Album art is indelibly linked to our collective musical memories; when you think of your favorite albums, you picture the covers. Many photographers, illustrators, and art directors have become celebrities from their album artworks—the best examples of which will go down in history as permanent fixtures in popular culture.
Here, TIME magazine selected 35 from more than 750 remarkable album covers from colossal and cool book, Rock Covers, authors Robbie Busch and Jonathan Kirby acknowledge that there might well be “better or differently focused collections” of rock covers out there in the world.
1. Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley (1956)
2. Lou Reed –Transformer (1972)
3. Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)
4. The Beatles – Revolver (1966)
5. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
6. The Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols (1977)
7. Janis Joplin & the Full Tilt Boogie Band – Pearl (1971)
8. T. Rex – Electric Warrior (1971)
9. New Order – Power, Corruption & Lies (1983)
10. Them – Here Comes The Night (1965)
11. Primal Scream – Screamadelica (1991)
12. The Shaggs – Philosophy of the World (1969)
13. Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps – Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps (1957)
14. Patti Smith – Horses (1975)
15. King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
16. The Clash – London Calling (1979)
17. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1969)
18. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II (1969)
19. The Surfaris – The Surfaris Play (1963)
20. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska (1982)
21. Sonic Youth – Sister (1987)
22. The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St. (1972)
23. The Rolling Stones – Some Girls (1978)
24. The Replacements – Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out The Trash (1981)
25. Pixies – Doolittle (1989)
26. David Bowie – Hunky Dory (1971)
27. Blondie – Blondie (1976)
28. Kiss – Destroyer (1976)
29. Elvis Costello – My Aim is True (1977)
30. Cream – Disraeli Gears (1967)
31. Bad Brains – Bad Brains (1982)
32. Ike & Tina Turner – Dynamite! (1963)
33. AC/DC – For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (1981)
34. Big Brother & the Holding Company – Cheap Thrills (1968)
35. The Mothers of Invention – We’re Only in it for the Money (1968)
(Photos: courtesy of TASCHEN)
Here, TIME magazine selected 35 from more than 750 remarkable album covers from colossal and cool book, Rock Covers, authors Robbie Busch and Jonathan Kirby acknowledge that there might well be “better or differently focused collections” of rock covers out there in the world.
1. Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley (1956)
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| RCA Victor; photo -- William V. "Red" Robertson |
2. Lou Reed –Transformer (1972)
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| RCA Victor; design -- Ernst Thormahlen; photo -- Mick Rock |
3. Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)
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| DGC; art director -- Robert Fisher; photo -- Kirk Weddle (cover), Kurdt Kobain (money photo) |
4. The Beatles – Revolver (1966)
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| Parlophone; art -- Klaus Voormann; design -- Klaus Voormann; photo -- Robert Whitaker |
5. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
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| Parlophone; art director -- Robert Fraser; design -- Mc Productions and Apple staged by Peter Blake, Jann Haworth; photo -- Michael Cooper |
6. The Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols (1977)
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| Virgin; art director -- Malcolm Mclaren; design -- Jamie Reid |
7. Janis Joplin & the Full Tilt Boogie Band – Pearl (1971)
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| Columbia; cover design -- Camouflage Productions: Barry Feinstein, Tom Wilkes; photo -- Barry Feinstein, Tom Wilkes |
8. T. Rex – Electric Warrior (1971)
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| Reprise; design -- June Child (concept), Hipgnosis; photo -- Spud Murphy |
9. New Order – Power, Corruption & Lies (1983)
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| Factory; art -- Henri Fantin-Latour; design -- Peter Saville |
10. Them – Here Comes The Night (1965)
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| Parrot Records |
11. Primal Scream – Screamadelica (1991)
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| Creation; art -- Paul Cannell; design -- ES(P) |
12. The Shaggs – Philosophy of the World (1969)
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| Third World Recordings |
13. Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps – Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps (1957)
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| Capitol |
14. Patti Smith – Horses (1975)
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| Arista; design -- Bob Heimall; photo -- Robert Mapplethorpe |
15. King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
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| Island Records; art by Barry Godber |
16. The Clash – London Calling (1979)
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| CBS; design -- Ray Lowry; photo -- Pennie Smith |
17. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1969)
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| Atlantic; design -- George Hardie |
18. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II (1969)
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| Atlantic; art -- David Juniper; design -- David Juniper |
19. The Surfaris – The Surfaris Play (1963)
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| Decca |
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| Columbia; art director -- Andrea Klein; photo -- David Michael Kennedy |
21. Sonic Youth – Sister (1987)
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| SST Records |
22. The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St. (1972)
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| Rolling Stones Records; design -- John Van Hamersveld; photo -- Robert Frank |
23. The Rolling Stones – Some Girls (1978)
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| Rolling Stones Records; art -- Hubert Kretzschmar; design -- Peter Corriston |
24. The Replacements – Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out The Trash (1981)
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| Twin/Tone; design -- Bruce C. Allen; photo -- Greg Helgeson |
25. Pixies – Doolittle (1989)
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| 4AD; design -- Vaughan Oliver/ V23; photo -- Simon Larbalestier |
26. David Bowie – Hunky Dory (1971)
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| RCA; art director -- George Underwood; art -- Terry Pastor; photo -- Brian Ward |
27. Blondie – Blondie (1976)
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| Private Stock; design -- David Perl; photo -- Shig Ikeida |
28. Kiss – Destroyer (1976)
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| Casablanca; art -- Ken Kelly |
29. Elvis Costello – My Aim is True (1977)
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| Stiff; art director -- Barney Bubbles, Jake Riviera; photo -- Keith Morris |
30. Cream – Disraeli Gears (1967)
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| Reaction; art -- Martin Sharp; photo -- Robert Whitaker, Jim Marshall (additional photography) |
31. Bad Brains – Bad Brains (1982)
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| Roir; art -- Mir, Jay Jones, Donnell Gibson; photo -- Laura Levine |
32. Ike & Tina Turner – Dynamite! (1963)
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| Sue Records |
33. AC/DC – For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (1981)
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| Atlantic |
34. Big Brother & the Holding Company – Cheap Thrills (1968)
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| Columbia; art -- Robert Crumb |
35. The Mothers of Invention – We’re Only in it for the Money (1968)
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| Verve; ad -- Cal Schenkel; photo -- Jerry Schatzberg |
(Photos: courtesy of TASCHEN)
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