7 Most Iconic Rock Album Covers of All Time

Updated:

January 19, 2024 11:31 am

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Sometimes, album artwork makes as much of an impact as the music itself. That rings true for the seven rock album covers below. Some make a statement, while others are just undeniably cool. From the Beatles to Prince, take a look at some of rock music’s most iconic album covers.

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1. The Beatles – Abbey Road

The famous image of the four Beatles – Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison – walking on the crosswalk is a simple, yet iconic shot that made the cover of Abbey Road. The group literally stopped traffic to take the photo outside of EMI Studios on Abbey Road in London. Photographer Iain Macmillan had 10 minutes to take the shot while a police officer halted traffic on the street. The cover is also famous for not bearing the title or name of the band and is one of the most memorable album covers of all time.

2. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon

Despite not having any of the band members on the cover of the album, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is easily one of the most iconic album covers ever. The picture of a triangle with the light spectrum running through the center of it was inspired by a photo that designer Storm Thorgerson saw in an old textbook of a beam of white light coming through a prism. Thorgerson combined that with an illustration by Alex Steinweiss for a performance by the New York Philharmonic in the 1940s – and the rest is history.

3. Nirvana – Nevermind

Nirvana caused quite a stir when they released their sophomore album, Nevermind, with a picture of a naked baby on the cover. The baby is seen floating underwater, reaching for a dollar bill attached to a fishing line. The concept was conceived by frontman Kurt Cobain after seeing a show about water births. Art director Robert Fisher tasked photographer Kirk Weddle with taking photos at a swimming class for babies. “It’s such a great concept: a baby underwater, naked, defenseless, can’t breathe, but still going after the dollar on a fishhook,” Weddle told The Guardian.

4. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin offered fans a dose of history with the cover art for their self-titled 1969 album. The cover displays a picture of the Hindenburg disaster when the airship crashed in New Jersey in 1937, claiming the lives of 36 people. The band chose a photo of the Hindenburg bursting into flames, with guitarist Jimmy Page hand selecting the famous black and white photo that actually connects to the band’s name – a “zeppelin” is a German airship.

5. Prince – Purple Rain

Purple Rain is easily one of the most iconic rock albums of all time. Dressed head to toe in a purple suit, Prince casts a dramatic stare at the camera as he sits posed on a motorcycle with smoke pouring all around him. The photo is matted on top of a floral graphic. The iconic photo was shot on the Warner Brothers backlot in Los Angeles and made to look like a New York City scene. The album served as the soundtrack to the film of the same name. It’s largely regarded as one of the best albums of all time.

6. Jimi Hendrix – Axis: Bold As Love

The cover of Jimi Hendrix’s 1967 album, Axis: Bold as Love, is nothing short of eye-catching. Bursting with color, the cover depicts Hendrix and the members of his band as Hindu figures. It’s the kind of image that plays mind games, as it appears the singer has multiple arms. Despite the intriguing imagery, Hendrix was not a fan of the cover. “The three of us have nothing to do with what’s on the Axis cover,” he said, according to Johnny Black’s 1999 book, Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Experience.

7. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is arguably one of the most elegant album covers in rock music history. The image shows Mick Fleetwood holding Stevie Nicks’s hand as she strikes a majestic pose. It’s like they’re dancing a delicate ballet. What makes it particularly interesting is that Fleetwood is donning a pair of wooden balls while Nicks holds a miniature disco ball in her hand. Rumours topped the Billboard 200 and is one of their most revered albums.