Album covers can be a powerful form of storytelling. Regardless of the artist or genre, they serve as a crucial way to express another facet of the ideas, themes and concerns a musician explores through their music.
Looking back to the era before digital streaming, some album covers have become even more famous than the music and artists they were meant to represent. They have stood the test of time and are now part of our collective visual culture. While these images – from illustrations to photographs – are instantly recognisable, many would be surprised to learn that they were designed by some of the world's most influential creatives.
From an Andy Warhol pop art masterpiece to a classic Herb Ritts photograph, here are the stories behind nine notable album covers designed by famous artists.
The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd (1973)
While Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album is one of the oldest on this list, the cover is still one of the most widely recognisable in mainstream culture even by those who aren’t familiar with the band.
The cover art was created by the well-known British design studio Hipgnosis, specifically by famed English art director Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell. The design duo took inspiration from a physics textbook image of a prism turning light into a rainbow.
The band's use of elaborate light shows during their concerts made the minimal but striking design of the cover appropriate while also connecting to the album's themes of the light and dark of the human psych and existential reflection.
Aladdin Sane by David Bowie (1973)
Brian Duffy is an English photographer and film producer, known for his distinct and influential fashion and portrait photography style of the 1960s and 1970s. He is also the photographer behind the art for David Bowie’s sixth studio album Aladdin Sane, considered one of the most expensive covers at the time.
Duffy used an innovative dye transfer process of a seven-colour system instead of the usual four. The technique – which also includes extensive airbrushing – resulted in an image with vibrant colours and depth. Bowie is photographed with a lightning bolt over his face applied by Algerian-French make-up artist Pierre Laroche, who also created the now-famous look for Bowie's other alter ego, Ziggy Stardust.
The lightning bolt, synonymous with one of Bowie's personas, has been linked to several themes, ranging from society's fascination with space at the time to a reference to Elvis Presley, or perhaps symbolising the two sides of Bowie – the performer and the real person.
The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground (1967)
The Velvet Underground’s debut album is regarded as a pivotal moment in rock music history. Blending avant-garde elements with traditional rock music while discussing provocative topics, it would only make sense the album cover was designed by an innovative artist too.
The seminal album cover, a simple but bold image of a banana, was designed by pop artist Andy Warhol, who is known as one of contemporary art's most important figures. Today the banana cover is one of the images synonymous with Warhol's style.
The original pressing of the album had a unique feature – a peelable banana sticker that revealed a flesh-coloured banana underneath. It was an interactive element that captured similar themes explored in the album.
Abbey Road by The Beatles (1969)
Abbey Road was the last album recorded by all four members of The Beatles together. The photograph depicts the group walking on a zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios in London. The location, which was relatively unknown at the time, has now become a pilgrimage site for fans.
The album cover was captured by Scottish photographer Iain MacMillan, known as one of rock 'n' roll's most celebrated photographers. The Abbey Road shot was carefully planned but took only 10 minutes to shoot. The simple, balanced composition is one of the reasons it has captured the attention of so many. It has since been recreated in homage or parody by many including The Simpsons, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kanye West.
Aside from his Abbey Road album cover, MacMillan worked on projects with artists like Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney and continued to produce photographic works throughout the 1980s which were exhibited across the UK and the US.
Nightclubbing by Grace Jones (1981)
The striking cover of Jamaican-American singer Grace Jones' fifth studio album has remained an influential image in pop culture and fashion since its release. Created by French graphic designer, illustrator, photographer and director Jean-Paul Goude, the cover features a painted photograph titled Blue-Black in Black on Brown. It depicts Jones in an Armani suit, with an unlit cigarette hanging from her mouth.
The image’s angular yet simple composition, clever use of colour and Jones’ bold and relaxed expression not only create a sense of androgyny but also helps keep the work modern, sophisticated and intriguing.
Private Dancer by Tina Turner (1984)
Bold, glamorous, and empowering, Tina Turner’s fifth studio album embodies everything the 1980s were meant to represent.
In the striking photo captured by British music photographer Peter Ashworth, Turner is seated in a chair, wearing a black dress with red lipstick and a black cat by her feet. The photograph is the visual representation of the album's themes which include empowerment, sensuality and complexities of the female identity.
The image gives a slight nod to Edouard Manet’s innovative 1863 painting Olympia, whose central figure also stares in a confrontational manner at the viewer with a black cat by her feet.
The album cover has become connected to Turner's comeback into the music scene after years of struggle and with its success solidifying her status as the “Queen of Rock 'n' Roll.”
True Blue by Madonna (1986)
The third studio album by Madonna was probably the first instance where a pop album and its cover art were able to be both artistic and commercially viable.
Known for her risky and provocative music and imagery, Madonna’s striking profile was shot by renowned photographer Herb Ritts. In the photo, hues of blue have been added to her skin and her platinum blond hair. The image and its retouching treatment transform the pop star into a Greek antique statue, referencing a goddess-like presence but in a modern, pop art way.
The hand-tinted blue tones, Madonna’s expression and the composition of the image have given this album cover a timeless, ethereal feel that is easily recognisable.
Dangerous by Michael Jackson (1991)
Perhaps one of the most recognisable of all time, Michael Jackson's Dangerous album cover was a collaboration between the global hitmaker and prominent artist Mark Ryden, known for his pop surrealism imagery.
It took Ryden six months to complete and features a detailed portrait of Jackson, adorned with a gilded masquerade mask, surrounded by a fantastical scene filled with animals, detailed ornamental and intricate designs – all of which are rich in symbolism and are meant to be open to interpretation.
Homogenic by Bjork (1997)
Bjork has always been an innovative and avant-garde artist, and her album covers are no exception. Homogenic, her third studio album, is a blend of traditional Icelandic influences and modern electronic sounds, combining her cultural heritage and personal music journey and influences.
For the cover, Bjork approached designer Alexander McQueen, who created the kimono and did the styling for her look. The image was then captured by influential British fashion photographer Nick Knight. In a 1998 interview with the Chicago Tribune, she explained that her vision for the cover was about a woman who had to become a warrior, not with weapons but with love.
