FAVORITE ALBUM COVER ART

Selected by Friends of the Phonograph

There are thousands of album covers that could be displayed. The following are favorite album covers selected by Friends of the Phonograph (in some cases with referenced personal explanations for their selection).

 

Album Title Illustrator / Artist / Record Label Artist/Group Selected By
Let it Bleed Designed by Robert Brownjohn; cake baked by Delia Smith, Decca ©1969 Rolling Stones FOTP Editor (1)
Justin Carroll - Illustration / Art Direction: Dianne Marie Kaylan / Capricorn Records, Inc. ©1979 Compilation album Doug Boilesen (2)
Déjà vu Gary Burden - Art Direction and Design / Atlantic Recording Corporation, ©1970 - Presswell Press; Gold imprinted on a textured, faux-leather gatefold cover. "Old timey" looking photograph of the band is pasted on front cover. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Kaj Keister
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Art work: Madame Tussauds, Assemblage; Jann Haworth, Assemblage, Set Designer, Sleeve; Marijke Koger, Design, Artwork; Simon Posthuma, Design, Artwork; Peter Blake, Painting, Artwork; Michael Cooper, Photography. ©Parlophone 1967

The Beatles Voted #1 All Time Greatest Album Cover by Rolling Stone readers, June 15, 2011. See NPR's "Why The 'Sgt. Pepper's' Cover Art Matters As Much As The Music.
Sky Blue Sky Illustrated by Nathaniel Murphy, ©2007 Nonesuch Records Wilco Nick Jester (3)
Abraxas Art work: Mati Klarwein; Columbia Records ©1970. The art originates from the 1961 painting "Annunciation" by Klarwein (4). Santana Greg Henry
Blood ©2015 Warner Bros. Records - Warner Music UK Ltd. Lianne La Havas Richard Bissell
Nevermind Art Direction/Design by Robert Fisher ©1991 DGC Records Nirvana Ryan Jester
Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet Art Direction/Design by Mike Doud; Artwork by Cindy Marsh ©1982 RCA Victor Rick Springfield Laura Jester
Hejira Cover design by Joni Mitchell, Art Direction: Keith Williamson ©1976 Asylum Records - "The portrait of Mitchell on the front cover was taken by Norman Seeff and the other photographs were taken by Joel Bernstein at Lake Mendota, in Madison, Wisconsin, after an ice storm." - Wikipedia (Gatefold photograph also inside album of Mitchell skating on Lake Mendota) Joni Mitchell Bev Jester

 

See PhonoBook's Album Covers for books with comprehensive looks at the best cover art of their generation along with those dedicated to specific LP themed cover art (e.g., automobiles, country music, etc.).

 

 

 

 











 

Sky Blue Sky by Wilco



 

 

 



 

 

 





 

 



 

Favorite Songs - Friends of the Phonograph

 

 

 

Rank Song Title Artist/Group Selected By
1
 Silent Sunlight Cat Stevens Doug Boilesen
2
 ("What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding Elvis Costello Doug Boilesen
3
 Imagine John Lennon Doug Boilesen
4
 Beyond the Blue Emmylou Harris & Patty Griffin Doug Boilesen
5
 Before Barbed Wire George Winston Doug Boilesen
6
 Across the Universe The Beatles Doug Boilesen
7
 Hope has a Place Enya Doug Boilesen
8
 A Widow's Toast Neko Case Doug Boilesen
9
 What a Wonderful World Louis Armstrong Doug Boilesen
10
 Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78, R.176:3. Maestoso-Allegro Saint-Saëns Doug Boilesen
11
 Message in a Bottle The Police Doug Boilesen (1)
1
 God Only Knows The Beach Boys Nick Jester
2
 Let’s Go Crazy Prince Nick Jester
3
 Strawberry Fields Forever The Beatles Nick Jester
4
 As Stevie Wonder Nick Jester
5
 Maybe I’m Amazed Paul McCartney Nick Jester
1
 Knights in White Satin Moody Blues Larry Wilcox
2
 Unchained Melody Righteous Brothers Larry Wilcox
3
 Smooth Operator Sade Larry Wilcox
4
 Satisfaction Rolling Stones Larry Wilcox
5
 Gimme Some Lovin' The Spencer David Group Larry Wilcox

 

 

 

 

Penelope (wife of Ulysses) stained glass window, Edison's Glenmont home, West Orange, NJ



Mr. Edison in the music room at Orange, NJ Laboratory selecting songs to potentially be recorded, 1922

 



Phonographia