The very first music ever I ever received as a gift was the self-titled Tiffany album. Kinda lame, I know, but hey, I was 8. Now, decades later, the bubblegum pop music I loved as a pre-teenybopper is forgettable. But I do remember wishing that I had red hair like the singer’s. Yep. The sounds of her singing may have died out, but that soft, airbrushed, gooey sweet cover art remains. To this day it is the first thing I think of when Tiffany’s name pops into conversation (usually during some VH1 remember-when special).
Good cover art is important. It’s how we file away a set of memories that are attached to songs that are attached to albums that, you guessed it, are attached to a singular image on the front sleeve. I went searching for good covers to illustrate this post, and I had to stop and edit myself. There are so many I love. I ended up choosing a few that used photography I admire and a few that really capture the imagination with illustration and art. What about you? What’s your favorite album cover?
- Bands and Design is a great resource blog that shows how artwork and music go hand-in-hand. Highly recommended.
- I want to get my hands on this book. Amazon’s sneak peek has me curious about the stories “behind the sleeves,” so to speak.
