Patricia Abbott (pattinase): What is the Greatest Album Cover Ever? (Not limited to rock)

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

What is the Greatest Album Cover Ever? (Not limited to rock)

Rolling Stone says this is the best cover ever. But my favorite Beatles album cover is this.

What's your favorite cover for any group or solo artist ever?

26 comments:

Anonymous said...: Covers never do as much for me as the music inside, but I still like the Stones' "Sticky Fingers" which included a real zipper. Also, a lot of the Blue Note jazz albums had fabulously atmospheric covers.

Deb; 7:16 AM
Prashant C. Trikannad said...: Not exactly a favourite but I have memories of "The Lone Ranger" album cover by Quantum Jump which has a masked cowboy with a gun and a native Indian with what looks like a tomahawk in his hand. I still listen to the song whose opening lines make absolutely no sense.; 7:38 AM
Anonymous said...: Oh, Patti, those are both great covers. Hmmm....I have to say I like the cover of Paul Simon's Graceland. It's muted, but I really love it.; 7:43 AM
George said...: I'll go with the Andy Warhol banana cover on the Velvet Underground album.; 8:32 AM
Gerard said...: I like the ones with nudity.; 9:52 AM
Anonymous said...: I love this collection of the 10 Worst Album Covers of All Time.

Jeff M.; 10:02 AM
Charles Gramlich said...: I loved the "Yes" covers, though not so much their music, and the Molly Hatchet covers.; 10:30 AM
Steve Oerkfitz said...: London Calling by The Clash; 10:52 AM
Rick Robinson said...: I loved the cover to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass's "Whipped Cream" album cover. I also liked some of the Martin Denny covers. As for Rock, the first Eagles cover, the Yes covers with art by Roger Dean, the first Steppenwolf cover, Electric Light Orchestra's "Out of the Blue", ZZ Top's "Afterburner", the Pure Prairie League covers were a lot of fun. Last but not least is Big Brother & Holding Company album "Cheap Thrills".; 11:25 AM
Rick Robinson said...: Oops, on the Steppenwolf, I was thinking of the BACK COVER of the "Monster" album.; 11:29 AM
Anonymous said...: That Her Alpert "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" album was always a favorite of mine too.

Jeff M.; 11:46 AM
J F Norris said...: BORN IN THE USA - Springsteen
BAT OUT OF HELL - Meat Loaf
HOPE - Klaatu
BREAKFAST IN AMERICA - Supertramp

Am I lost in the 70s and 80s? Definitely.; 12:08 PM
MP said...: My favorite is stark and simple--Patti Smith's "Horses".; 12:49 PM
Anonymous said...: Mamas & the Papas - If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears.

And if you have the original cover with the toilet visible it is worth big bucks.

Jeff M.; 2:46 PM
Erik Donald France said...: Those are all cool covers you put up, for sure.

I also dig (as anon also noted) a bunch of Blue Note (and other jazz) covers, very iconic, plus add Bob Dylan. All cool. No specific fave or "greatest."; 5:17 PM
Brian Busby said...: A matter of taste, of course, but I think an interesting measure is that sincere form of flattery known as imitation. In this regard, both your Beatles picks stand tall (and Meet the Beatles might be added).

Bowie's Aladdin Sane is also up there.; 5:38 PM
Kent Morgan said...: I guess I had better go down in my basement and check my Mamas and Papas cover. Of course that will lead to looking at hundreds of others to find one I really like.; 7:34 PM
Todd Mason said...: A few favorites I could pull quickly:

Brubeck Quartet:

Jazz Impressions of New York

Countdown: Time in Outer Space

Modern Jazz Quartet:

Space

Lonely Woman

Gil Scott-Heron:

Winter in America

Toshiko Akiyoshi:

Toshiko; 9:27 PM
Todd Mason said...: Not solely Blue Note, but particularly Limelight, Impulse!, Riverside and even CBS were no slouches when it came to album cover art in the jazz world...; 9:30 PM
Steve Allan said...: Rage Against the Machine's first album.

Jane's Addiction: Nothing's Shocking

Nirvana: Nevermind

Neko Case: Middle Cyclone

Kanye West: Graduation

Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Who: Quadrophenia

And if you have The Beatle's Abbey Road, you should put it side by side with Red Hot Chili Pepper's Abbey Road EP.; 1:02 AM
Erik Donald France said...: Ayo, there's a slew of iconic Pink Floyd to add to the pile.; 6:28 PM
Ray said...: David Bowie - Diamond Dogs.
Duane Eddy - Especially for you.
Rolling Stones - Aftermath
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden - Killers
Iron Maiden - Number Of The Beast
Doro - Fear No Evil; 7:34 PM
Todd Mason said...: Which Stones AFTERMATH cover, tho'?; 9:05 PM
Casual Debris said...: Love Tom Waits and the cover & back cover of Alice. Steely Dan's The Royal Scam is also great.; 2:32 AM
Ray said...: The first UK cover - Stones' Aftermath. Photo of group - brownish tint.; 5:32 PM
Anonymous said...: Out of the Blue by ELO the outside is good but the inside is amazing; 10:42 PM