Halfnelson are Sparks—brothers Ron and Russel Mael’s long-running cult art pop band. This is their Todd Rundgren-produced debut in all but band name… and this sleeve—a cheeky, elegantly off-kilter study in contrast. From the off the shelf red bordered sticky label inscribed with Shelley Script, to the band’s disinterested mugs surrounding the ebullient Grace Kelly-esque ingenue, it’s like an M&Co. cover eight years before there was such a thing. (I rarely go in for sleeves with band photos. Done as delightfully as this, I’m quite happy to make an exception.)

See also: Sparks, Kimono My House; Sparks, Propaganda; Sparks, No. 1 in Heaven.

The Pop Group
Y (1979)

The sleeves of Malcolm Garrett were my design primer. More specifically, his designs for Duran Duran—inventive typography, dynamic geometric shapes, vivid neon-inspired palettes… none of which can be found on Y, his cover for The Pop Group’s first record. Co-credited with artist Rich Beale, it’s impishly arch and caustic with a DIY crudeness that belies sophistication; and so inextricably linked to the music that you might wonder whether it’s the chicken or the egg.

See also: Buzzcocks, Orgasm Addict; Magazine, The Correct Use of Soap; Duran Duran, Rio; Simple Minds, New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84).

Human Sexual Response
Fig. 14 (1980)

Possibly the smartest, funniest, most spot-on conceptual encapsulation of a band’s name and album title ever. Full-stop. Designed by Peter Mason and photographed by Storm Thorgerson, it’s also one of Hipgnosis’ lesser known designs. A massively under-appreciated sleeve for a massively under-appreciated band. Do yourself a favor!

See also: Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon; 10cc, The Original Soundtrack; Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel (2); Black Sabbath, Technical Ecstasy.

Yellow Magic Orchestra
Service (1983)

YMO were more important than the Beatles. (Change my mind!) Their influence on the development and proliferation of multiple electronic music subgenres is virtually impossible to overestimate. They may even have invented hip-hop! Service, their seventh and penultimate record, isn’t my favorite YMO record; but, boy oh boy, that cover! What is it about this Tsuguya Inoue-designed sleeve that I find so endlessly captivating? Is it the meaty red-hued silhouette with its pituitary-adjacent spot of cyan? The giant O? The wonky O? Am I alone?!?! (One or two Radiohead sleeves tell me I’m not.) Not the only amazing YMO sleeve, but, evidently, my favorite.

See also: YMO, After Service; Ryuichi Sakamoto, Coda; Ryuichi Sakamoto, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence; Seigen Ono Ensemble, Montreux 93/94; YMO, Box

Duet Emmo
Or So It Seems (1983)

Duet Emmo was a side project of Mute founder Daniel Miller along with BC Gilbert and Graham Lewis of Dome and Wire (Duet Emmo being an anagram of Dome and Mute.) Designed by the Brothers Quay—identical twin makers of lyrical and haunting stop-motion animated films—the cover for Or So It Seems is a wondrous blend of the whimsical and the uncanny. And that type! My favorite among the handful of Quay-designed sleeves (Siouxsie & The Banshees’ Tinderbox is a close second), with it they’re able to achieve in one frame what they typically do with tens of thousands.

See also: Siouxsie And The Banshees, Tinderbox; AC Marias, Just Talk; Modern Eon, Fiction Tales, The Lover Speaks, The Lover Speaks.

Section 25
From the Hip (1984)

For Section 25’s From The Hip, Peter Saville once again (and for the last time) employs the cryptic color-coded titling he’d famously developed for New Order’s Blue Monday and Power, Corruption and Lies sleeves. Working with frequent collaborator, photographer Trevor Key (and perhaps channeling artist Zander Olsen along with a bit of Hipgnosis), Saville imposes this graphic language directly onto the environment via a series of colored poles on a mountainside in Wales—systematically arranged to spell out the album’s title.

See also: New Order, Blue Monday; New Order, Power Corruption and Lies; Roxy Music, Flesh + Blood; Ultravox, Lament.

Scritti Politti
Cupid and Psyche ’85 (1985)

Keith Breeden’s sleeve for Scritti Politti’s Cupid and Psyche ’85 is, in a word, masterful. Equally impressive, its hasty assembly after an eleventh hour rejection of Breeden’s initial design. It’s a stunning, collaged interplay of tactile, unrefined materials—masking tape, torn paper, rubber stamped forms—and elegant, romantic letterforms rendered in embossed block foil. Wonderfully meticulous, rich, and tactile, it’s a love letter to romance that feels every inch like the record it embraces.

See also: Scritti Politti, Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin); Scritti Politti with Ranking Ann, The Word Girl (Flesh & Blood); Scritti Politti, Provision; Duran Duran, Seven and the Ragged Tiger; Talk Talk, It’s My Life; Fine Young Cannibals, Fine Young Cannibals.

Felt
Ignite the Seven Cannons (1985)

Chris Bigg is a singular talent. Probably best known as Vaughan Oliver’s former creative partner, Bigg’s own formidable body of work—with its elegant, arcane typography and bold, expressive calligraphy shapes and letterforms—is as recognizable as it is revered. This sleeve was the first of his to catch my eye and hold it… and still hold it. With two colors, a sparse arrangement of typography, and a tightly cropped image of brocade, he conjures sensory illusions with an almost alchemical ability. A sleeve felt just by looking at it.

See also: Pieter Nooten & Michael Brook, Sleeps With the Fishes; Luxuria, Public Highway; Jóhann Jóhannsson, IBM 1401, A User’s Manual; His Name Is Alive, Livonia; The Breeders, All Nerve; David Sylvian, Samadhisound 2003-2014 Do You Know Me Now?

Various Artists
Lonely Is An Eyesore (1987)

Vaughan Oliver made me want to be a graphic designer. In fact, this list could’ve very well been nothing but Vaughan Oliver sleeves. But not easily. Just 10? Impossible. This record fully changed my life. The 4AD label’s compilation album to end all compilation albums is all killer and no filler, containing career-best tracks from each of the bands. The cover, a photograph of the studio state camera’s art-weathered copyboard is, as they say, a choice. But, rendered almost otherworldly, it’s a testament to Oliver’s gift for transforming the mundane into the magnificent. Besides, if this was meant as a snapshot of a small indie label hitting its stride, what better cover star than the literal physical platform that launched the artwork of a thousand releases, and with them, 4AD’s legendary visual aesthetic. If I had to give all of my records away, save for one, this is the one.

See also: This Mortal Coil, Filigree & Shadow; Colourbox, Colourbox; The Wolfgang Press, Standing Up Straight; Dif Juz, Out Of The Trees, Throwing Muses; Chains Changed, Cocteau Twins; Love’s Easy Tears, Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares Vol. 1 and Vol. 2; Pixies, Doolittle.

Scott Walker
Tilt (1995)

When godlike genius Scott Walker tapped Stylorouge to create the cover for Tilt, I wonder if Rob O’Connor and co. knew what they were in for. If its subsequent reception is anything to go by, no one else did, that’s for sure. To say Tilt’s an uneasy listen is the understatement to end all understatements. It’s downright harrowing, yes. But in a most gorgeous way. Drawing on The Cockfighter for inspiration, David Scheinmann’s linchpin image is Walker’s own hand surrounded by a maelstrom of feathers, claws, and cock eyes, layered and manipulated into abstraction. It’s oblique and arresting and, like so much of the record, has probably induced more than its fair share of nightmares.

See also: Siouxsie And The Banshees, Juju; The Creatures, Wild Life; The Passions, I’m In Love With A German Film Star; Squeeze, Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti; Blur, Parklife; Trainspotting Poster Campaign.

This was my first ever music. At 7 years old, I didn’t fully understand what it was that drew me to this music or this cover. But I was very drawn to it. I was always a bit of a loner, and I think the confident loneliness in the picture on the cover resonated with me. I still listen to this album, and the recording is so sparse and honest. Yet there seems to be a secret. The cover feels like that as well. I like that about it, a lot. What’s hiding in the dark?

Kiss
Destroyer (1976)

Upon moving to the United States in 1977, my folks got me a small stereo. My first couple of weeks of sixth grade in small town Texas were interesting for sure. A classmate tuned me onto Kiss, and this was the first album I ever owned. Man, I couldn’t wrap my head around these dudes, but I loved them and I loved this cover. I was a huge Kiss fanatic.

AC/DC
Highway to Hell (1979)

This is a killer album. I love the energy of this album, and I think the cover fits perfectly with the music.

Sex Pistols
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)

This would be the next standout for me. I was sent to a small boarding school, and I hated it with a passion. I got very angry. This album helped me through. I love the cover, as it conveys all the emotion trapped in that vinyl. It’s such a stylistic slap together. But the color combo is perfection.

Ramones
Ramones (1976)

Not a lot needs to be said here. This is just classic. Authentic and badass. A plus was that I could actually play most of these songs on my guitar. I knew those three chords. I loved the black and white.

The Clash
London Calling (1979)

I loved this cover the minute I saw it. It reached out and slapped me in the face. I never knew it liberally borrowed from an Elvis album cover. That made it even cooler. I have this poster hanging in our studio.

U2
War (1983)

I absolutely love this cover; the striking image, the emotion that kind of changes according to the mood you’re in when you look at it. The way the photo is underdeveloped is just killer. Black, white and red was my favorite color combo.

Blondie
Parallel Lines (1978)

When I first got this, I was really getting into art and composition in school. I wasn’t a good artist by any means, but I loved it. This cover is so classy and full of style and attitude. And, well… look at the girl. Sheesh!!

U2
Joshua Tree (1987)

I loved this layout. The picture is awesome but the layout is so clean and crisp. It was around this time, while living in NYC, I started pining for the Southwest a bit.

Bruce Springsteen
Born to Run (1975)

This is such a great album cover. The movement in the cover photo and the way it wraps around the back is just awesome. I love the joyfulness in the photo. Such incredible energy jumps off the cover. Timeless.

When the cover art for Kendrick Lamar’s second LP was revealed on Instagram in March of 2015, I was stunned by the audacity and absolute unapologeticness of the cover. Executed in a way that is reminiscent of archival imagery, the visual showcases an assembly of Black men flaunting cash, liquor, and gang signs in front of a revered staple of American society. For added emphasis, we see a judge lying on the ground, knocked unconscious in the foreground. The entire composition feels like a metaphorical (and literal) middle finger to a country that so often villainizes and ignores Black men. The narrative of the album pairs perfectly with the content of the cover and showcases Kendrick’s ability to curate such a nuanced and richly layered image. 

Mos Def
Black On Both Sides (1999)

The rawness and vulnerability expressed in this portrait of Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) was something I had never seen before of Black men. Quite similar to the indiscernible expression of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, it’s not quite clear what the subject of the cover is feeling. We see a glimmer in his eyes—is it sadness? Hope? Both? The intense closeness of the portrait forces the viewer to not ignore the man in front of them. The image conveys a sense of silence, but the unignorable close proximity simultaneously makes it feel like it’s shouting —demanding to be seen for who he is.

Danny Brown
Atrocity Exhibition (2016)

Before this album, I wouldn’t have called myself a Danny Brown fan or a casual listener. But as soon as I saw the artwork for this project, I had to know what the music sounded like. The first song off of Atrocity Exhibition is called “Downward Spiral,” a fitting introduction to an album that details the artist’s tormented psyche and internal conflictions. The cover is psychedelically abrasive, as the glitching and fracturing unravel the artist. Vulnerability isn’t always delicate or quiet, sometimes it’s ugly and savage.

Kid Cudi
Man On The Moon: The End of Day (2009)

I hold this album in such high regard that the cover has implicitly become canon for my own personal and artistic aesthetic. The clash of orange and purple hues creates a juxtaposition of melancholy and optimism, alluding to the conflicting dualities Kid Cudi examines about himself throughout the project. This artwork simply captures genuine emotions we all feel at times. Whether it’s that of an outcast who can’t quite seem to fit in or the mindstate of a vivid dreamer with their sights set beyond the stars, it’s a poignant image that has established itself as a fixture in culture.

The Temper Trap
Conditions (2009)

The music from the Melbourne band’s debut album can be simply described as ethereal and softly anthemic. The visual of the little girl shrouded in darkness, with just a few of her facial features peeking out, has always felt like the perfect expression of how the music sounds. A bit somber without coming off as dreary or depressing, with a touch of innocence and honesty revealing itself amidst the cloudy production. Her expression is difficult to gauge—possibly uneasy, but not panicked. It’s always felt like a metaphor for stumbling through the unknown and unilluminated parts of life—we’re never sure where we’re headed, but we keep moving, trying our best to keep our composure and find the light.

Rihanna
ANTI (2015)

Some images are drenched in symbolism, layered with such multiplicity that they beg to be studied. I believe Rihanna’s magnum opus, ANTI, is one such image. A mesmerizing piece of art to match the music it accompanies. Commissioned by the artist Roy Nachum and part of a series called “Blind,” the images come across as quite enigmatic, conveyed by the dizzying double visual of the figure, the crown that obscures her eyes, and the lone balloon in her hand. The vibrant red against the otherwise monochrome image pierces through almost violently, but paired with the crown it comes across as regal. In addition, the braille messaging relays a poem by Chloë Mitchell, adding even more depth to the artwork. There are just so many different facets to spark conversation around the idea, contributing to making this one of the best albums to come out of the 2010s.

Big KRIT
4eva N a Day (2012)

Some of my favorite works of art explore the moral complexity of characters and situations. This illustrated piece shows a character straddled between a church on his left—symbolizing righteousness—and a strip club on his right, representing one’s vices. A bible and bottle of alcohol are on either side of the character. I think this image is a perfect analogy of the dual forces constantly at work in one’s life, and the decisions we are faced to make. KRIT’s masterfully introspective lyrics provide catharsis as he is figuring out his path as a man presented with the same choices.

The Roots
Undun (2011)

It wasn’t until years after this album came out that I learned about the photographer of this image, Jamel Shabazz. He was a street photographer in New York during the 80s, who was known for taking everyday photos of Black youth. This image feels so nostalgic and harkens back to a time we can all relate to. The moment in which Shabazz captured the young boy in the air, as if he was levitating above the mattress, reminds me of how invincible adolescence felt at one point. So much seemed possible, not yet tainted by the cynicalness of adulthood. Our innocence was still intact. This moment, frozen in time, is like an homage to those summer days spent with friends, using our unbridled imagination to turn the most boring of things into an adventure.

Rhye
Woman (2013)

The debut project from the duo Rhye is a deeply emotive and intimate alt-R&B album that blends atmospheric production with ethereal vocals, creating a dreamlike aesthetic. The expertly composed photo makes the best use of cropping to create a quiet mysteriousness and sensual elegance of a recognizable form that somehow simultaneously feels abstract. It’s something that could stand alone as a single image and still be appreciated.

Amy Winehouse
Back to Black (2006)

It wasn’t until after Amy Winehouse had passed that I started digging into her discography. Listening to her albums with the knowledge of her personal hardships made me receive the music differently. The portrait of Amy sitting forlornly with her hands in her lap staring into the camera looking dejected pulls at the heart. For all of the reasons why this album cover can be viewed as downhearted, I think it’s a beautiful portrayal of a human confronting her flaws, choosing to be vulnerable for the sake of her art.

Cover art is certainly not a guarantee of whether or not a piece of music might appeal to you. I’ve been smitten by the most psychedelic of album covers, only to be greeted with the vocal stylings of a faux Paul Anka once the needle touched the record. That is certainly not the case here. This is a U.K. issue of an obscure Italian Music Library (used as stock for radio, movies and TV) and art director Alan Lester certainly did a good job of capturing the spirit of the music on this LP: extremely weird. An all-seeing eye projecting a beam onto a scene which includes a baby, dinosaurs, elements of Stonehenge, a lone rogue dagger and a mushroom cloud in the background. It’s likely that this cover was actually art directed by whatever substance Lester ingested prior to the deadline. There’s a real counter-cultural charm in hand-drawn covers because they stand out in the sea of mass produced, professionally shot and designed covers that tend to occupy space in most record stores. Plus, it’s a real departure from stock library protocol of the era, usually designed with a standardized layout and color across multiple LPs.

Roy Ayers
Coffy (1972)

Soundtracks can also be a canvas for great cover art. I love when 70s B-Movie / Blaxploitation films adapted their poster concepts for LPs as opposed to creating something from scratch. This was often done out of necessity, with these smaller film budgets unable to support a custom design approach for different pieces of media. In many ways, these illustrated posters left more to the imagination than using photography or trying to lift still images from the often low budget quality of the films themselves. Coffy was a revenge film, about a Black female vigilante (played by the legendary Pam Grier) seeking retribution from a drug dealer who got her sister addicted to heroin. The vintage illustrative style that Japanese-American artist George Akimoto uses here feels very era-specific but there’s something about the detail and character of these images that feels timeless. Incidentally, Vibraphonist Roy Ayers’ soundtrack is equally as badass as the lead character herself.

The Joey Jefferson Band
The Joey Jefferson Band (1975)

Beautiful retro type work art directed by Dick Thomas for the Bay Area-based jazz funk outfit The Joey Jefferson Band. I’m a total sucker for cool type-driven covers. And nothing stands out more on a record store wall, especially with photography (and largely, band photos) being the standard for most albums of this era. There hasn’t been a single instance where this record was featured on a record store wall and my eyes weren’t drawn instantly to it.

Funkadelic
Cosmic Slop (1973)

If “overstimulation” was a genre of album covers, Funkadelic would be the forefathers. Artist and illustrator Pedro Bell began as a fan of Funkadelic, sending drawings to band manager Rod Scribner, who eventually commissioned him to begin creating promotional materials for the band. But Bell didn’t just create artwork. He created entire universes, with every album cover acting as a portal to alternate reality complete with its own bespoke heroes, villains and mythology. Key to Bell’s work was the use of the gatefold LP, a cover that opens like a book and allows the story being told on the front to continue on the inside, seamlessly integrating the credits and liner notes. He used every ounce of real estate on his cover work for Funkadelic and George Clinton from 1973 to 1986. And while the Clinton-helmed outfit’s music was already firmly entrenched in left field, Bell’s work gave generations of teenagers the visual tools to tune in, turn up and get lost in an entirely new world.

The Dramatics
Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get (1971)

Everything from the type to the palette here feels distinctly ’70s in the best way, but the most “dramatic” thing about this cover has to be illustrator Neil Deckert’s eye graphic, which gives this cover borderline surrealist vibes. Imagine this album sitting on the floor of a young Snoop Dogg’s home in ’70s Long Beach, California, the sounds of the Dramatics emanating from his household. Both Snoop and this album were birthed in 1971, and the vocal stylings of Ron Banks and company left a strong enough impression on him to include them on the single “Doggy Dogg World” from his 1993 debut Doggystyle.

Harlem River Drive
Harlem River Drive (1971)

An album that sounds just like the cover looks. Top notch Puerto Rican soul/funk from the NYC neighborhood parkway it’s named for. If you’re still reading this and have doubts about how nerdy I am, I keep this record filed in a section in my collection dedicated strictly to black and white covers. Art direction on this one is courtesy of Ruby Mazer’s art department, whose chief output was creating the seminal standardized look used by jazz label Mainstream in the ’70s.

Can
Ege Bamyasi (1972)

Fun fact: In 1970s Turkey, there was an Okra brand named Can, which according to Google, translates to “Bell.” And it’s the actual can featured on the cover of the fourth offering from this German Krautrock band. Ege Bamyasi actually translates to “Aegean Okra.” Don’t think there’s any deep seeded okra symbolism here, just the happy accident of a band member finding a can that says “Can.”

Akira Miyazawa
Karazishibotan (1969)

This is an instance where the artwork itself prompted me to make a purchase. I was on vacation in San Francisco and popped into the massive Amoeba Music down the street from where I was staying and after an intensive sweep of the store, I found this curious album sitting in the International section for $5. The image gracing the cover was a man holding what looked like a weapon, but I later realized was a flute (likely composer Akira Miyazawa’s instrument of choice). The artwork immediately spoke to me, so I took a gamble, as one often does when presented with interesting looking LPs at an affordable price. The album was well worth the price of admission, with the music feeling like an incredibly funky Japanese take on a Spaghetti Western score, something befitting of a Tarantino flick.

The Unfolding
How To Blow Your Mind and Have a Freak-Out Party (1967)

A late ’60s novelty record and a clear attempt to cash in on what the record company viewed as a psychedelic trend of the period. The Unfolding is not a real group, but a studio ensemble assembled solely for the purpose of creating a one off-release, a common practice in the time period. But where the album falls short of being a noteworthy piece of psychedelic music, it succeeds at being a decent piece of psychedelic marketing. In part, because the aesthetic eschews the minimalist approach synonymous with the era for a collage-heavy approach designed to keep the listener “stimulated” while listening.

Asiko
Take a trip with Asiko (1977)

More than anything else, I’m curious how ’70s Afro-Jazz-Funk outfit Asiko delivered the final artwork file for this LP. Using a combination of good old fashioned cut-n-paste techniques and colored markers, the art resembles doodles on a high school binder more than it does the design of a product intended to be sold publicly. Therein lies its charm and its brilliance. I challenge any professionally photographed LP of the time to compete for attention on the shelf with this one. I’m a sucker for retro DIY design, and any aesthetic that challenges the very principles we’ve become accustomed to championing.

This album cover seems to capture the overall feel of every song on the record. While each song has a “bright” sound, masterfully produced and recorded, the lyrics and overall feel of the album are a bit darker. The art captures this perfectly.

Blackberry Smoke
Like An Arrow (2016)

The contrast of the thunderbird with the night sky took me back to my teenage years, growing up in Oklahoma, while the art itself reminds me of clear, summer nights growing up.

The Allman Brothers
The Allman Brothers (1969)

The gatefold from this album caught my attention because they are all naked in a creek, and I want to be naked in a creek with Midnight South. Ha ha. Kidding. But really, the tone set speaks freedom to me, which is an exact reflection of the album.

Johnny Cash
American Recordings (1994)

This cover reminds me of growing up as a kid and it being one of the vinyl records my grandparents always listened to. I also think it references a different time in life of growing up in Arkansas, working hard, and not being afraid to get your hands in the dirt.

Maroon 5
Songs About Jane (2002)

This was the first record I listened to top to bottom, over and over and over again. The cover art could not be more on point for the tone of this record. Adam Levine’s influence for this album was his ex-girlfriend, Jane. I remember for the longest time I thought she was holding a music box. Their time together inspired song after song, happiness, pain and tears. That’s what was pouring out of the box on the cover. The older I got, I realized the intended meaning for this art was the female holding Pandora’s box. Mind Blown.

Keith Urban
Fuse (2013)

If you could hear colors, the tones on this art are a direct reflection of the sounds that come from this record. Keith Urban is known for his fastidious attention to guitar tones. As cliched as it may be, the color scheme could not have been any more perfect for the vibes that come from this album, and it is one of the main reasons when sitting down with our creative team to discuss single covers, art, etc., we make sure to have the song we are about to release playing in the background.

The Starting Line
Say It Like You Mean It (2002)

Nostalgia. Nostalgia. Nostalgia. Endless nights arguing about who’s going to hang up first. This record played in the background my junior and senior year of high school. The album cover reflects this perfectly. The couch inspired some of our marketing for our latest release, “Kid With The Radio.”

Ben Folds
What Matters Most (2023)

Seeing this album cover makes me realize how important it is to live life with no regrets. The simplicity of it makes you want to stop and breathe in the special moments. They can tend to fly by too quickly. It’s hard not to smile when coming across this on the record shelf.

The Beatles
Abbey Road (1969)

Can’t talk about album covers without mentioning, hands-down, one of the most famous covers in history. Words like iconic and legends are the first things that come to mind anytime I see this record.

Hanson
Middle of Nowhere (1997)

Don’t hate… The colors on this cover scream summer. This record was the soundtrack of mine when I was 12. Seeing this cover now immediately brings up sounds and smells of the ’90s, friends, and it was my first exposure to three-part harmony (which is a huge part of Midnight South’s sound).

Thriller was the first time I saw a Black man sell so many albums worldwide. It was produced by my king, Quincy Jones, too. When I was a kid and saw a Black man lying down on a simple cover in black and white, I was like, “I’m here.” It was something so strong, and it struck me in my heart. Everything I saw before was white people at this time, and to see this guy as his best self was a point of pride for me and, I think, for a lot of other Black people, too. Then, there’s the “Thriller” music video, which was crazy, and as an editor and a dancer, for me, it was amazing.

Nirvana
Nevermind (1991)

There’s the record, and then there’s the design of the cover and what it represents. Nirvana came about at an incredible time for me. I was a teen living in the U.S., and there was this revolution after punk and rock, it was very grunge. On Nevermind, they put a baby in the water with money. The most precious thing is our child. We were in this period of really high-level capitalism, so they put the baby in the water with this money. I think it’s a powerful image, our precious baby under water, perhaps close to death, with money… Everyone can picture it in their mind; it represents that era perfectly.

Janis Joplin
Cheap Thrills (1968)

When I first heard this album, I was fifteen and listening to a lot of psychedelic music. Janis Joplin was this woman who did rock and roll like Led Zeppelin, The Who, and the Rolling Stones, who had these incredible vocals and made the same sounds as Black musicians. So, I recognized myself in this woman. I loved her, and I still love her so much. This cover had all these drawings, and in it, I could recognize all the feelings she had. And with the name Cheap Thrills, that was what she was—she was so strong but also so vulnerable.

De La Soul
3 Feet High And Rising (1989)

This is my music! I was listening to hip-hop from the beginning, and it was so revolutionary and aggressive to say, “We want to say something! F the police!” These guys on this album came in with flowers and created a new design and image for this movement. It felt cool to listen to hip-hop. I loved the change. I’m a big fan of the message and the revolution because it changed something in music, and with the graphics, they changed something, too. De La Soul had this new air to them. They said, “Hey, we can make this music, and it’s happy and full of joy and color.” It was not so aggressive, and I liked that.

Santana
Abraxas (1970)

I was young and liked the song “Black Magic Woman” so much. I saw this cover, and there was this Black girl who was art. I had never seen Black art in a museum, and I’m from Paris, so I always went to museums at school, but I had never seen this kind of painting. It was so precise and delicate. Carlos Santana is Latino, but this painting meant something about who I am: a white and Black woman and a French girl. So, Abraxas is all of that for me.

Donna Summer
Love To Love You Baby (1975)

Growing up, I was like, “Can I be this woman?” Donna Summer is my Madonna. She inspired me to push what it means to be a woman. This was the first time I saw a strong woman who desired pleasure. It was disco, but it was electronic. Giorgio Moroder created the electro-sound on this one, and it’s strong. With this picture of Donna Summer on stage, you can feel the birth of all that.

Prince
Love Sexy (1988)

I’m such a big fan of Prince. Jean-Baptiste Mondino is my idol, and he shot Prince naked. He was not a man or a woman; he was Prince, the incarnation of sensuality. This picture is challenging. He’s like, “Are you afraid of me? I’m not like anybody. I’m sexy, and you want that.” We can feel this unease, and Mondino shot it in a paradise setting. Prince was perfect. He embodied paradise, and there’s a little bit of purple in there because he’s Prince, but he looks like an angel.

Sweet Smoke
Just Poke (1970)

Of course, I smoked with my friends while listening to Sweet Smoke. The music was so psychedelic and joyful—there’s this seven-minute drum solo! Listening to it gives me the same feeling as hearing the drums for the first time when I was a teenager. When you see the cover, you can understand this music so well. Sweet Smoke was powerful in visually expressing what the music was sonically expressing on the cover.

Funkadelic
Maggot Brain (1971)

I like Funkdadelic a lot, and I really like what this cover represents. This album came out when horror movies were very popular, and I remember watching Creepshow behind my parents’ back. I like the reference to Creepshow because Black people were breaking down doors whenever they had visibility, which was a powerful image for me.

Serge Gainsbourg
Love On The Beat (1984)

Serge Gainsbourg is one of my favorite singers. He was this masculine guy who was always drinking, but he was such an incredible poet. I love all these songs. He likes to break the rules all the time. On this album, he plays “La Marseillaise”—the French national anthem—with this reggae beat, and it was like he was smoking “La Marseillaise.” I also wanted to choose something French to represent my country. I like the poetry of this album and how it represents our revolutionary nature. The album cover shows how revolutionary and elegant we are. I can recognize what I love about my country in this cover art.

If you know me at all you expected this, but there is no way a list I curate would ever exist without it. Sure, Black Sabbath is my favorite band, but I’ve been so drawn in by this cover and how all its variations were able to be made, that I have over 50 variants of it on vinyl, and an entire instagram account dedicated to researching it. I love a good typeface, I love a bold clean design, and this album combines them both. Whether it was made into rainbow colors for the NEMS release in the South American / Brazilian market, or clean white on black for Japan, or even Xeroxed and printed on various colors bootlegged for soldiers during the Vietnam war, it catches your attention. The original U.K. Vertigo version with its embossed, subtle and somewhat mysterious black title is really a thing of perfection. For an album that was short enough to be an EP, and is often skipped over in discussing the band’s releases, the intrigue is clearly not lost on me.

UFO
Phenomenon (1974)

So during my stint in photography, I literally remember developing photos and learning to hand color them in high school, a time before Photoshop. And, like others who have come before me in writing these pieces, you would be hard pressed to skip over the legendary British design group Hipgnosis. This innovative design firm was responsible for pretty much every early Pink Floyd cover, and later Black Sabbath covers for Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die! I chose this UFO cover not only because “Doctor, Doctor” is included on almost every first mix I make someone, but because the hand coloring work is a feat in and of itself. The photo makes you ask questions, like, what is going on? What have I interrupted? The answer to those questions being that it’s a couple attempting to fake a UFO “phenomenon.” Look closely, the UFO is actually a hubcap the husband has thrown up into the air, while the wife stands by caught in the act of snapping a photo to pass off as a UAP later.

Bauhaus
The Sky’s Gone Out (1982)

I had to approach this task by looking at some of my favorite band’s albums in order to narrow it down and I couldn’t talk about favorite bands without getting into goth rock. Bauhaus are not only pioneers of this genre, but work by Daniel Ash outside of the group, in particular with Love and Rockets are some of my favorite tracks in the goth/post punk genre. I initially pulled out the 12″ single “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” because of its tie-in to horror movies and the macabre but chose The Sky’s Gone Out instead because I think the cover, a painting done by Daniel Ash, captures that same curiosity I spoke about in UFO’s Phenomenon. It’s dark, and feels like something of an eclipse, mixed with an eye. Then, following the ink bleed around the sphere feels like trees in a fisheye view of a landscape. The image doesn’t necessarily fit with the opening track “Third Uncle” but by the time you get to the conceptual three-piece “The Three Shadows,” you can completely imagine this image coming to life. In commenting on goth rock I should note that it was hard to not include a Peter Saville piece. After all, his work is iconic from Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures to New Order’s infamous Blue Monday floppy disc single.

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats
The Night Creeper (2015)

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats are one of my favorite bands to come out of the ’00s. They have such a unique ultra heavy sound, and are so clever with their lyrics and album concepts. The Night Creeper tells the story of a Jack the Ripper-style serial killer. While all their album art has a similar stripped back, bold effective style using minimal color and perfect typography, poster designer Jay Shaw nails it with this one. He carries that horror-esque movie poster effect into this album cover. You could pick this up and wonder if it is new, or old, and something about that embodies the band perfectly. There is a mystery about it and yet you know exactly what you’re getting into. And, if you haven’t seen Uncle Acid live, I can’t recommend it enough. Kevin Starrs captivates by barely saying anything at all, while a stripped down stage complimented with visuals that feel like VHS cult horror clips of the 60s/70s makes you feel like you’ve stumbled on something you shouldn’t have, but can’t look away from.

Tool
Ænima (1996)

Tool’s Ænima is on my list because of its personal nostalgia. If you know Tool you know that their album packaging is never boring, and being a longtime follower of Alex Grey’s work, it might seem odd to choose Ænima over Lateralus or 10,000 Days. However, this is one of those albums that came at a time in my life where I was defining myself and my musical style. I didn’t have Ænima on vinyl at the time (though I do have the 10″ Best Buy picture disc promo), but I still have vivid memories of getting this CD and listening to it while interchangeably putting different parts of the CD folder in the lenticular jewel case to create a physical “gif.” The cover art and other images in the liner notes set behind the lenticular “lens” create an animation, and it was nominated for the Best Recording Package Grammy. The album cover is the design, Ocular Orifice and Smoke Box by Cam De Leon, an artist and animator in Los Angeles. This art feels as if you’re looking into a TV, but there is no explanation as to what the cover really is about. I guess you could say a constant theme for me with album art are these images that evoke mystery and let your mind wander as you listen to the music.

Elder
Innate Passage (2022)

Another one of my favorite bands to come out of ’00s is Elder. Their initial albums are rooted more in stoner rock and doom metal, however they are a band that truly does know how to expand and grow within a genre. Their albums don’t sound the same and I’m a fan of the way that they have changed over time. Innate Passage is their most recent album, and like their The Gold & Silver Sessions (2019) saw them move in a psych / prog rock direction. The album art though is what we’re here for, and to that we can credit Adrian Dexter, a sort of legend in the stoner rock art community who has produced almost all of Elder’s album art. Since 2015 the album art has encompassed imagery of what feels like a foreign word within the cover, and infinite magical landscape which can be changed out for various images and colorways on the vinyl variants. The artwork always compliments Elder’s expansive space rock musical aesthetic. While the stoner rock scene isn’t short on elaborate and fanciful cover art, there is something about the surreal and mature nature of Dexter’s work that makes these stand out.

Smashing Pumpkins
Adore (1998)

The Smashing Pumpkins are another band that have been the soundtrack to so much of my life. I think Billy Corgan’s lyrics are something of real beauty with songs like “Mayonaise” and “Drown,” layered within heavy guitars and distortion, guaranteed goosebumps every time. Like Tool, the period of 1996-1998 is when I was really coming into my own. I wore my makeup similar to Adore’s cover woman, wore all black, from my Docs to various band tees. The “Ava Adore” video was playing on MTV constantly, and it was a feast for young goth teens like me. While the makeup is toned down some these days, not much has changed and I credit this as one of the albums that provided a soundtrack to those formative years. While this may not be one of the Pumpkin’s most notable albums due to the change in sound to something more tinged in electronic, there are some beautiful tracks to not be overlooked. Let us not forget, this was also just after the time when “Eye” was released for David Lynch’s Lost Highway. The cover was a photo taken of model Amy Wesson by Corgan’s then girlfriend, Ukrainian photographer, painter and film director, Yelena Yemchuk. With her earliest artistic inspirations being noted as the likes of Man Ray and Francis Bacon, the dark and moody imagery is a perfect representation of the Pumpkins at this time and once again evokes questions as to who this woman is.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
Carnage (2021)

Did someone mention typography yet, oh yeah… I did. Well, this is one that struck me immediately. From the moment it appeared on Nick Cave’s social media, I had to own it for the art alone. In fact the art is so well done in this case you don’t even really need to listen to the record to understand what is enclosed. Carnage was recorded over a period of weeks during lockdown. The bold and bleak type with white space to represent emptiness was created by London based Hingston Studio and conveys that feeling beautifully. It doesn’t stop there though, the inner sleeve and booklet, which was intentionally printed on Bible paper, is reminiscent of something you’d see at the MOMA, like a Jenny Holzer exhibit or the Barbara Kruger “Belief + Doubt” piece at the Hirshorn.

Bonobo
Migration (2017)

One of the best downtempo / electronic DJs and producers to me is Simon Green, aka Bonobo. My absolute favorite record he’s put out is his fourth release, Black Sands. I actually learned about him in an odd way when during the cooldown of a pilates reformer class, my instructor (who had the best taste in music) put on the title track “Black Sands” and I was immediately, to put it mildly—obsessed. That said, I think the Black Sands cover, while it has an interesting story, wasn’t as intriguing to me as Migration’s brush fire in the desert. If you’re still reading this, I think the theme is understood by now. I like a cover that asks, what is going on here? Like all art, I think it should make you think and in this case the photograph by Neil Krug does that. In an effort to create an image that evokes the earth splitting apart, with a fire coming out of the ground, Bonobo decided that the art should have an ambiguous and darker narrative. If you love it too, I suggest reading more on the making of this cover, as well as Bonobo’s new album Fragments, which is also beautiful, on Neil’s website.

Catbeats
Closing Hour at the Cat Cafe (2020)

I decided to end my ten albums with something less serious, and in my opinion, one of the cutest pieces of album artwork out there. Catbeats describe themselves as lo-fi, comfy, chill beats for your Nintendo dreams. Created almost entirely on a Teenage Engineering OP-1 device, then layered with a bass guitar purchased from Fugazi’s Joe Lally, which was primarily used in their tour van. The artwork for these releases are by illustrator Zhenya Artemjev, who makes these records collectible for their kawaii nature alone. Their specialty is custom design in a Japanese style. This one incorporates some of my favorite things, Japan, cats and vinyl, add that to lofi-downtempo vibes and I’m sold. But really, you should snuggle up, and check them out.

This is one of my favorite albums, and the cover image just really captures the title track and the overall vibe of the record.

Bruce Springsteen
Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

I mean, it doesn’t really get any more iconic than this cover! Bruce in his old blue jeans, ball cap in his pocket against the American Flag background… Such a great album and an iconic cover.

Willie Nelson
Red Headed Stranger (1975)

I had a hard time deciding between this one and the Shotgun Willie album. I don’t think it gets cooler than a double-barrel shotgun with Willie’s face in it, but in the end I had to go with Red Headed Stranger because it is just such a classic cover and great album.

Tom Waits
Closing Time (1973)

I’ve always thought Tom had some of the most interesting album covers, especially those older records. When I listen to this record, I can see him sitting at that piano on the cover and playing all these songs in some old, dark and smoky lounge.

Chris Stapleton
Traveller (2015)

The most recent album to make my list, this is the record that really put Chris on the map. He is such a generational talent, and this cover fits the record perfectly. I love everything about it—the image, the color tones, the text font.

Merle Haggard
Big City (1981)

Merle was so cool. Such a fantastic songwriter, vocalist, and overall musical icon. He is definitely on my country Mt. Rushmore, and this one is definitely my favorite album cover.

Dwight Yoakam
This Time (1993)

Dwight is quite high on my list of musical influences. This one might be my favorite Dwight album, but it is definitely my favorite Dwight album cover!

Tom Petty
Wildflowers (1994)

This album had and continues to have a profound influence on me. Arguably Tom’s best. For me, this cover is slightly understated but very memorable. It captures the essence of the record perfectly. Interestingly, this has become one of my 11-year-old son’s favorite records. Such a timeless American record.

Johnny Cash
American Recordings (1994)

The first in the American Recordings series, this album cover is haunting. Such a powerful image of the man in black. I love all the album covers from the American series, but this one is my favorite.

Bob Dylan
Slow Train Coming (1979)

I once read that Dylan had a very specific idea of a drawing he wanted for this album cover. Word is that he rejected a number of covers before having a freelance artist, Catherine Kanner, draw this image. The first time I ever saw Dylan live, he opened his show with “Gotta Serve Somebody.” I was probably 14 or 15 years old, and Dylan’s music was my first major influence. That concert changed my life.