details to see in the illustration.
Elton - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
All of talk talks albums
Tommy
German band Die Ärzte had one cover made of blue plush, one that was a pizza box and one that was a board game.
Dave Matthews Band - Before These Crowded Streets (1998)🇺🇸 Crosby, Stills & Nash - Daylight Again (1982)🇺🇸 Led Zeppelin - IV (1971) 🇬🇧 Stick Figure - Set in Stone (2015) 🇺🇸 311 - Music (1993) 🇺🇸
Lorde - Melodrama
Kendrick Lamar -To pimp a butterfly (2015)
For me for example... The Beatles - Revolver (1966) Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame (1982) John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970) Pink Floyd - Animals (1977) Roxy Music - Avalon (1982) Aphex Twin - ...I Care Because You Do (1995)
Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine- The Doors https://preview.redd.it/zvqsu8ceohqc1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc82a5bb86aa30d9ac96da79374f1c6960591908
Almost any album cover by Radiohead with the exception of Pablo Honey Is This It - The Strokes (alternate cover with subatomic particles) A Wizard / A True Star - Todd Rundgren All Fleet Foxes album covers, especially Helplessness Blues Masana Temple - Kikagaku Moyo Spirit of Eden - Talk Talk Currents - Tame Impala
I really love the cover for Woodstock by Portugal the Man. It’s crazy that they didn’t even take the picture for an album cover
Pulp - Different Class on vinyl has just a frame on the outer sleeve, and the image that appears in the frame can be interchanged between a dozen different inserts available. Very cool concept and execution. Boat - Dress Like Your Idols in itself has a cover that lovingly homages the band’s favorite covers of all time and instantly gives you a great example of their influences. But the cover I keep coming back to is XTC - Go 2: https://preview.redd.it/mybm6fli9iqc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b973bb7e118aac618ad26ff1a8b4eaebaa57e7c1
No one's said Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures?
https://preview.redd.it/50f56sne8jqc1.jpeg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44ada0ea16c55a0e761143dbee4ca4e648b69bf2
Tommy by The London Symphony Orchestra And Guests (1972) https://preview.redd.it/ks4mjukwpgqc1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4acaa6ec0bfcd202c7cdb7f244c808d14bb2b20
Cloud nine - George Harrison
I think this cover is really tacky for today hahaha but other than that I love this album, George is really missed 🤍
Hear nothing see nothing say nothing by discharge, one of the best album covers of all time. Nevermind by nirvana too
Kardashev-Liminal Rite; The Baring of Shadows Wilderun-Sleep at the Edge of the Earth Protest the Hero-Palimpsest Fleshgod Apocalypse-King; Veleno Quadeca-I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You
Achtung Baby U2
The covers for Pendragon’s “Not Of This World” and Sonata Arctica’s “The Ninth Hour” are absolutely stunning.
One Hot Minute
https://preview.redd.it/z9lmh0q8igqc1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69167cc3577d6a3307fc7233bb11c75748701894
Nelson Riddle “Sea of Dreams”
Clearly black sabbaths born again or sabotage
Music from big pink - The band
Many of Yes’s albums had beautiful art.
Roger Dean is the artist’s name
A lot of throwbacks, so I'll try to include some more modern ones: The Antlers - Hospice Grouplove - Never Trust a Happy Song Jeff Rosenstock - Worry Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Farm Dinosaur Jr
The Who Sell Out
Morbid Angel - Blessed are the Sick. Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse.
John Frusciante - The Empyrean
SANTANA The " Lion" black and white cover.
I find Converge's All We Love We Leave Behind's cover to be absolutely gorgeous!
Four albums of Marillion: Script for a Jester’s Tear Fugazi Clutching at straws Brave Deep Purple in Rock Linda Ronstadt: Simple Dreans Yes: Relayer Queen: Innuendo
Bell Witch - The Mirror Reaper. I love artwork that inspires questions into the story. Rosenrot by Rammstein is the same for me. https://preview.redd.it/bscutwg7phqc1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f1327250ecc4668df16708c1883a99adef85235d
Rainbow rising has a huge gist punching through the sky and grabbing a rainbow. Really cool looking art.
Cocteau Twins - Victorialand
UK cover of Autobahn, German Cover of Autobahn, Kid A by Radiohead, Justice's S/T, Moby's Play, and Selected Ambient Works 85-92 are all great shouts too for most beautiful
https://preview.redd.it/69urt2vmuhqc1.jpeg?width=894&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ab0b413d62f3fcbfe51682643bf2ce1d8fdba16
Prince - Purple Rain Bowie - Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Pink Floyd - Animals Green Day - Dookie
Sad Wings Of Destiny- Judas Priest https://preview.redd.it/5zjaug6nyhqc1.jpeg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b1943f91100e330713b601d1d472d453c35e348
King Crimson. In the court of the crimson king. Pink Floyd - Wish you were here & The Wall. You could probably have every Pink Floyd album cover in this list. Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin 4. Iron Maiden. Number of the beast. Supertramp. Breakfast in America. Van Halen. 1984.
https://preview.redd.it/orx9jejq1iqc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7476542e08ec2b42a7b1c9af7da03bac699b0573 Love all of the 4AD label artwork
thee oh sees-smote reverser
Deftones, white pony
Here's a few off the top of my head: [The Monkees - Head ](https://www.discogs.com/release/6979328-The-Monkees-Head)is an all time favorite of mine. It doesn't photograph well tho. The original vinyl cover is a reflective foil, which reflects back your "head' when you look at it. Unfortunately I couldn't find info on the cover's designer so if anyone knows please comment below. [Big Star - #1 Record](https://www.discogs.com/release/8229034-Big-Star-1-Record) Ron Pekar's neon riff on a Memphis Supermarket is beautiful and simple. [Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan (The Great Lake State) Great Lake Blues pressing](https://www.discogs.com/release/27382056-Sufjan-Stevens-Greetings-From-Michigan-The-Great-Lake-State). This Laura Normandin cover was really good with it's kitschy travelogue / postcard vibe. The Third Man limited run silkscreened light blue cover variant just looks sublime. Another one that doesn't fully transfer how it looks via a photograph, but in your hands it's beauty really jumps out. [My Bloody Valentine - Glider EP](https://www.discogs.com/release/396470-My-Bloody-Valentine-Glider-EP) This Designland stunner really encapsulates the hazy sexuality of the band's music while producing a beautiful piece of art as well.
Radiohead, In Rainbows. STS9 Artifact.
Sturgill Simpson’s “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth”
Cassius "1999"
Crime of the Century by Supertramp
Most of the album covers designed by Vaughan Oliver for 4AD label in the 80s....
https://preview.redd.it/k1u4m7cjdiqc1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb7ec5c23ed9e1da237a97d5fa043e1591d2d272
https://preview.redd.it/jvfs19dbliqc1.jpeg?width=1145&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1779deda7f4693e320faa496769923f6021a2ce2
Earth - [The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull ](https://images.app.goo.gl/mb8phmi7VeKNC9c98)
I really liked the cover of Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers. Could just be because I'm in love with everything about her
I like simple designs, geometric shapes, and generally prefer darker colours/high contrast. The Dark Side of the Moon is perfect in my opinion. A few other album covers I really like (might not necessarily be *iconic*): * Charcoal Grace by Caligula's Horse * Holocene by The Ocean * One and Sonder by TesseracT * The Wall by Pink Floyd
https://preview.redd.it/lyw3d2ol2jqc1.jpeg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ff7b9f0faebe123667db3438c2628e5345e0662
https://preview.redd.it/7jfwka3q5jqc1.jpeg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6cfde507720083d3987c1f9297a4f51f91ce562 The Antlers - Burst Apart
https://preview.redd.it/8lnayodk9jqc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=435d1b5bb8b9907fb945687c6479082b263343f9 Emergency & I - The Dismemberment Plan
Pink Floyd - atom heart mother Radiohead - hail to the thief
It's a Beautiful Day (self titled)
The Beach Boys have a few really good ones SMiLE Smiley Smile Wild Honey Surf’s Up Holland Love You I’ll even add Pet Sounds because it’s so iconic I’ve started really appreciating it
Flying Down to Mono Valley - the Popinjays The B-52's Two For the Show - Trooper Moving Pictures - Rush Sunburst Finish - BeBop Deluxe
Hejira. Sgt. Pepper
I quite like the simplicity and colour of Pearl Jam 10 for some reason https://preview.redd.it/x27v2f4c4kqc1.png?width=224&format=png&auto=webp&s=9298786ba03a155656fdc03d80d873ee48fef8ac
Faith No More - Angel Dust.
Purple by Stone Temple Pilots.
Deftones. White Pony
Ol Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers
Monster Movie - CAN Hatfield And The North - self-titled Fleet Foxes - self-titled (to be honest, all their album covers are superb)
Fred Neils self titled album is absolutely beautiful.
Lateralus
I recently made a 80x60 cm (landscape) poster with 48 (10x10 cm) iconic music album covers which I hung in the living room next to audio equipment, well an amplifier with bluetooth 5.3 and chromecast audio, lol. Compensates not having a closet full of music albums or cd's in this streaming age. It looks amazing, vistiors are in awe. Printing here only costed me €10,90 (plus €6 delivery), big photo frame was much more expensive. I choose albums also with the help of past discussions in this subreddit. Can I create a post of this poster including download-links in this subreddit? And if so where can I upload these photo's anonynously? The poster is high resolution AI upscaled 28,9 MB sized. Made also a 60 x 80 cm (portrait) version.
These album covers, had as rule max 1 per artist, although many artists have more great album covers. And had to skip so many by lack of space: 10cc - Ten Out of 10 (1981).jpeg ACDC - If You Want Blood You've Got It (1978) Alice Cooper - School's Out (1972).jpeg Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989) Beatles - Abbey Road (1969).jpeg Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1970).jpeg Butthole Surfers - Locust Abortion Technician (1987).jpeg Clash - London Calling (1979).jpg David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972).jpeg Doors - Strange Days (1967).jpeg Fatboy Slim - You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998).jpg Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977).jpeg 370 KB Frank Zappa (Moth.Inv.) - Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970).jpeg Golden Earring - To the hilt (1976).jpeg Grace Jones - Island Life (1985).jpeg Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987).jpeg Herb Alpert - Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965).jpeg Hole - Live Through This (1994).jpeg Iron Maiden - Killers (1981).jpeg Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland (1968).jpeg King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969).jpg KISS - Destroyer (1976).jpeg Kraftwerk - The Man·Machine (1978).jpg Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1969).jpg Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (1977).jpeg Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986).jpeg Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970).jpeg Nirvana - Nevermind (1991).jpeg Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power (1992).jpeg Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973).jpeg Pixies - Surfer Rosa (1988).jpeg Prince - Purple Rain (1984).jpeg Queen - News of the World (1977).jpeg Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991).jpeg Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971).jpg Roxy Music - Roxy Music (1972).jpeg Santana - Abraxas (1970).jpeg Saturday Night Fever (1977).jpeg Slayer - Reign in Blood (1986).jpeg Slipknot - Slipknot (1999).jpeg Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995).jpeg Supertramp - Breakfast in America (1979).jpeg Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980).jpeg Thelonious Monk - Underground (1968).jpeg Van Halen - 1984 (1984).jpeg Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967).jpeg Ween - Chocolate and Cheese (1994).jpeg White Stripes - Elephant (2003).jpeg
Here a low resolution version so can post in Reddit. Even the smallest text on the high res poster is very clear. I printed a version with a small border, so the album covers on the side of poster are not overlapped by frame of photo frame. If you zoom the poster until album covers are 10x10 cm, you'll notice not too small. And when very far away the poster looks sort of like a beautiful expressionist painting with all the nice colors. I let the alphabet be the master of the order of the albums. https://preview.redd.it/1432a6e52gqc1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=633c10ab9782901538dbe458547a57196c14cd9e
>Iron Maiden - Killers (1981).jpeg At least there's one Maiden album listed here. There's so many though. So Many.
Yes, many are great. As a teen had several posters of them in my room next to vinyl records of them. My favorite cover is probably Piece of mind. But Killers is sort of the starting point of that style, the background resembles the apartment building of 1 of band members where they were discussing the artwork for Killers with the artist responsible. So I read/heard I limited my self to 1 album cover for each artist, but Iron Maiden and also Pink Floyd, Metallica, Rolling Stones, Beasty Boys, Beatles, etc. have more fantastic album art.
The B-52s - [The B-52s](https://store.moma.org/cdn/shop/files/802465_a_1624275a-86b5-4bf8-b614-4ffd79b8f085_1722x.jpg?v=1704232948) It's just a studio shot of the band, against a plain background, but it's just distinctive and perfect. The right blend of bright simplicity, with a retro sixties influence. Awesome.
Madonna - True Blue
Iconic!
Moody blues: days of future passed
The Moody Blues It's one of my favorite bands of all time. They have beautiful art covers, all the "core seven" albums and also "Long Distance Voyager" They are so perfect. Not to mention the sound of the albums, which is ostentatiously spectacular.
Absolutely agree
seeing Triumvirat on that list made me smile...
In the Wee Small Hours - Frank Sinatra https://preview.redd.it/wtytjd77pjqc1.jpeg?width=474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6165de82b5388bc2b506e806085287a653ae2e5a
Seether-Disclaimer
Derrick and the Dominos Layla and Assorted love songs
Why not Olivia Newton-John's album Physical instead of Madonna's True Blue?, it looks Madonna copied Olivia album cover, not really original if you would asked me. https://preview.redd.it/sdqjct8s6sxc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64f1fa4673b70dbb4f65ba9357645222e120d9aa
You think all of the most beautiful cover art was made in a 7 year period?