2 cover stories in our archive
Behind the Covers' archive includes 2 album covers documented under the "commercial" design theme, all from the 1980s. These covers sit within the rock, pop tradition and feature work by Peter Gabriel, Bon Jovi. 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.
Peter Saville stripped away all imagery for Gabriel's most commercial album, creating a cover so minimal it consists only of typography on white space. The radical simplicity marked a complete departure from Gabriel's surreal previous covers.
The cover that almost featured a bikini-clad model on a wet slip-and-slide became one of rock's most iconic designs when the band chose bold yellow typography over a mysterious plastic bag instead. The original shoot was deemed too risqué, leading to this instantly recognizable minimalist masterpiece.