Best album artwork

[deathrey]

I don't think we have had this thread before - delete this if we have. I was inspired by the best film posters thread but music was always more my thing so what are some of your favourite album artworks?

Mine is all decidedly stuck in the 90's, a bit like my music taste. I always loved the cover of Dirt by Alice in Chains

 

Cypress Hill - Black Sunday was also another favourite. The album artwork is very gothic and it doesn't actually suit the album but I always remember my cousin having a big poster of it on the wall and thinking it looked so so cool, I'd only ever heard Insane in the Brain at that stage.

 

Nirvana - In Utero is another favourite. I know Nevermind is probably the more iconic one but I always preferred this cover. It reminds me of a decrepit, fucked up angel statue I saw in the Vatican museum.

 

[Gus Mears]

Continuing the Deathrey trend of vaguely funerial scenes. Banging album. Banging cover.

[Bus Surfer]

I'm sure the music isn't to the majority of people's tastes, but I've always loved the album cover for ICP's Riddlebox. The design was drawn by Shaggy in the 90s and the simple but effective colour work just pops off at you. I'd doodle it all over notepads and school books all the time. 

Edited April 13, 2024 by Bus Surfer

[The Gaffer]

Could do this all day but here's a few favourites. Have tried to stick with imagery I find genuinely impressive or weirdly evocative other than just "Here's the albums I like...:

[SuperBacon]

This will never ever be beaten.

[Merzbow]

Spoiler

Well.. my name is Merzbow. Spoilered because it makes your eyes go all funny.

Also, because in the pre-internet era this probably tricked so many people in to picking it up thinking it's some easy listening Jazz.

Edited April 13, 2024 by Merzbow

[wordsfromlee]

[SpiritOfTheForest]

Always this one for me. One of my all time favourite albums and the atmosphere of the cover art (Theodor Kittelsen's "Fattigmannen") matches the music perfectly. It's gorgeous.

 

 

At this stage I could spam this thread with hundreds of black metal covers that are paintings or depict beautiful environments but I'm going to limit myself to one more - one completely different to the Burzum cover above. Acid Bath are a wonderful band and sorely underrated and When The Kite String Pops is one of the best albums ever. For this album, they used a painting by John Wayne Gacy and it fits so incredibly well. Demented genius. 

Like I said, going to try to limit myself to these 2 as album covers are some of my favourite things and there are so, so many I adore. 

Edited April 13, 2024 by SpiritOfTheForest

[Devon Malcolm]

You could make a cause for almost all Flaming Lips album artwork, but especially this.

[FLips]

Went for covers by artists I really like. Just think they’re neat. 

[Vegeta]

I don't know how to post images on here.

But always loved the misfits covers for their albums, love famous monsters and cuts from the crypt.

[westlondonmist]

Van Halen Balance, something about this album cover, it's fucking strange but brilliant. 

 

Def Leppard have good album covers in general

[Frankie Crisp]

The eyes have it.

A one-album wonder, but the artwork is as lovely as their work.

Mad weirdo Graham Coxon has a self-portrait on the front of Blur’s best album.

I mean, come on. Iconic and in keeping with the album.

Two Feet is probably the most intriguing artist about today, and this album cover reflects that.

[Abe_Knuckleball_Schwartz]

 

The entire artwork through the booklet has always resonated with me.

[gmoney]