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.
Animals by Pink Floyd (1977)
Animals is the tenth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd. The cover, as so often with this band without any information, is a by now iconic photograph (by Howard Bartrop) of the London Battersea Power Station, with an image of a pig-shaped balloon superimposed. For the interesting full story of the photoshoots, see Wikipedia.
Even in the Quietest Moments... by Supertramp (1977)
Even in the Quietest Moments... is the fifth album by the English rock band Supertramp. The cover is a photograph by Bob Seidemann, using an actual grand piano was brought to a Mountain Resort , left overnight and photographed after a fresh snow. The sheet music on the piano, though titled "Fool's Overture", is actually "The Star-Spangled Banner".
Deceptive Bends by 10cc (1977)
Deceptive Bends is the fifth studio album by British rock band 10cc. The cover design was provided by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis, representing a play on words with the album's title. A lot of work went into it, as documented in this link.
Bat out of hell by Meat Loaf (1978)
Bat Out of Hell is the 1977 debut album by American rock singer Meat Loaf. Composer Jim Steinman. is credited with the album cover concept, which was illustrated by Richard Corben. An abolute kicon, this cover often features in best album covers lists.
"Heroes" by David Bowie (1977)
"Heroes" is the 12th studio album by English musician David Bowie. Many iof his albums feature stunning covers, and this is one of the best. The cover photo was taken by Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita.
Out of the blue by Electric Light Orchestra (1977)
Out of the Blue is the seventh studio album by the British rock group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). The large spaceship on the album's cover was designed by Kosh with art by Shusei Nagaoka. It was based on the logo Kosh designed for ELO's previous album, A New World Record, and looks like the space station with a docking shuttle from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
Rockpommel's Land by Grobschnitt (1977)
Rockpommel's Land is the fourth studio album by German Progressive Rock band Grobschnitt - it is generally viewed as their best albums and one of the best to come from the German prog scene. The stunning cover is credited to Heinz Dofflein, based on paintings by Volker Kahrs.
Before and After Science by Brian Eno (1977)
Before and After Science is the fifth studio album by British musician Brian Eno (and my personal favourite in his discography). The beautiful black and white cover art is credited to Cream, based on a photograph by Ritva Saarikko.
The Kick Inside by Kate Bush (1978)
The Kick Inside is the debut studio album by English art rock singer Kate Bush. The album is a stunning artistic statement for a 19 years old newcomer, and so is the album cover. There have been releases with different covers, but this is the original (and most frequently used) one. The cover is credited to Splash Studio, based on a photograph by Jay Myrdal.
Équinoxe by Jean-Michel Jarre (1978)
Équinoxe (English: Equinox) is the fourth studio album by French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre. The cover art is based on a painting by Michel Granger. Fun fact (well I think it's fun): we used the album cover as decoration on our downstairs toilet.
The War of the Worlds by Jeff Wayne (1978)
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds (to use the official full title) is a studio double album by American-born British musician, composer, and record producer Jeff Wayne, a musical adaptation of the science-fiction novel The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. The album art is stunning, from the cover (best seen in the complete sleeve, front and back) to the inside illustrations. John Pasche designed the logo on the front cover, and directed the overall design of the record's sleeve which features paintings from three artists: Geoff Taylor, Mike Trim, and Peter Goodfellow.
More Songs about buildings and Food by Talking Heads (1978)
More Songs About Buildings and Food is the second studio album by American rock band Talking Heads. The front cover of the album, conceived by Byrne and executed by artist Jimmy De Sana, is a photo-mosaic of the band comprising 529 close-up Polaroid photographs.
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