Recommendations of the Editorial team
The best album cover of all time (74): Blur – “Parklife”
The album is undoubtedly the best invention of the last century. But the music is not the whole story. The album cover has been a cultural obsession for as long as there are albums. Since the 12-inch vinyl plates came onto the market in cardboard covers in the 1950s, musicians and fans have been fascinated by the art that can be seen on the cover. When the Beatles revolutionized the game with the cover of “Sgt. Pepper” in 1967, it became a way to give a visual statement about it. Where the music comes from and why it is important. But the art of the album cover continues to develop.
That’s why we celebrate this art. The 100 best album cover ever. From Biggie to Beyoncé to Bad Bunny. Nirvana to NAS to Neil Young. Sza to Sabbath to the sex Pistols. We have rap, country, jazz, prog, metal, reggae, flamenco, funk, gothic, hippie psychedelia and hardcore punk. But all of these albums have a unique look that fits their sound. The most unforgettable cover become part of the music. How many Pink Floyd fans broke their heads when the prism was on the cover of “Dark Side of the Moon” after they rolled up their smoky products?
What makes an album cover a classic?
What makes an album cover a classic? Sometimes it is a portrait of the artist. Think of the Beatles when crossing the street. Or to Carole King in Laurel Canyon with her cat. Others opt for iconic, half abstract pictures. Like Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis or My Bloody Valentine. Some artists show where they come from. Like Rem who represent the south with Kudzu. Or Ol ‘Dirty Bastard, who welcomes the Brooklyn Zoo with his food brand card.
Many of these cover come from legendary photographers, designers and artists. Like Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, Storm Thorgerson, Raymond Pettibon and Peter Saville. Some have a cosmic symbolism that the fans have to decipher. Others rely on Starpower. But they are all classic pictures that have become an important part of music history. And they all show why the love of the world will not end.
The best album cover of all time (74): Blur – “Parklife”
The designers Rob O’Connor and Chris Thompson were inspired on the streets of London when they designed the cover for the album “Parklife”, which was to shape Blur’s era in 1994.
The best album cover of all time (74): Blur – “Parklife”
When they searched for sports-related ideas in the shop window of a betting shop, they found a concept that had a say: We concentrated on the greyhounds, “said Blur guitarist Graham Coxon to the Brit-Pop chronist Dylan Jones in” Faster Than A Cannonball “from 2022,” because they had an aggressiveness that we liked. Selected.
The image of the frenzied dogs underlines the hunger of the best Brit pop and takes off Blur from her more glamorous colleagues.