If you are fascinated by design and wish to transcend boundaries with your creative ideas, Pearl Academy is the place to be. Revisit your favorite album cover and see what new you can uncover! But there is no denying that the design surrounding the music gives a direction to our feelings taking the audio-visual journey to another level. Music may be the ultimate tipping point in deciding whether the album is good or not. Another notable spellbinding cover is of Wish You Were Here(1975) by Pink Floyd portrays the dangers of two-faced emotions in a cinematic way and Titanic Rising(2019) symbolizing a subconscious realm of sentiment and nostalgia. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club(1967) by The Beatles pays homage to their inspirations while at the same time mixes high and low culture and challenges feelings of unity. From satirical take on political issues to personal anecdotes, covers provide a challenge for listeners to decode musical quintessence before diving deep into it. The purpose of a good album cover is to relay the message behind it in the most engaging way. Musical legend, Prince gives us a background into his bold yet sensual personality through the album cover of Purple Rain (1984). In Janelle Monáe’s Dirty Computer (2018) she portrays herself as extravagant with a clashing contrast of warm and cool colors. It may be through eccentric makeup looks, unique camera angles or unconventional costume designs. Some covers solely focus on how the artist wants to define themselves. The iconic image in Nevermind by Nirvana of a baby chasing a dollar underwater does exactly that! With genres like rock and punk, artists get to indulge more in abstract art with surrealist concepts focussing on generating intrigue amongst listeners. On another hand, R&B brings out the dramatic energy through portraits of musicians like Michael Jackson in Thriller (1982). Hip-Hop albums like To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) and Madvillainy (2004) are often in blacks, whites and grays while Jazz albums are monochromatic with a vintage aesthetic. This is because covers perfectly capture the essence of the time and era it was created in. You can take one look at the art on the cover and define the music genre. Currents by Tame Impala(2015) showcases a turbulent flow with use of distorted lines, electric pinks, purples and silver reflecting the psychedelic vibes of his music. The kaleidoscopic cover of Watch the Throne(2011) uses motifs and gold embossings that exhibit grandeur and opulence reflected in the music. Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher(2020) and Lorde’s Melodrama (2017) are great examples of a soul-stirring color-scheme where the former feels apocalyptic and the latter is melancholic. Some covers play around with elements of design such as appealing color palettes, unusual typography, implied textures and use of space to evoke any kind of emotion a musician wants their audience to feel. A secret to a remarkable album cover is the ability to encapsulate what music feels into one image. Whatever your answer might be, one thing is clear. It may be Andy Warhol’s artwork of a peelable banana for The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967), The classic picture of The Beatles walking down the street for Abbey Road (1969) or the simple yet unforgettable visual of a prism diffraction against a black backdrop in Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd (1973). What comes to your mind when you think of iconic album covers? Other labels and artists were soon to jump on the bandwagon. However, music is a space where an artist can experiment limitlessly with various media to create the perfect visual companion for a listener’s musical journey.Įssentially meant to serve the utilitarian purpose of protecting a record, album covers became a form of artwork in 1983 when a music label, Columbia Records hired their first art director, Alex Steinweiss to conceptualize and design album covers. While record stores and vinyls may be a thing of the past, music album covers remain relevant in an age of online streaming and downloads.Ĭovers have always been a crucial element to any form of media whether it be books, movies or games. You come across an artwork that immediately catches your eye and immerses you in a different universe before you have even started listening to the music. Imagine this – you’re walking through the valleys of a grunge record store, flipping through music albums to decide which one you’ll be taking home.
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