What would an album be without its cover? The visual representation of the music contained within it plays a vital role in setting the tone for the project.
It's hard to determine what pictures are suitable for the task. Some might get chosen because they're visually captivating and evoke strong emotions, while others can seem intriguing for their artistic merit and storytelling.
There's definitely no one-size-fits-all formula. However, the Facebook page 'Images That Could Be Album Covers' is on a mission to collect a wide variety of examples that could be slapped onto your next favorite platinum record, and it's doing quite a good job if you ask me!
This post may include affiliate links.
The history of album cover art can be traced back to the early days of music recording when albums had simple and straightforward designs.
As the music industry grew and evolved, so did its look, and, in turn, the covers. The 1960s and '70s saw the emergence of album cover art as a separate field, with artists and designers pushing the boundaries of creativity and experimentation.
Desert Gaze
A prime example of this is The Dark Side of the Moon. March of 2023 marked 50 years since the release of Pink Floyd's eighth studio album. It beamed the band into super stardom with platinum-selling singles such as Money and The Great Gig in the Sky.
Typifying Pink Floyd's mix of philosophical lyricism and spaced-out rock sound, the project sits comfortably in the top 50 best-selling albums of all time, and is frequently called one of the greatest albums of all time by popular music magazines such as Rolling Stone and NME.
Album Cover For: Best Friend
I bought a new house last year, and I'm only just now starting to get to know the raccoons who come around. They stop by every night for dry corn-on-the-cob feed and black oil sunflower seeds, and I sit on the Adirondack chair, rock some ganj and chitter to them. One of these days, I just know one of them is going to come up to me after the others leave and say, "Dude, you do realize that other than insulting my cousin's wife, you're pretty much just speaking gibberish when you chitter at us, right?"
Thunder Cat Featuring Lightning
I Am The Wolf Among Sheep
"The iconic album cover, produced by Storm Thorgerson’s legendary design agency Hipgnosis, is a seminal reference point in pop culture and modern art," Ph.D. Candidate in Text and Image Studies at the University of Glasgow Christopher Vezza wrote.
"Unsurprisingly, it makes for a popular band t-shirt design and figures consistently and prominently on 'best album cover' lists."
Space Ball
Lost Unicorn
All Tracks Lead To Me
"The image of the enigmatic prism reflecting beams of light into deep space parallels the band's complex sound world and their lyrical interplay between science and mysticism," Vezza explained.
"There are several interpretations of the cover art's meaning. Some fans have suggested that it works as a metaphor for personal and psychological darkness, while others maintain that the prism in particular represents intellectual thought and ambition."
Hard Since Day 1
Two Sides One Bird
i thought this was the flag of ukraine but either way trippy and slava ukraine!
The image of a prism reflecting a rainbow of light delivered on Pink Floyd's request for a bold and dramatic design.
Additionally, Thorgerson claims that the artwork served as an homage to the impressive light show that had become an integral part of Pink Floyd's live performances.
Flirting With The Rules
Old Sky Man
I’m A Good Boy
Flower Child
I saw a pair of hightop converse that have this weird green carpet-y cover that would be perfect for this
In the 1980s and '90s, things became more commercialized, with artists and labels placing greater emphasis on the marketability of a cover.
In the digital age, the front page has taken on a new significance as it is often the only visual representation of an album that consumers will see, so artists and designers are becoming increasingly innovative in their approaches, with many using digital tools to create unique and visually stunning designs.
Brake Check
High Class Moms
She looks bored, someone make her a dry martini with a lemon twist
From a marketing perspective, the cover can be highly influential in creating an appetite for new music. With the right design approach, tracks and albums can, in a way, come to life before people even get to listen to them.
And it's really evident scrolling through 'Images That Could Be Album Covers.' I bet you even thought of a music genre (or maybe even a certain name) that these would fit.
Watch Dog
Moon Hug
Your Doobie M’lord
Frustrated Also Me When I’m Constipated
anybody else thought thay was a skull? or is that the point?
Wrong Alley
Sup
Barely
I remember around 30 years ago, when there were some disgusting sociopaths hitting gravestones in cemeteries around the city. I think they ended up destroying 40+ before they finally caught them. Three boys who were 16 and 17. They got my Grandpa George. Yeah, good one, guys. Real funny. Almost as funny as when they tried you little boys as adults, even though your testicles had obviously never dropped...
Poor
Amen Rocker
Double Moo
Brilliant
I was always afraid of these things, for precisely this reason. I feel so vindicated.
Date Night
Never Heard Of It
Album: Am I Doing It Right?
🗿
Barbie - Openheimer
Cookin
This is actually fake n not real stir fry.... but still like the picture
Homies Are There For The Homies
Dreams Coming True
We Are The Best
Crazy Corner
Note: this post originally had 144 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
