In fact, it largely flopped, leading to the band breaking up and firing Warhol as their manager. When released, the album didn’t exactly fly up the charts.

Some might say this album cover has become more famous than the album itself. Warhol, a famous artist and film director, served as the band’s manager, as well as the designer of this album cover artwork. This classic design by Andy Warhol is one of the most unforgettable covers on this list. The Velvet Underground and Nico, The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967) Image Source: You have to read this kooky theory about the meaning behind the album that claims Paul McCartney died before the album was released. Bands like One Direction and the Backstreet Boys have them to thank for the notoriety that boy bands have today. The Beatles are widely regarded as the biggest band in history they truly started the entire craze around boy bands. Photographer Iain Macmillan captured this image of the Beatles casually walking across London’s Abbey Road, which has since gone down in history. Not only is it one of the most classic albums musically, but the artwork itself is also a classic. The number one album cover on our list shouldn’t surprise you. The Beatles, Abbey Road (1969) Image Source: MoMA So, here’s our list of the best album covers of all time. Now, this list isn’t necessarily in order of importance ( please don’t send us hate mail) it’s meant to demonstrate how album covers can make history and leave a lasting impact on pop culture. In the end, we think you’ll agree that album covers can make a difference in an album release’s performance. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean they were perfect or without flaws some were just controversial enough to peak people’s interest and garner attention for the album. But, nonetheless, they have gone down in history as iconic. Bands like Nirvana (among many others) created their album art with no idea of the impending fame they would experience once it was released.Īnd some of the bands, models, and designers of these albums have later said they regretted the choices they made in creating them. Sometimes these covers are created before the band themselves even know how much they will matter. Cultural relevancy and shock factor can make a huge difference in how an album cover is received. Iconic album covers can be the thing that propels an album to the top of the charts, but it’s not an exact science. Now, let’s talk about why cover art matters.

And hey, if you want to start a fight that could break up the band you’re designing for, by all means, go right ahead.Ī good marketing and creative team will work together to find solutions that fit the band’s image and the creative meaning behind the album. Some bands even decide to feature just one or two members of their entire band on the cover. Whatever you decide to do, it needs to fit well with your cover art’s theme and color scheme.Īnother major consideration is whether or not to feature and photograph the band for the cover or to use artwork and graphic design instead. And skipping a title on the cover altogether can also be an iconic move. You can really make your album design really stand out with your font choice and placement of your title. Whether you go with graphic design, photography, illustration, or a mix of the three, you’ll need to make sure it is the right fit for the band and the album’s content.

Thank me later album cover template