Over the past 5-6 decades, album covers have become more and more artistic, to the point where the best of them deserve a place in this blog. They featured prominently in the past, and of course they will be present in the new set-up. I have gone for a grouping per years of release (covering 2-3 years per post). I will try not to include the most famous album covers (like Sergeant Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon, Nevermind), but focus on more obscure but very good examples. Also the aim is no duplication of acts within one post. These posts are meant to be illustrative only, not necessarily my personal top twelve for the time period. The image above is created via Photofunia and is free from copyright issues.
Siren by Roxy Music (1975)
Siren is the fifth album by English rock band Roxy Music. From Wikipedia: The cover features band member Bryan Ferry's then-girlfriend, model Jerry Hall, on rocks near South Stack, Anglesey. Graham Hughes, working during August 1975, took the cover photo directly below the central span of the bridge on a south-side slope. He worked from sketches produced by Antony Price, with photography featuring Hall striking various poses. The idea for the location was Bryan Ferry's, after he saw a TV documentary about lava flows and rock formations in Anglesey, in which South Stack was heavily featured.
A Night at the Opera by Queen (1975)
A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock band Queen, their major breakthrough thanks to the single Bohemian Rhapsody. The cover artwork is simple but effective: it features the band's logo, which was designed by Freddie Mercury, on a white background. The band's next album, A Day at the Races, featured a similar design but on a black background, and could also have made the list.
Another Green World by Eno (1975)
Another Green World is the third studio album by English musician Brian Eno (credited simply as "Eno"). The album marked a transition from the rock-based music of Eno's previous releases toward the minimalist instrumentals of his late '70s ambient work. The cover art is a detail of a painting (After Raphael) by Tom Phillips.
Si On Avait Besoin d'une Cinquième Saison by Harmonium (1975)
Si On Avait Besoin d'une Cinquième Saison (If We Needed a Fifth Season), also known as Les Cinq Saisons (The Five Seasons), is the second studio album by French-Canadian progressive rock band Harmonium. For me it is one of the most beautiful prog albums outside the English speaking countries. The cover is high class as well - even better in the original gatefold for the vinyl version. The album credits list Yves Ladouceur for Art Direction, which presumable includes the cover design.
Radio-Activity by Kraftwerk (1975)
Radio-Activity (German title: Radio-Aktivität) is the fifth studio album by German electronic band Kraftwerk. On both languages the title is a pun, enhanced by the split of the original album, with one side being about radioactivity and the other side about activity on the radio. The artwork for the album is credited to Emil Schult.
Hasten Down the Wind by Linda Ronstadt (1976)
Hasten Down the Wind is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Linda Ronstadt. It became her third straight million-selling album - the first female artist to accomplish this feat. The iconic cover is one of the sexiest of the decade. It was shot by Ethan Russell, who recalls: "We were shooting on the beach outside some music producer’s house in Malibu Colony. Shooting away and nothing was happening. The light was fading and the horse just appeared."
Firefall by Firefall (1976)
Firefall is the self-titled debut from American country rock band Firefall. I don't think I have ever heard any of their music(although it includes a USA top ten hit), but the cover has always appealed to me. Ralph Wernli was responsible for the cover art.
How Dare You! by 10CC (1976)
How Dare You! is the fourth album by British band 10cc - the last by the original line-up of Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. And of course it features the single Art for Art's Sake. The cover was made by the famous Hipgnosis creative team, in particular Storm Thorgerson. As many songs of the album were about connections, and one specifically about telephones, the idea came up to do a classic split screen set-up just like telephone conversations are shown in movies.
Pollen by Pollen (1976)
Pollen is the debut studio album by French-Canadian progressive rock band Pollen. They are even less famous outside progressive rock circles than their compatriots Harmonium which we encountered a bit higher in this post, but like them they combined great music with a great album cover. The art work is credited to Jacques Lamarche.
Moonmadness by Camel (1976)
Moonmadness is the fourth studio album by English progressive rock band Camel. It is part of a series of great albums with great covers, and arguably this one scores highest on both aspects. The original cover design is by John Field.
I/You by Brian Protheroe (1976)
I/You is the third studio album of English musician and actor Brian Protheroe. He did not have much impact as a musician, neither on the charts (except for a small hit in the UK in 1974 with Pinball), nor with the critics. Personally I have loved this album since its release. The cover is obviously inspired by the works of Rene Magritte, and I find it surprising that I have not been able to find any information about the designer, not even in the CD booklet.
Year Of The Cat by Al Stewart (1976)
Year of the Cat is the seventh studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician Al Stewart. The album, produced by Alan Parsons, is the commercial and artistic highlight of his career, a collection of wonderfully arranged story songs, with outstanding lyrics. The cover is excellent as well - it was designed by Colin Elgie of Hipgnosis.
Copyright statement: posting lower quality album covers is deemed fair use.
