9 cover stories in our archive
Behind the Covers' archive includes 9 album covers documented under the "colorful" design theme, spanning the 1960s, 1980s, 2000s, 2010s. These covers sit within the electronic, indie, pop, rock, alternative, hip-hop tradition and feature work by Panda Bear, The Rolling Stones, Tame Impala, Chance the Rapper and others. 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.
Panda Bear's psychedelic masterpiece features a self-designed cover inspired by his move to Lisbon, with swirling patterns and vibrant colors that perfectly capture the album's hypnotic sound collages.
The Rolling Stones' psychedelic masterpiece featured the first 3D lenticular cover in rock history, created by fashion photographer Michael Cooper. The elaborate shoot took place in a rented studio with elaborate costumes, flowers, and optical effects that cost a fortune.
Australian designer Leif Podhajsky created this kaleidoscopic masterpiece by digitally manipulating a simple photograph of trees into a swirling vortex that perfectly captures the album's psychedelic introspection.
A hand-drawn children's book cover that broke industry rules by helping an independent mixtape win three Grammy Awards. Designer Brandon Breaux created crayon-style artwork that perfectly captured Chance's gospel-influenced sound and Chicago roots.
Jimi Hendrix's double album sparked international controversy with its provocative cover featuring 19 nude women photographed by David Montgomery. The image was so scandalous that many countries banned it, forcing alternative covers to be created for different markets.
Patrick Nagel's striking illustration of model Marielle Gomar became one of the 1980s most recognizable album covers, featuring bold geometric shapes and vivid colors that perfectly captured MTV's new aesthetic. The artwork was created as an illustration, not a photograph, using Nagel's signature airbrush technique.
Takashi Murakami's anime-inspired dropout bear illustration launched one of hip-hop's most iconic visual collaborations, transforming Kanye's college trilogy into fine art that bridged streetwear culture with contemporary gallery scenes.
Kanye West's collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami created one of hip-hop's most colorful covers, featuring the iconic Dropout Bear soaring over a psychedelic landscape that merged street culture with high art gallery aesthetics.
Robert Beatty's abstract image of swirling liquid in vivid colors visualizes the album's theme of overwhelming change — something solid becoming liquid, a form dissolving and reforming as something new. Not chaos, but metamorphosis.