The 10 best album covers ever

By: Andrew

As dads we’re totally out of touch with what’s happening these days in popular culture. But ask us about the past and we’ll wax lyrical. Just check out our list of the greatest dad rock and pop songs – not one of them is from the last few years…or even decades. One of the things we used to do in the old days was listen to music on vinyl, tape and CD. This wasn’t actually that much different to how music is consumed these days, except there was one element that was all-important: the album cover.

Here’s our homage to some of our favs. They’re the 10 best album covers ever – at least according to us.

10. Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction

Yes, it’s not the original cover, which was banned. But it’s still an eye-catching classic.

9. Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street

Handwritten titles and Americana collage. Lovely.

8. Nirvana – Bleach

Nice and simple. It looks like what it sounds like.

7. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures

A plot of the radio emissions given out by a pulsar, which is a “rotating neutron star”, which is…we’re not sure, but it looks cool.

6. Galaxie 500 – On Fire

A cover that looks like how the album sounds: kind of trippy.

5. Beat Happening – Dreamy

OK, so it’s another arty, out-of-focus band photo. But the formula works. Just one look and you know these three are going to make an interesting bit of noise together.

4. The Beat – Special Beat Service

Intriguing concept cover by the band also known as the ‘English Beat’. I had more to say on the subject, but I’ll save it till later (hope you see what I did there).

3. Oasis – Definitely Maybe

Definitely top three – no maybes about it. Another one of those images that looks just like the music. Kudos to the photographer.

2. Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Strangely enticing art backed up by weirdly powerful music.

1. Pixies – Doolittle

Our winner & officially the best album cover of all time – according to Dads of the World. 🥳 All sorts of graphic design goodness from the era combined with a monkey (gone to heaven).