The importance of album covers

Album covers are an important part of what music artists create. Album artwork forms the visual iconography of the new release, helping to form a lasting image of their brand.

The importance of album artwork has recently been enshrined through the introduction of a new category at the Grammys: Best Album Cover. This new award recognises the connection between music and visual art; album covers contribute to the conception of an album as a complete piece of art by using visual means to echo the central themes of the album. It is an important celebration of the work that goes into music as an art form. 

The most iconic album covers are those that have a lasting presence in cultural conversation

Sabrina Carpenter has made headlines since unveiling her upcoming album, Man’s Best Friend. Despite excitement around this new, undoubtedly smash-hit album, the announcement has been overshadowed by the controversy of the album cover. It features Carpenter kneeling before a man, who is holding her hair. Many took offence at the overtly sexual image, which seemed to present a degrading image of women; some even claimed that Carpenter is “pushing back Feminism”. Nevertheless, fans were quick to defend the cover, arguing that the image is clearly satirical, drawing on the playful mockery exhibited in her recent single, ‘Manchild’. Carpenter often uses sensual lyrics and innuendo in her fun pop hits, so the album cover could merely be a continuation of this theme. The controversy surrounding this demonstrates how album covers can generate discourse and publicity for artists.   

Some of the most iconic album covers are those that have a lasting presence in cultural conversation. It is difficult to consider the importance of album covers and not mention The Beatles’ Abbey Road. This iconic photograph features the four bandmates walking across the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios (then EMI Studios). This pedestrian crossing has since become a cultural landmark, attracting tourists who recreate the image. Another classic album cover that features the musicians themselves is the cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. This strange image plays upon the intertwined and fraught relationships between the bandmates at the time – the title Rumours perhaps alludes to this too.   

Instead of using photographs of the artists themselves, other classic album covers use distinctive images that have become synonymous with their brands. For example, the prism featured on the cover of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is a simple design that has many possible interpretations. Nirvana’s album cover for Nevermind is another example; this cover features the iconic photograph of a baby swimming and reaching towards a dollar bill.  

The significance of album covers to branding was made obvious with the release of Charli xcx’s incredibly successful album, brat

While most of the covers mentioned so far are those from classic albums, that is not to say that contemporary musicians are not creating memorable and creative album covers. A strong example is Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. This cover depicts a group of Black men celebrating in front of the White House, with a dead white judge at the bottom. The cover is intentionally contentious because it echoes the message of the album, which draws on themes of the Black experience in America and the racial injustice of the criminal justice system.

The significance of album covers in branding was made obvious with the release of Charli xcx’s incredibly successful album, brat. The simple design of text on a lime green background became an iconic image in popular culture and stands as one of my personal favourite album covers. With the release of brat, Charli xcx changed the album covers of her previous releases to echo this design, creating a cohesive brand image. The idea of evolving album covers has carried through the brat era. She recently marked what appeared to be the ‘end’ of brat by changing the album to feature the title scribbled out and rust rising from the bottom, reflecting the decaying of the era. Charli xcx later changed the cover again – the title now reads “forever <3”. Fans can be reassured that the message of brat lives on.

Album covers are incredibly important to the perception of an artist and their music

Another recent album cover, and one I personally love, is Billie Eilish’s debut album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. This album skyrocketed Eilish to global fame. The cover perfectly reflects the themes of the album, such as the concept of lucid dreaming and the influence of horror films. The disturbing image of Eilish, white eyes glowing against the dark background, parallels the album sonically. The album is experimental with sound, involving vocal manipulation, sinister sound effects, and heavy bass. This cover is undoubtedly an iconic image that cemented Eilish’s musical legacy.    

Album covers are incredibly important to the perception of an artist and their music. It is exciting that the Grammys has chosen to recognise this with a new awards category, which should hopefully encourage musicians to be creative in future projects.