# Best album cover artwork **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 12, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149 "2006-10-12T03:28:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/1 "2006-10-12T03:28:54Z")
I am looking for a new wallpaper for my computer and I am thinking of album covers. (Note–not CD pictures, or cassette cases, but those things that the 12" plastic disks came in.) My favorites are currently Molly Hatchet’s **Beatin’ the Odds** and Bob Seger’s **Live Bullet** , bu tboth have had a turn on the desktop, so any reccommendations would be appreciated. Thanks, Sgt Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/2 "2006-10-12T04:09:26Z")
I think quite a few Yes albums would make great wallpaper. My favorite would be [Fragile](http://www.slothradio.com/covers/?adv=&artist=yes&album=). ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/3 "2006-10-12T04:22:06Z")
One that comes to mind is Frank Zappa’s **The Man From Utopia**. The more you look at it the goofier it gets. The back is great. I tried looking for some decent pics but haven’t had much luck. [http://cgi.ebay.com/THE-MAN-FROM-UTOPIA-FRANK-ZAPPA-RARE-LP\_W0QQitemZ220023063582QQihZ012QQcategoryZ306QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem](http://cgi.ebay.com/THE-MAN-FROM-UTOPIA-FRANK-ZAPPA-RARE-LP_W0QQitemZ220023063582QQihZ012QQcategoryZ306QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem) A couple of scans here, front & back ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/4 "2006-10-12T12:44:47Z")
Anything by Storm Thorgerson/Hypgnosis. Like all the Pink Floyd covers. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/5 "2006-10-12T12:47:02Z")
I really like the cover to [Liquid](http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:42jqea144xg7) by Recoil. The whole art direction has various objects frozen into ice, the cover is a bullet. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/6 "2006-10-12T12:57:07Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Anything by Storm Thorgerson/Hypgnosis. Like all the Pink Floyd covers. [/QUOTE] Yeah, the UFO and Scorpions ones were pretty cool, too. One of my personal faves is The Scorpions’ [Lovedrive](http://www.amazon.com/Lovedrive-Scorpions/dp/B00005QBER). I might be mistaken, but I think Hypgnosis did that one, too. ---
**Author:** ![wheelie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b4bc9f/32.png) [@wheelie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheelie)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/7 "2006-10-12T14:12:16Z")
I’ve been using a set of cover art from [Roger Dean’s website](http://www.rogerdean.com/store/index.php) for at least two years now. Makes a cool screensaver, too. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/8 "2006-10-12T15:06:30Z")
I remember seeing Pink Floyd’s “Dark side of the Moon” in stores when it came out and just knew it was a great album without ever hearing anything from it or the group. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/9 "2006-10-12T15:17:13Z")
[Rio](http://www.kulichki.com/cddisk/durandur/rio.jpg) by Duran Duran ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/10 "2006-10-12T15:44:21Z")
I know you’re probably looking for awesome rock album covers, but guess what: I’m going old-school. I give you… [Free to Be You and Me](http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/imageviewer.asp?ean=078221832526). I listed to this all the time when I was growing up, and would lay on the floor staring at all the cartoon people in the letters the whole time. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/11 "2006-10-12T15:51:47Z")
I’ve always been fond of Todd Rundgren’s [Utopia](http://www.amazon.com/Todd-Rundgrens-Utopia/dp/B0000032P0). Uriah Heep’s [Demons and Wizards](http://www.amazon.com/Demons-Wizards-Uriah-Heep/dp/B000001F43) is pretty cool too. And some of Robin Trower’s albums were trippy. ---
**Author:** ![MsFancyPlants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@MsFancyPlants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsFancyPlants)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/12 "2006-10-12T16:21:53Z")
Both the album cover and inside cover of the Allman Brother’s “Eat a Peach” double album ranked first with me. Some of the best ever southern rock, as well. ---
**Author:** ![H3Knuckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@H3Knuckles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/H3Knuckles)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/13 "2006-10-12T16:55:22Z")
Well, I’m no expert, as by the time I was born, albums were already on their way out (1983), but I think Led Zeppelin’s [In Through the Out Door](http://www.amazon.com/Through-Out-Door-Led-Zeppelin/dp/B000002JSP) makes a pretty cool image. Particularly since it doesn’t have their name or the album title on it. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/14 "2006-10-12T17:08:26Z")
Many, many [Iron Maiden](http://ironmaiden.webvis.net/Album_Pics2.html) albums. Ahhh, the hours spent with a new Maiden album and a magnifying glass, looking for all the little hidden details. Personally, I liked _Powerslave_ the best. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/15 "2006-10-12T17:32:37Z")
[We’re Only in It for the Money](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/Original_We%27re_Only_in_It_for_the_Money_front_cover.jpg) by the Mothers of Invention. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/16 "2006-10-12T17:36:57Z")
And [Hot Rats](http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/Z/zappa/zappa.html) by Frank Zappa is pretty cool, too. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/17 "2006-10-12T17:39:01Z")
[Queen](http://www.slothradio.com/covers/?adv=&artist=queen&album=): News of the World or Day at the Races [Styx](http://www.slothradio.com/covers/?page=2&artist=styx): The Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight or Equinox - or really almost any of them. ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/18 "2006-10-12T17:49:40Z")
I was going to start a separate thread for this video but I think it fits nicely into this thread. [Battle of the Album Covers](http://youtube.com/watch?v=sqZNog4h7j8) Everyone has probably seen it already but that video took some time and deserves the extra recognition. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/19 "2006-10-12T20:42:29Z")
[QUOTE=melondeca] Everyone has probably seen it already but that video took some time and deserves the extra recognition. [/QUOTE] :eek: Nope, never saw that before – but damn, that was fricking brilliant. And he wasn’t listed in the credits, but I could swear I heard Lore Sjöberg’s voice in there. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149/20 "2006-10-12T21:18:01Z")
[Rio](http://www.kulichki.com/cddisk/durandur/rio.jpg) by Duran Duran [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-album-cover-artwork/376149.md?page=2)