They say you can't tell a book by its cover, but the same isn't true for the wild world of rock & roll - many of our most treasured purchases were made on the strength of the cover artwork alone. In the first of what will be a continuing series, we are dissecting the world of music genre by genre to spotlight the absolute best examples of album cover art. This week, it's rock & roll, and our selections run the gamut from slabs of 70s sleaze designed by pop-art superstars to homages to the early days, these eleven albums not only look great, but they helped set the course for cover design for years to come. So unpack your turntable, pop a new needle on, and let's dive into the crates for UGO's Top 11 Rock Album Covers.
The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
In the 60s, the Stones were the poster boys for sexual decadence, with the stick-thin Mick Jagger shaking his narrow ass all over the stage in between bedding most of the era's loveliest women. So when it came time to release Sticky Fingers, their last vinyl of the decade, the band knew that they'd have to push the envelope even further. After a conversation with pop art mastermind Andy Warhol, the striking B&W cover was produced. A waist-down shot of hung Factory hanger-on Joe D'Allesandro, the package (no pun intended) was the first record to ever be released with an actual zipper on the cover. The metal addition was a packaging nightmare, invariably damaging records it was shelved with, but that was part of the point - the Stones stood alone on the racks, causing actual physical damage to those who dared step to them.
Latest Lists in Music
Sponsored Features
