
Over 70 years on from the invention of the long player record, the album as a concept holds true, with a new generation embracing physical pressings. Until then, 78s were sold in generic sleeves.Formats come and go, but the importance of album artwork never truly dims.

The idea is to provide something that calls for interactivity.” However, because the unique album art concept was seen as a gimmick to bolster retail sales, The Information was deemed ineligible to enter the UK Albums Chart.” Last ClickĪlex Steinwess, a then 23 years old designer, convinced Columbia’s suits to create the first true album cover. Beck explained to Wired magazine he wanted no two copies of the CD cover to be the same: “The artwork is going to be customizable. “The album was issued with a blank sleeve and booklet and one of four different sheets of stickers for fans to make their own album art. Queens Of The Stone Age: Era Vulgaris by Morning Breath Incīeck: The Information by Big Active and you The Cribs - Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, WhateverĮlton John - Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy

The Chemical Brothers: Push the Button by Tappin Goftonĭesigned by one of today’s most influential designers Peter Saville Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to HeavenĪrchitecture in Helsinki: Places Like This by Will Sweeney

Thom Yorke: The Eraser by Stanley Donwood Gallows: In The Belly of a Shark by Dan Mumford Ground Components: An Eye for a Brow, A Tooth for a Pick by Jonathan Zawada Kisschasy: United Paper People by DebaserĮditors: The End Has a Start by Idris KhanĮlectric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue Keane: Under The Iron Sea by Sanna Annukka Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist by Shepard Fairey Bizarre Websites On Which You Can Kill Time With Style.Please let us know about them in the comments to the post! Further Reading on SmashingMag: However, some excellent album covers are missing. We have tried to address various cover designs and present both CD covers and LP covers from the 60s to 2000s.

We all know you can’t just judge a book by its cover, but it doesn’t hurt to give a CD a spin based on a sexy piece of art.īelow we present 35 excellent examples of beautiful, creative and impressive album covers that will certainly inspire you to head down to the local record shop and start browsing through records and labels. And the best way to get a potential buyers’ attention is with an eye-catching album cover. This post attempts to prove exactly that. That’s a pity because album covers can be extremely expressive and convey the message of the album in some creative ways. In times when digital copies are cheaper and quicker to get, album covers have somehow lost their importance as less and fewer customers buy CDs and LPs in the stores. This post attempts to prove exactly that.Īlbum cover art is often considered to be one of the extinct fields in modern graphics design. That’s a pity because album covers can be extremely expressive and convey the message of the album in a number of creative ways. In times when digital copies are cheaper and quicker to get, album covers have somehow lost their importance as less and less customers actually buy CDs and LPs in the stores. Quick summary ↬ Album cover art is often considered to be one of the “extincted” fields in modern graphics design.
