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Nov 7, 2016 · We spoke with the book’s editor, curator and photo historian Antoine de Beaupré, to trace the origins of six covers that simultaneously highlight the best of art photography.
- Early Pioneers
- Jazz-Era Designs
- Groundbreaking Photographers
- Bold Typography
- “Everything Went Photographic”
- “The Rock’N’Roll Revolution”
- Breaking The Mold
- Album Art as Concept
- “In No Other Circumstances Would That Happen”
- Still Pushing The Envelope
The first signs of change came in the 30s, from pioneering designers such as Alex Steinweiss, whose illustrated covers – for singers such as Paul Robeson, or the classical records of Beethoven – led to huge increases in sales. However, it was the advent of the long-playing 33⅓rpm record that changed everything. The heavy paper used for 78s damaged ...
Many of the greatest covers of all time are associated with the post-war jazz and bebop era. Jim Flora, who had trained at the Chicago Art Academy, worked in advertising before transforming RCA Victor’s art department in the 50s. “I was hired because I was the jazzman,” he said. Flora paid tribute to Steinweiss’ genius and his role as the man “who ...
Art was closely intertwined with jazz in this era, something that pleased not only designers and customers but the musicians themselves, as Tony Bennett noted. Records were little cultural artifacts. Hawaii-born graphic designer S Neil Fujita worked at Columbia Records from 1954 to 1960 and designed covers for Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, and Miles ...
Sometimes it was just bold use of typography – as in Reid Miles’s design for Jackie McLean’s It’s Time– that produced a simple yet eye-catching triumph. Miles said that in the 50s typography was “in a renaissance period.” Sometimes companies chose an iconic symbol or look that would define their output – as Impulse! did with their trademark black, ...
According to Flora, 1956 was the year “everything went photographic,” and it was during that year that a landmark photograph was taken for Ella And Louis. The pair were so famous by then that they did not even have their names on the album cover, just the gorgeous image taken by Vogue photographer Phil Stern, known for his iconic studies of Marlon ...
It wasn’t just jazz that was undergoing an album revolution in the 50s. At the start of the decade, most rock music was sold as cash cow 45rpm singles; albums were primarily used to collect hits together in one package. The marketing was usually tied to cinema releases, and the imagery for many albums – especially soundtrack ones – came from film p...
In the 60s it became fashionable for bands to commission covers from artists and art school friends. The Beatlesfamously worked with Peter Blake and Richard Hamilton; The Rolling Stones with Warhol and Robert Frank. Young designers who were interested in the music began developing the imagery that is still associated with rock’n’roll. In London, ro...
Album art as a concept was the new thing, and British designers Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell were at the forefront with the firm Hipgnosis. Some of their designs have become symbols of music in the 20th Century, such as the giant inflatable pig over London’s Battersea Power Station which graced the cover for Pink Floyd’s Animals (1977); or th...
Just as Blue Note was inextricably linked with the names of designers such as Hermansader and Miles, Peter Saville’s name will forever be associated with Factory Records and his brilliant work in the late 70s and 80s. Saville recognized as one of the world’s foremost graphic designers, said he was intrigued by album sleeves from the moment he bough...
Showing that jazz labels still know how to push the envelope, the German independent record company ECM (Edition Of Contemporary Music) has received widespread acclaim for its unique cover designs. There have been art gallery shows of ECM covers in Europe, and there are two books devoted to the label’s visual presentations of music. Over the years,...
- 5 min
- Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley (1956) Two simple words: “Elvis” and “Presley” (the latter barely hiding that controversial pelvis from view): that’s all it needed to say.
- The Beatles: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) The Beatles, of course, had plenty of iconic album covers in their career, including Abbey Road and The White Album.
- The Velvet Underground & Nico: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) If Peter Blake’s Sgt Pepper album cover is the most famous example of British pop art, then Andy Warhol’s design for The Velvet Underground’s debut, released that same year, remains one of the most famous from the US.
- Frank Zappa/The Mothers Of Invention: Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970) As well as creating artwork for almost every Little Feat album, illustrator Neon Park’s distinctive style was put to unforgettable effect on a collection of Mothers material recorded from 1967-69.
Aug 1, 2024 · Whether decorated with a photo of a bustling subway stop or a striking Andy Warhol painting, album cover designs can constitute masterpieces in their own right, amplifying the artistry of the...
- Sgt. Pepper – The Beatles. One of the most famous pieces of album art ever created is that of The Beatles’ 1967 record Sgt. Pepper. A patchwork set of images of the most famous people in the world has since become so beloved because of it’s apparent clues to a mystery surrounding Paul McCartney and his alleged death which was supposedly covered up.
- Rumours – Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac is a band who have become synonymous with their inter-group relationships, the in-fighting and sexual mischievousness which all famously bled out in their 1977 LP Rumours.
- London Calling – The Clash. London Calling is often seen as being not only The Clash’s finest moment but the watershed moment for the punk movement as a whole.
- Abbey Road – The Beatles. The image of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr striding across the famous zebra crossing is forever ingrained on pop music’s iconography.
Dec 1, 2023 · Album covers can go down in history as the most creative artwork of all time, thereby leaving a lasting impression on pop culture. However, that doesn’t necessary imply that they were flawless; some of them were simply contentious enough to pique interest and draw attention to the album.
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Jan 10, 2019 · There are certain rock albums that you know without ever hearing a note, because of their iconic album covers alone.
