# The World's Greatest Album Covers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 3, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268 "2008-10-03T03:19:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/21 "2008-10-04T02:35:21Z")
NSFW! [Blind Faith](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BlindFaithBlindFaith.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/22 "2008-10-04T02:51:26Z")
I love the terrible album covers. I was trying to think of the really best album covers of all time, and I gotta tell ya… doesn’t Pink Floyd win some kind of lifetime achievement award here? “Dark Side of the Moon” is iconic. “Distant Sound of Thunder” is wicked. “Wish You Were Here” is fucking awesome. “The Division Bell” is creepy. All other Floyd covers are cool. ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/23 "2008-10-04T04:22:43Z")
A quickie Google search turned up these gems: [Worst Album Covers](http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-album-covers) Some possibly NSFW. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/24 "2008-10-04T08:35:45Z")
> [@Simmerdown](#): > > A quickie Google search turned up these gems: [Worst Album Covers](http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-album-covers) Words fail me, those are awesomely bad. [These guys](http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-album-covers#i24) (on the right) crack me up, I hope it is supposed to be a joke but I suspect it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/25 "2008-10-04T12:53:10Z")
> [@Simmerdown](#): > > A quickie Google search turned up these gems: [Worst Album Covers](http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-album-covers) > > Some possibly NSFW. I actually bought one of those new: “Back to the S\_\_t” by Millie Jackson. Kind of a mix of disco, Chicago blues and standup comedy. After Joe, she’s still my favorite Jackson! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/26 "2008-10-04T14:51:20Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I gotta tell ya… doesn’t Pink Floyd win some kind of lifetime achievement award here? They had the quite able assistance of one Storm Thorgerson and the graphic design group Hipnosis. [Mind Over Matter 4: The Images of Pink Floyd](http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Over-Matter-Images-Floyd/dp/1846097630/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223131303&sr=1-1), with it’s terrific cover shot taken at “The Wave” in the Coyote Buttes Wilderness, has the stories behind those album covers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/27 "2008-10-04T15:12:27Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I was trying to think of the really best album covers of all time, and I gotta tell ya… doesn’t Pink Floyd win some kind of lifetime achievement award here? “Dark Side of the Moon” is iconic. “Distant Sound of Thunder” is wicked. “Wish You Were Here” is fucking awesome. “The Division Bell” is creepy. All other Floyd covers are cool. Have probably seen [this](http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/153/425258~Pink-Floyd-Back-Catalogue-Posters.jpg) before… but it warrants viewing anytime discussion of Pink Floyd Album Covers is brought up. Best poster I ever had on my wall. It wasn’t even close. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/28 "2008-10-04T15:29:24Z")
> [@HongKongFooey](#): > > Words fail me, those are awesomely bad. [These guys](http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-album-covers#i24) (on the right) crack me up, I hope it is supposed to be a joke but I suspect it’s not. I actually own that album – they’re a parody band (though not a very good one). If memory serves, they competed to be Germany’s contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest one year. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/29 "2008-10-04T15:38:27Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > \ And [Sgt. Pepper’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pepper%27s.jpg), of course. Let’s not forget Frank Zappa’s [take](http://www.amiright.com/album-covers/images/album-The-Mothers-of-Invention-Were-Only-in-It-for-the-Money.jpg) on this album. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/30 "2008-10-04T22:13:54Z")
> [@Struan](#): > > To be fair you had to click through a few pages before there was even a hint of nipple. You didn’t click the Rock category, did you? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/31 "2008-10-05T07:12:36Z")
[This one’s rather disturbing, IMHO.](http://lpcoverlover.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/lps-for-blog-2-010.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/32 "2008-10-05T08:01:26Z")
> **[Worst Album Covers](https://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-album-covers#i26)** > > A cover gallery for Worst Album Covers This may be a coincidence but I think I actually know him in real life. He sings classical, opera, and quality Christian music, and also teaches singing & music. He & his wife are good people. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/33 "2008-10-05T11:51:26Z")
Always liked this [this one](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/Rock_and_roll_over_cover.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/34 "2008-10-05T13:54:48Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I love the terrible album covers. > > I was trying to think of the really best album covers of all time, and I gotta tell ya… doesn’t Pink Floyd win some kind of lifetime achievement award here? “Dark Side of the Moon” is iconic. “Distant Sound of Thunder” is wicked. “Wish You Were Here” is fucking awesome. “The Division Bell” is creepy. All other Floyd covers are cool. While Pink Floyd has probably one of the best record for all-over great album covers, **Jethro Tull** , however deserve some sort of a prize for having both awesome and awful covers. [Thick as a Brick](http://pagesperso-orange.fr/religionnaire/artistes/jethro_tull/art/thick_as_a_brick.jpg) being one of the all-time greats. It’s one of the very few covers that’s an integral part of the work, you really need to read the articles in the newspaper to fully “get” the lyrics. And, talking of Hipgnosis, there are also the most excellent covers of early Peter Gabriel LPs: [Car](http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/57301/img/57301.jpg), [Melt](http://www.avclub.com/content/files/images/peter-gabriel-3-cover.jpg), [Scratch](http://rec.horus.at/music/gabriel/Lyrics/pg2.gif)… Lastly, there’s Yoko Ono’s [Season of Glass](http://bp1.blogger.com/_6yF2Rur8NWI/R-_eshjqkYI/AAAAAAAAACY/byP45nWT9dM/s1600-h/Yoko-Ono-Season-Of-Glass.jpg), one of the most powerful images ever put on an album cover. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/35 "2008-10-05T14:46:05Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > [This one’s rather disturbing, IMHO.](http://lpcoverlover.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/lps-for-blog-2-010.jpg) Good god. Did the photographer _really_ want the boy’s hand in his pocket? “Okay, Dad, got it. Now what?” ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/36 "2008-10-05T16:14:33Z")
> [@Simmerdown](#): > > A quickie Google search turned up these gems: [Worst Album Covers](http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-album-covers) > > Some possibly NSFW. I rather liked [this one](http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/worst-album-covers/35-1.jpg), actually. I guess maybe you’d rather not stare at a guy’s crotch bulge but it’s not bad, artistically speaking. Also, nobody’s mentioned [The Braillettes](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Braillettes-OurHeartsKeepSinging.jpg) yet? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/37 "2008-10-05T17:55:01Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I love the terrible album covers. > > I was trying to think of the really best album covers of all time, and I gotta tell ya… doesn’t Pink Floyd win some kind of lifetime achievement award here? “Dark Side of the Moon” is iconic. “Distant Sound of Thunder” is wicked. “Wish You Were Here” is fucking awesome. “The Division Bell” is creepy. All other Floyd covers are cool. “Distant Sound of Thunder,” what album is that? “Delicate.” I’m on a lot of painkillers. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/38 "2008-10-06T04:13:29Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > My favorite album cover was [Tijuana Brass “Whipped Cream and Other Delights.”](http://top40.about.com/od/awards/ig/Grammy-Record-of-the-Year/alpert1966.htm) [Not unlike this one.](http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/worst-album-covers/29-1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268/39 "2008-10-06T04:52:10Z")
For best album covers, Honorable mentions (at the least) should go to [The Cars; Candy-O](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Candy-O_-_The_Cars.jpg) [Yes; Fragile](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fragile.jpg) and pretty much all of Roger Dean’s cover art. Emerson, Lake and Palmer; [Brain Salad Surgery](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ELP_-_Brain_Salad_Surgery.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-album-covers/466268.md?page=1)