What makes an iconic album cover?
A new survey has picked out the top ten most iconic album covers of all time and it is safe to say, it has generated some heated debate.
On Moncrieff this afternoon, Today FM DJ Claire Beck said she can “totally see” why the Number One album on the list won nearly half the votes – but had some question marks over others.
She said a good album cover should really fire the imagination – and take you back to where you were when you first fell in love with the music.
“The thing about album artwork is that it was initially designed to be part of the album experience,” she said.
“So, you buy the album, take it home, you put it on, and you are going through, whether it is the gatefold or the CD liners or whatever, and that was part of the experience – so, I think people have attachments to that experience.
“For me, a good album cover should be an arresting image, it should be something that really fires your imagination. You can look at it, even if you have never heard the album, you can see it and go wow, maybe I need to take this home and listen to it.
“Or it could be something that, when you take it off the shelf, you are instantly taken back to a time or a place or maybe a feeling – something to do with the first time you heard it, that kind of thing.
“I think that is why there is such a mix.”
Some 44% of people responding to the iconic album survey picked Nirvana’s 'Nevermind' as their all-time favourite.
Nirvana Nevermind - Vintage Cover AlbumThe legendary grunge album outshone Pink Floyd’s 'The Dark Side of the Moon' (36%), David Bowie’s 'Aladdin Sane' (34%) and The Beatles’ 'Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band' (27%) to take the top spot.
- Nirvana - Nevermind
- Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon
- David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
- The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
- Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
- Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
- Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA
- Beyoncé - I Am… Sasha Fierce
- Gorillaz - Demon Days
- Blink-182 - Enema Of The State
Claire said it is clear to see why Nirvana won out.
“Even as itself, as an image, even if you had never heard of Nirvana, if there was no text on it, immediately you go, what is this picture trying to say? Is it saying something about capitalism? All these different things, in and of itself.
“So, I can totally see why that is Number One.”
There was, however, a number of other albums she would have put forward for the list – including The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’, Andy Warhol’s famous cover for ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’ and Lizzo’s ‘Cuz I Love You.’
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