2 album covers in our archive
Queen is featured in Behind the Covers' archive with 2 album covers from the 1970s. Released across EMI Records (UK) / Elektra Records (US) and Elektra Records labels, the artwork sits in the rock tradition. Each cover is documented in our archive with design notes covering graphic design, logo, illustration, pre existing artwork, typographic, science fiction. Below you'll find the full story behind each Queen cover — designers, photographers, label history, and the visual choices that defined the release.
A heraldic crest floats on pure white: two golden lions, a phoenix with outstretched wings, a flaming crab and two fairies guarding a crowned letter Q. It looks like royalty, but every creature on it is a hidden horoscope. Freddie Mercury, art-college trained, drew the band's zodiac into a coat of arms.
A giant robot holds the band members' bloodied bodies in this shocking cover adapted from a 1953 sci-fi magazine illustration. The artist who painted it had no idea it would become one of rock's most disturbing album covers.
