Most Famous Album Covers Of All Time

From looking at the some of the most famous album covers of all time, I was able to draw out certain characteristics/features of what worked well and not so well within certain genres. I also used these examples as inspiration for my own CD cover.

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass: Whipped Cream And Other Delights (1965):

Artist: Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass

Album: Whipped Cream And Other Delights

Whipped Cream And Other Delights is the fourth album from Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass. This was a culturally diverse album cover as the model, Delores Erickson, was not wearing a dress as it appears she is. She was wearing nothing but shaving cream which many people saw as provocative and an exploitation of the female body. However, the album itself went on to sell over six million copies and it is unknown how many sales were based on the impact on the cover.

 

The Beatles: Abbey Road

Artist: The Beatles

Album: Abbey Road

Designer: Kosh and Ian McMillan

Abbey Road was the 11th album that was released  by English rock band The Beatles on the 26th September 1969. This was the first album to not include the name of the album nor the artist. This was a tactical move made by cover designer Kosh because as The Beatles were the most globally famous band at the time, they would easily be recognised without these details being on the front of the album. The overall idea to use a pelican crossing on the cover came from a sketch made by Paul McCartney outside the EMI Studios on Abbey Road. This particular album cover has become one of the most iconic and imitated covers in history with tourists stopping and posing as The Beatles.

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Artist: The Beatles
Album: Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Designer: Peter Blake

This album cover is perhaps the most well known cover of all time with The Beatles standing behind a flower garden in brightly coloured suits surrounded by wax models and cardboard cutouts of themselves and other celebrities. With stars such as Shirley Temple on the cover, this album no doubt captures old Hollywood in its greatest years.

David Bowie: Aladdin Sane

 Artist: David Bowie

Album: Aladdin Sane
Designer: Brian Duffy

This is the sixth album from David Bowie following his 1972 album 'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust'. The cover features Bowie posing as his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust embracing his 'rock star' status as well as focusing on his flamboyant look.

Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

Artist: Pink Floyd

Album: Dark Side of the Moon

Designer: Storm Thorgerson

Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth full length studio album by Pink Floyd released in March 1973. The album cover is rather significant as it represents the band's stage lighting, the album's lyrics and prominent force in the music group, Richard Wright's request for a simple yet bold and eye catching design. However, unlike a traditional prism which includes seven colours, the one on the cover only uses six as it misses out indigo. The cover has recieved tremendous amounts of praise.

Nirvana: Nevermind

Artist: Nirvana

Album: Nevermind

Designer: Robert Fisher

Nevermind is the second studio album by Nirvana.The album cover was designed by Robert Fisher after Kurt Cobain watched a TV programme on water births and convinced Fisher that this was the way to make an album memorable. Fisher then did some research and found some footage and images of underwater births but felt that they were too graphic and indecent to use for the cover of an album. Alternatively, Fisher then sent a photographer to get pictures of a baby swimming in a pool. It can easily be said that this is one of the most memorable and iconic album cover in the history of music.