Rock
152 cover stories
From psychedelic gatefolds to punk's DIY zines, rock album covers have been the proving ground for some of the most ambitious visual art of the past sixty years. Hipgnosis, Storm Thorgerson, and Peter Saville redefined what a record sleeve could be.
All Rock album covers
Lover
Taylor Swift · 2019
Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Lana Del Rey · 2019
Blackstar
David Bowie · 2016
Currents
Tame Impala · 2015
AM
Arctic Monkeys · 2013
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem · 2007
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire · 2007
In Rainbows
Radiohead · 2007
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys · 2006
Silent Alarm
Bloc Party · 2005
American Idiot
Green Day · 2004
Hot Fuss
The Killers · 2004
Funeral
Arcade Fire · 2004
Fever to Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs · 2003
Elephant
The White Stripes · 2003
A Rush of Blood to the Head
Coldplay · 2002
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips · 2002
Turn on the Bright Lights
Interpol · 2002
Amnesiac
Radiohead · 2001
Is This It
The Strokes · 2001
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes · 2001
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park · 2000
Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
PJ Harvey · 2000
The Moon & Antarctica
Modest Mouse · 2000
Kid A
Radiohead · 2000
Relationship of Command
At the Drive-In · 2000
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers · 1999
The Battle of Los Angeles
Rage Against the Machine · 1999
Ágætis byrjun
Sigur Rós · 1999
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Neutral Milk Hotel · 1998
OK Computer
Radiohead · 1997
(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Oasis · 1995
The Bends
Radiohead · 1995
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins · 1995
Nirvana: MTV Unplugged in New York
Nirvana · 1994
Vitalogy
Pearl Jam · 1994
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Pavement · 1994
Definitely Maybe
Oasis · 1994
Grace
Jeff Buckley · 1994
Weezer
Weezer · 1994
Vs.
Pearl Jam · 1993
In Utero
Nirvana · 1993
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine · 1992
Achtung Baby
U2 · 1991
Badmotorfinger
Soundgarden · 1991
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine · 1991
Ten
Pearl Jam · 1991
Spiderland
Slint · 1991
Metallica
Metallica · 1991
Goo
Sonic Youth · 1990
Disintegration
The Cure · 1989
Doolittle
Pixies · 1989
Surfer Rosa
Pixies · 1988
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth · 1988
Hysteria
Def Leppard · 1987
Sign o' the Times
Prince · 1987
Appetite for Destruction
Guns N' Roses · 1987
The Joshua Tree
U2 · 1987
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C. · 1986
Skylarking
XTC · 1986
So
Peter Gabriel · 1986
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi · 1986
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths · 1986
Brothers in Arms
Dire Straits · 1985
Hatful of Hollow
The Smiths · 1984
Stop Making Sense
Talking Heads · 1984
Born in the U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen · 1984
Purple Rain
Prince · 1984
Faster Than the Speed of Night
Bonnie Tyler · 1983
Synchronicity
The Police · 1983
Rio
Duran Duran · 1982
Ace of Spades
Motörhead · 1980
Back in Black
AC/DC · 1980
Remain in Light
Talking Heads · 1980
Damn the Torpedoes
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers · 1979
The Wall
Pink Floyd · 1979
Fear of Music
Talking Heads · 1979
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division · 1979
Some Girls
The Rolling Stones · 1978
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen · 1978
One Nation Under a Groove
Funkadelic · 1978
Parallel Lines
Blondie · 1978
Animals
Pink Floyd · 1977
"Heroes"
David Bowie · 1977
Bat Out of Hell
Meat Loaf · 1977
Low
David Bowie · 1977
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols · 1977
News of the World
Queen · 1977
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac · 1977
Hotel California
Eagles · 1976
Night Moves
Bob Seger · 1976
Boston
Boston · 1976
2112
Rush · 1976
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Elton John · 1975
Born to Run
Bruce Springsteen · 1975
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin · 1975
A Night at the Opera
Queen · 1975
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd · 1975
Horses
Patti Smith · 1975
Diamond Dogs
David Bowie · 1974
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Bruce Springsteen · 1973
Houses of the Holy
Led Zeppelin · 1973
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney & Wings · 1973
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John · 1973
Piano Man
Billy Joel · 1973
Brain Salad Surgery
Emerson, Lake & Palmer · 1973
Raw Power
Iggy and the Stooges · 1973
The Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd · 1973
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie · 1973
The Slider
T. Rex · 1972
Transformer
Lou Reed · 1972
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie · 1972
Tapestry
Carole King · 1971
Who's Next
The Who · 1971
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson · 1971
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic · 1971
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones · 1971
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin · 1971
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival · 1970
Abraxas
Santana · 1970
Paranoid
Black Sabbath · 1970
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones · 1969
Tommy
The Who · 1969
The Band
The Band · 1969
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin · 1969
Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart · 1969
In the Court of the Crimson King
King Crimson · 1969
Stand!
Sly and the Family Stone · 1969
Abbey Road
The Beatles · 1969
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones · 1968
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes · 1968
We're Only in It for the Money
The Mothers of Invention · 1968
Music from Big Pink
The Band · 1968
Electric Ladyland
The Jimi Hendrix Experience · 1968
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother and the Holding Company · 1968
Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces · 1968
Axis: Bold as Love
The Jimi Hendrix Experience · 1967
Their Satanic Majesties Request
The Rolling Stones · 1967
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Pink Floyd · 1967
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane · 1967
Disraeli Gears
Cream · 1967
Strange Days
The Doors · 1967
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles · 1967
Are You Experienced
The Jimi Hendrix Experience · 1967
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground · 1967
Fresh Cream
Cream · 1966
Revolver
The Beatles · 1966
Blonde on Blonde
Bob Dylan · 1966
Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley · 1958
After School Session
Chuck Berry · 1957
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard · 1957
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley · 1956
Frequently asked questions
- What defines Rock album cover art?
- From psychedelic gatefolds to punk's DIY zines, rock album covers have been the proving ground for some of the most ambitious visual art of the past sixty years. Hipgnosis, Storm Thorgerson, and Peter Saville redefined what a record sleeve could be.
- What are some of the most iconic Rock album covers?
- Notable covers featured on Behind the Covers include Lover by Taylor Swift, Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey, Blackstar by David Bowie, Currents by Tame Impala, and AM by Arctic Monkeys.
- How many Rock album covers does Behind the Covers feature?
- Behind the Covers features 152 Rock cover stories spanning 1956–2019, with cover art by designers including Jonathan Barnbrook, Robert Beatty, and Matthew Cooper.