nice compilation. :)

Some very inspiring artwork here; thanks for sharing!

Nicely done, but you’re missing 10,000 Days by Tool.

that’s very cool covers

The Roots is wrong.

You typed Things Falll Apart, but the image shown is the album cover to Game Theory. Two completely different albums. However, both album covers are great.

I thought that was a very average compilation. How on earth did that Bon Jovi cover make it? Seems like you went through your (limited) iTunes collection and picked out some random artwork.

Disappointing SM - your articles are usually of a much higher quality than this!

Cd covers will become album artwork, right? This art won’t have to die will it? It’ll just start being at 72dpi

Yeah what the hell is so great about the Bon Jovi cover?

What’s up with the image you put up for OK Computer? That is someone’s flickr photoshop compliation.

I would also include some of the album art that 23 Envelope/v23 has done for the 4AD label, specifically for releases by This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance, the Cocteau Twins, and Lush, to name a few. These are some of the best examples of the artwork perfectly complementing, and even adding to, the music itself.

You can find a lot of example Link [www.dns.net].

more more

Arcade Fire’s Funeral is also pretty: Link [www6.nrk.no]

Glad to see the Kool-Aid man made the list. Oh yea!

To be honest none of these covers are very inspiring and a lot of them are very well known. For a truly beautiful/interesting piece of cover artwork you might take a look at the obscure independent band from the mid 90’s Neutral Milk Hotel and their album In The Aeroplane Over The Sea: Link [ecx.images-amazon.com]

No idea where you got that Radiohead cover from: you can see the actual cover–which is also brilliant–pretty much anywhere on the web, including:

Link [thatgirlkate.files.wordpress.com]

Yay, Abby Road!

My personal favorite across the years has been Link [www.amazon.com]. I remember being drawn into it as a kid, trying to understand what the hell was going through the mind of the person who created it. I still have no idea, but it continues to be a very intriguing cover.

Thanks, I appreciate seeing music-inspired design. I noticed the album year on Dark Side of the Moon, it would be interesting to see the dates for all the other designs as well.

you must be joking… some are very good indeed, some others… hmm…

I think in a lot of cases (e.g., Pink Floyd, Beatles) you’re confusing a classic cover with great / inspiring art. Being generous, I thought six deserved to be here. But Bon Jovi? Queens of the Stone Age?? Ack!

In fact, I had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1.

Agreed, Radiohead cover is whacked, and where are the tool album covers and um, that bon jovi album It’s so beautiful it makes me feel sick in the guts. : /

Surpised to not find anything designed by Mike Shinoda
Link [i234.photobucket.com]
Link [content.answers.com]

A quick compilation by SM. Average collection I would say! I have seen much better covers in ASIAN MUSIC

Even in the world of digital, you do still get good artwork - check out the latest EP from Idiot3 for a really nice bit of “album art” - Link [www.idiot3.com]

It really does add something to the release - and I don’t think album art is dead yet - and it won’t be as long as there are computer interfaces such as coverflow, which display the artwork (albeit smaller than a 12-inch vinyl) as part of the library search / while the music is playing.

It’s nice.. but.. still… i feel something is missing here, and its not the best list.

I don’t know, a German blog with no reference to the great Krautrock LP covers?

Faust (typographically correct, too!): Link [www.cbc.ca]

Can: Link [www.pooterland.com]

Neu: Link [cdn.last.fm]

Good collection, but lots of great cover designs missing…
hint: TOOL

wow Gr8 album covers …
Link [www.netbulls.co.cc]

Damn, really bad choices.

You forgot about ‘In the court of the Crimson King’ by King Crimson

Hey! you chose those are the most sick designs i have ever seen!! where do u see the beauty in those covers???

The cover of “Weekend in the city, Bloc Party” isn’t the original. Link [images.google.com] No ?

I think would be nice to have some Dream Theater’s cover listed here (Scenes from a memory, Falling into infinity, …).

Ok I worked on this article and I’ll say that it was originally a complication of “illustrated album covers” so that’s why the list is missing so many good ones. SM added 15 more and made it a wider article.

And yes TOOL is missing. I’m a huge TOOL fan too. Silly me. We have covered almost all their albums here Link [sleevage.com]

Anyway no list is perfect. It’s meant to be a “Monday Inspiration” piece not the final chosen list of albums to be sent in the next space shuttle:)

It seems it would be a good idea to list the actual covers and not the first hit you get when you google for them. C´mon, the OK Computer is well-known! Hope you´re blushing now guys.

Radiohead - man, that’s so way off. C’mon get it right…

Anybody remember Roger Dean and his fantastic album covers?

radiohead - ok compter is wrong although the proper album cover is in that image. nice collection though

Not bad,

Wow ‘Gallows - In the Belly of the Shark’ is amazing. I’m tempted to seek out a poster.
I’d have liked to see Link [sleevage.com] on there but you can’t have everything, can you. :)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (Link [en.wikipedia.org])
The whole sleeve design, not just its cover - it is made of cardboard instead of plastic and inside there is special art too.

Good list, but one amazing cover is missing…

Link [upload.wikimedia.org]

yeah !!
“in rainbows” radiohead ?

this post really dated you guys.

as mentioned by some readers, some of the covers are truly great pieces of art, but some are not even worth a second look.

MJ - Dangerous and The Roots - Game Theory on the same list?

Yeah man, some of these covers are amazing, but classic and beautiful are definitely not the same (although many times they walk hand in hand). I got inspired though, I’ll choose my favourite album art and post them on my blog and start a discussion with my friends.

In fact, to be fair, the cover for Bloc Party isn’t even the artists original work — the album shown above uses a photograph by a popular photographer on DeviantArt. The site where the cover art was lifted for this article even acknowledges the wrong art is shown.

I think Muse’s Absolution album should be listed as well. It has a fantastically designed cover.

Great compilation, but irrespective of the music, Bon Jovi’s ‘Have a nice day’ cover isn’t that great to feature here.

So many bad choices - The plagiarised piece of crap that is ‘Mothership’ over ‘Houses Of The Holy’ for example. In fact, practically every Zep cover apart from ‘Coda is better!

I could go on, but, y’know…

What’s so special on the Beatles cover? 4 hippies cross the street.

Not a great post this time. Seeing a lot of mediocre album covers but miss a lot of brilliant album covers.

Where is “Tool - 10,000 Days”, “Soulwax - Nite Versions & Any Minute Now” or the new Coldplay cover “Viva la Vida”?

Not up to the standards of previous articles at all… only SOME of these covers are in any way decent or groundbreaking…. EG: Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue - a gorgeously drawn piece of cover art with oodles or creativity and depth.

I really love the Soulwax and Arcade Fire covers, they both convey the ethos of the bands and the albums really well and simply.

Thanks for the list!

Joe - Link [www.anewbandaday.com]

Not a single (Reid Miles) BlueNote album cover made the list?! While most of their covers are fantastic, you should definitely take a look at the Herbie Hancock, Andrew Hill, Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, and Jackie McLean covers from the 60’s. Their covers have inspired so many artists it’s a shame to see them missing from this list.

I would love to see there cover of Merzbow “Frog: Remixed and Revisited”, Pelican “The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw” or The Mars Volta “Frances the Mute”. But the compilation is great anyway!

Some are excellent (Pink Floyd - The Division Bell), some are rubbish (Motley Crue - Theatre of Pain, Earth, Wind & Fire - All’n’all). Thanks for posting

No factory records releases?
Obviously everyone knows Unknown Pleasures- but what about Link [www.factory-overseas.de]
Transmission or Closer or Still
(All Joy Division)
Or the later New Order Stuff.
And as Jason said- where is the 4AD/ Vaughn Oliver worK? (I’m not sure if that is even the best Pixies cover- let alone the best of 4AD)

I love that you guys included VHS or BETA. What a great band! Great album too! They’re from my hometown too which is kind of cool.

I’m sorry, this is just a collection of CD’s you probably own or know that have nice covers. It’s a difficult article to create because such a massive portion of album artwork is great - you can’t narrow it down to 35. And it seems like you just thrown some up there just because they’re hand drawn or something. Metropolis? Appetite for Destruction? They’re not particularly special.

But hey, it’s a good idea and there are some good selections.

Always inspiring are the illustrated covers of toy piano band Twink:

Link [flickr.com]
Link [flickr.com]
Link [flickr.com]
Link [flickr.com]

I think is very hard to choose only 35. Anyway, this is a good collection, but I would have included Nevermind from Nirvana.

Also a very nice cover: Link [image002.mylivepage.com] by Story of the Year

check out Circa Survive’s covers

Link [upload.wikimedia.org]
Link [upload.wikimedia.org]

Well, if we’re allowed to change the list:

Peter Gabriel II;
Peter Gabriel III;
or pretty much anyHipgnosis cover;

I’m sorry, but just one Radiohead album doesn’t do it :)

You’d have to at least add The Eraser (it’s frickin’ Stanley Donwood, remember?!)

Suprising to see the Smashing Pumpkins cover on there instead of KMFDM, they’ve been doing albums like that for years, and better ones at that.

That said, with a catalog to choose from so big, there are bound to be covers that get missed, and everyone always has their personal favorites.

Link [www.amazon.com]

Tim already mentioned Factory Records album covers but to add to that, most of them were designed by Peter Saville. How you can miss out one of today’s most influential designers in this list is unforgivable.

Everyone has their favourites and will disagree over a list but how can you miss Power, Corruption & Lies by New Order, designed by Saville?

And pearl jam? great examples like vitalogy or no code. And Brad Klausen is a terrific designer. Just a suggestion ;)

I completely forgot about that Lemon Jelly album cover, it has such a childish quality about it. A very good album too, if you’re into the genre of music.

How about giving hip hop a little bit of love. The first album cover that came to my mind is Kanye West’s Graduation

Link [www.amazon.com]

Check out earlier ‘The The’ records.

Nice compilation. I would have included any cover from Iron Maiden in this list.

Where are the Link [lpcoverlover.com]? I would think Link [en.wikipedia.org] is worth mention in any collection of artistic album covers.

i almost find it offending you didn’t added sgt pepper cover of the beatles:
Link [stormgod.altervista.org]

I once met a graphic designer who was a great fan of the beatles. He told me there are alot of hidden secrets, also the pop-art designer of it made references to the rolling stones.

What about radiohead’s Kid A?

Looks like the Coldplay Viva La Vida cover is on there twice — you meant to put the picture for the New Order cover in the second instance!

I’d argue their floppy disk art for “Blue Monday” is even more smashing, altho that’s for a single.

And don’t forget Orbital’s In Sides… beautiful and colorful! SO MUCH GOING ON.

BTW, where’d you get this album art? It must’ve been big enough for you to resize it uniformly, too! Awesome.

tool > *

:)

If you want truly awe inspiring, look up the “Red Album” by Baroness.

Love this list of album covers. Reminds me somewhat of the full size Book of Album Covers, volume 1, that I have of LP covers lying around somewhere. Not sure if it’s still in print, but it’s Paper Tiger Press, I beileve. And there are a lot of great Yes and Grateful Dead covers in it worth checking out.

Hmm. My comment has been eaten twice.

Dream Theater! Wooohooooo! \m/_

What does this have to do with web design?

Link [www.amazon.com]

What about CAKE’s CD: B Sides and Rarities. THE ARTWORK IS SCRATCH AND SNIFF!

Disappointing. What’s the standard?

Great list! Also check out some Marillion/Fish/Porcupine Tree album artwork.

Commenter above is right — I spent hours as a child poring over Captain Fantastic.

On the flip side, I LOVE Link [www.sleeveface.com] :)

absolutely great collection!

Where’s the petition to have an Iron Maiden cover in this list ? =]

Love the idea.

Missing John Butler Trio’s Grand National though

I saw someone else commented on it, but Sgt. Pepper’s by The Beatles should be on the list. Their use of cardboard models and the arrangement of those models and other items makes it a one-of-a-kind cover.
The Rolling Stones’ Beggar’s Banquet alternate cover, though slightly disgusting, is a unique approach, as well. (Contributing to the debate about “trash as art”, perhaps.)
Bob Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home has that unique fading effect.

Hmmm… less than inspiring. Some nice pieces for sure, but this doesn’t feel like a representative collection. This feels more like a designer went through his/her collection and picked pieces that they thought to be ‘inspiring’.

my fav is the Circa Survive: On Letting Go design

I suppose the Soulwax cover and the DJ Shadow cover are here to show what people should *NOT* do. The 1st looks like the ugly gift wrap used by my aunt, and the 2nd is just a bad photo…

A very average compilation, there’s not many “beautiful” music album covers here, and certainly not “35 beautiful music album covers”, as the title said.
I’m disappointed. :(

I love smashing, but this post is far more subjective (and disputable) than usual…

In the future, a sentence or two about “why” someone thought a piece was inspiring/beautiful/groundbreaking would at least make the opinion seem thoughtful and intentional vs. just picking random covers that look cool.

People don’t have to agree, but when disputed, it makes it apparent that it was “Mr Truffle’s” thoughtful opinion, and helps insulate Smashing’s reputation from differing opinions on design.

that rolling stones cover is terrible

what about stone temple pilot’s “tiny music”? that would also be a nice addition to the list.

and i know there’s already a smashing pumpkins cover, but “mellon collie…” also has great visual art all over.

$0.02.

Missing this Exploited cover:
Link [i99.photobucket.com]

Definitely a bad compilation. Some of them are so ugly - what the hell Tool: 10,000 Days and Elton John - Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy are doing here? :(

Uhhm, the G’N'R cover is the censored one,the original looks much
Missing ones: , one of the best photographies ever and Link [en.wikipedia.org]

Uhhm, the G’N'R cover is the censored one,the original looks much Link [upload.wikimedia.org]
Missing ones: London Calling, one of the best photographies ever and Link [en.wikipedia.org]

Here is a link to the Link [img3.nnm.ru]

woops, thats to the “red album” by Baroness…

You left out Link [sleevage.com]. To get the full effect, you need to get the CD. The cover folds out, so you can see the whole bug, with cool robotic details.

I think you missed Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band here…

Germán
Link [www.iccc.es]

I love that you included the ELO album “Out of the Blue”. I see that the CD version of the LP pictured there. I happen to own the original LP album and what you don’t get out of that album picture is that the front and back were one continuous picture and the inside also had a very neat picture. I actually took photos of it (forgive my bad photoshop skewing skills) just for SM. Not that they’re worthy of posting, but here they are. (Outside) Link [img329.imageshack.us] and (Inside) Link [img172.imageshack.us]

Could we not have just said the name Storm Thorgerson and been done with it? Some of the best album covers of all time (including three here that I noticed) were created by this man including every Pink Floyd cover.

Nice covers. I would like to add : Ultra Zone (Steve Vai)

Soulwax - Nite Versions

Very lame, look like gift wrap

This one, Make Up The Breakdown by Hot Hot Heat, is my absolute favorite. IMO, it’s so much better than most of the covers here.

Link [betterpropaganda.com]

Their other album, Elevator, is also really good.

Link [support.novell.com]

what about mt. eerie’s haunting images and picture disc?

Link [www.pwelverumandsun.com]

Link [blogs.villagevoice.com]

perhaps # 36 Tres Hombres - ZZ Top

I don’t care for ZZ top, all that much. The album cover is iconic, if nothing else. But the inside picture of the meal - that is an all-time classic. What do you call that? Inside the fold?

Nice list.

The Motley Crew album is the worst … a trite image. Sargent peppers is an iconic cover that is missing. Although I suspect this collection has more to do with musical taste than album covers. You may as well add Andy Warhol’s cover for the velvet underground’s albums if we are going by that.

@ 99: Clearly, you don’t know much about music. That album cover is DEFINITIVE of a sound, a style, and a generation of music listeners. Just looking at that “bad photo” — as you so brazenly put it — gives me chills when I think about what’s on that album.

You should probably do some homework before you open your mouth about things you’ve proven to be uneducated about.

The Soulwax cover, on the other hand, atrocious. Not exactly amazing design there.

What exactly is beautiful about the new Smashing Pumpkins cover? Not trying to be negative here, but there’s something strangely un-inspiring about it…

My favorite cover has always been A Broken Frame by Depeche Mode (1982). Its a beautiful photo.

None of those have Bob Dylan in drag, so what good are they?

Link [tralfaz-archives.com]

Also, too much color! where is Klaus Voormann’s incredible cover for Beatles Revolver?

And why show Out of the Blue CD when the original LP was so much better looking?

yeah, should have been Sticky Fingers, obviously.

One of my best is the cover of the album “Romantic Warrior” by the group Return To Forever. Have a look here:
Link [www.amazon.com]

Good post. Designing Record cover is my favorite t