2 cover stories in our archive
Behind the Covers' archive includes 2 album covers documented under the "blue" design theme, spanning the 1980s, 1990s. These covers sit within the rock, alternative tradition and feature work by Dire Straits, Weezer. Each entry below includes the cover artwork, the designers and photographers behind it, and a short story about the visual choices that defined the release.
The stark, minimal cover for Dire Straits' biggest album features just the band name and title in simple white text against a deep blue background. This stripped-down approach perfectly matched the album's sophisticated, contemplative mood and became iconic through sheer restraint.
Four ordinary-looking guys standing against a flat blue background with no rock star posturing — the anti-cool, anti-glamour presentation was radical in early-1990s alternative rock and became a template for nerd identity in music.