5 cover stories in our archive
Behind the Covers' archive includes 5 album covers documented under the "mysterious" design theme, spanning the 1960s, 1980s, 1990s. These covers sit within the rock, blues, alternative, indie tradition and feature work by Cream, Sonic Youth, Bon Jovi, The Smiths 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.
Cream's debut album features one of rock's most enigmatic covers - a stark black and white photograph of three mysterious figures that perfectly captured the band's dark, blues-heavy sound before anyone knew what a supergroup looked like.
Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation features a detail from Gerhard Richter's 1983 painting "Kerze" (Candle), cropped so tightly that most viewers don't realize they're looking at a candle flame. The band discovered the German artist's photorealistic painting in a book and used it without permission, creating one of alternative rock's most enigmatic 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.
Morrissey hand-picked a haunting 1960s photograph of actor Shelagh Delaney for this compilation cover, continuing his obsession with forgotten British cultural figures. The stark black and white portrait became one of The Smiths' most enigmatic sleeves.
Pearl Jam's debut album cover features a mysterious abstract image that's actually an extreme close-up photograph of pool balls. The band wanted something that didn't scream 'grunge' and found their answer in photographer Lance Mercer's experimental macro work.