These album covers designed by famous artists are some of the most compelling album artworks of all time. These bands and singers didn’t settle for just any look when designing their album covers; they enlisted some of the most famous artists of all time. So check out these album covers designed by famous artists to see how they stack up with more traditional artwork.
1 The Velvet Underground – the Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground & Nico is one of the most well known album covers designed by famous artists. Andy Warhol designed the banana used for the album artwork and it has become an iconic symbol. Even if you’ve never heard of The Velvet Underground, chances are you’ve seen this banana. A select number of albums were released with the banana as a pull off sticker that revealed a peeled banana underneath. Either way, this cover by Andy Warhol is not just one of the greatest album covers designed by a famous artist, it is one of the greatest album covers of all time.
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2 Lady Gaga - ARTPOP
Lady Gaga enlisted Jeff Koons to design the album artwork for her latest album, ARTPOP. The result is an artistic and cultural masterpiece. The background is a collage of two famous works of art: Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s ‘Apollo and Daphne’ and Botticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus.’ A giant statue of Gaga is in the middle, forefront of the collage symbolizing Venus herself. In between her legs, she is holding one of Koons’ classic gazing balls. The album cover represents the transcendence of music. Although this album is new, I have a feeling it will go down as one of the best album covers of all time.
3 Blur – Think Tank
Banksy is one of the most important modern day artists, and Blur enlisted his help for their album Think Tank. Although Banksy typically does not do commercial work, he liked the album (and the pay check) well enough to sketch the album cover for the band. The result is amazing – but what else would expect from Banksy?
4 Jackie Gleason – Lonesome Echo
Although many people know Jackie Gleason as a comedian in the 50s and 60s, he was also a talented musician. His album, Lonesome Echo, topped the charts in 1955. Lonesome Echo was no typical album cover, as Gleason got Salvador Dalí himself to design the cover. The artwork is a beautiful representation of Dalí’s work and fitting for the album itself.
5 The Used – in Love and Death
The Used enlisted Alex Pardee to design the cover for their album, In Love and Death. Pardee might be the least well known artist on the list, but he is one of my favorites. Pardee’s work is unlike any other and has been enlisted to design covers and art for many bands and companies after his work on In Love and Death. In Love and Death remains my favorite album cover of all time.
6 Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper – the Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper
The album artwork for the Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper was designed by famous American painter, Norman Rockwell. The cover features portraits of both Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper in traditional Rockwell style. Enlisting the portrait to be done as a painting gives the album an extra dimension that I love.
7 The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Famous artist, Peter Blake designed the album cover for the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. He was an English pop artist, who is now known mostly for his work on this album cover. He collaborated with Jann Haworth, a soft sculpturist and US pop artist. The result is one of the most well known and praised album covers of all time.
These album covers are truly pieces of art. Each of these covers are iconic for the artwork and talent behind each creation. Can you think of other albums designed by famous artists that didn’t make this list? If so, tell us about them in the comments section.
