There is the music, and then there is the artwork. Each equally as important in making the perfect album. Think of Velvet Underground's yellow banana, or Pink Floyd's triangle prism, two images that are just as iconic as the music. But what makes a memorable album cover? Just like any other medium, may it be a book or a film, an album's cover is the first impression a record has upon its fan. This comes before the first note is played, and is just as important. To help in discovering what makes a great album cover, we had our staff at Sonicbids give us their favorite artwork, and explain why they found it important. Here is what they had to say:
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
"This is definitely one of the hardest questions that has been posed to me of late. A good album cover is not just noticeable, it can be iconic. It can define a generation. With apologies to the Pink Floyds and Led Zeppelins of the world, I'm going with a modern classic that's hanging on the wall of my home.
There's something about the cover to Neutral Milk Hotel's "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" that just resonates with me. It's more than an album cover, which is fitting because the album is more than just an album." -Jeff
REKS - Grey Hairs
"Gotta support the local dude REKS for this. Aside from being a cool photo that plays to the name of the album, you've got the 3 stripes for Boston after his name and the local background with the Frederick Douglass mural over on Tremont & Hammond in Roxbury. Put your 3's up for Boston!" -Nate
Baroness - Blue Record
"Many know John Dyer Baizley as the front man of Savannah, GA based metal band, Baroness. On the side of being a metal god, John is an accomplished artist and illustrates all of the band’s album covers. On the Blue Record John uses a focus on the female form, whilst blended with fish and flora creates one of the best album covers of our generation." -Anthony
Primus - Sailing the Sea of Cheese
"This album cover is freaking awesome. First off, the sea is made of nacho cheese, who can honestly say they don't want to swim in delicious cheese? Next up, dead center, you have a great big beautiful clipper ship with sails full traversing claymation sea monsters and what appears to be Poseidon. All-in-all, giant home run by Primus on this one." -AJ
Kanye West - College Dropout
"It's the most ironic album cover that I can think of. A sad mascot, sitting on the bleachers after some homecoming game. Everyone loves teddy bears, Kanye had the hook and we all bit." -Andrea
The Band - The Band
"Simple, yet iconic. The perfect depiction of one of the greatest bands to ever pick up instruments and play." - Eric
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
"Inspired by The '68 Riots in Paris, Stone Roses' guitarist John Squire painted this Pollock-esque piece entitled "Bye Bye Badman" as the artwork for their debut album. Adopting Pollock's aesthetic as their own, Squire also painted most of the bands instruments in this fashion. As The Stone Roses fame grew, their style was linked with this look. Drizzled paint became synonymous with the Stone Roses. Decades later, this album still remains an iconic cover. The Stone Roses created their own aesthetic, and the perfect artwork to personify their band. That is what make a great album cover." -Robert
What is your favorite album cover? Why? Does it have to do with the band behind the music, or maybe the emotion the image on the front evokes? Maybe it is something you grew up with, or a cover you will never forget. There is no clear description on what makes a great album cover. There is no pattern for success, or an image that will guarantee sales. Album artwork has the ability to make a record iconic, but it is the music that will make it legendary.
