3 album covers in our archive
The Beatles is featured in Behind the Covers' archive with 3 album covers from the 1960s. Released across Parlophone, Apple Records and Parlophone / Capitol labels, the artwork sits in the rock, pop tradition. Each cover is documented in our archive with design notes covering illustration, collage, psychedelic, hand drawn, iconic, surreal. Below you'll find the full story behind each The Beatles cover — designers, photographers, label history, and the visual choices that defined the release.
Klaus Voormann's revolutionary black-and-white collage combines pen-and-ink drawings with photographs, using the Beatles' flowing hair to create a psychedelic masterpiece that won the first Grammy Award for rock album artwork in 1967.
Four men, one zebra crossing, traffic held by a hired policeman, and one of the most copied photographs in pop. The Abbey Road cover carries no title and no band name, a decision that triggered a furious midnight phone call from EMI's chairman.
The concept was born from Paul McCartney's idea that the Beatles would become an entirely fictional band. The cover depicts the band in colorful satin military uniforms standing in front of a crowd of life-size cardboard cutouts of famous figures.
