Behind the Covers

“theatrical”

4 cover stories in our archive

Behind the Covers' archive includes 4 album covers documented under the "theatrical" design theme, spanning the 1970s, 1990s. These covers sit within the alternative, rock, metal, pop tradition and feature work by The Smashing Pumpkins, Meat Loaf, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie. 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.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins — album cover art

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins (1995)

Billy Corgan commissioned artist Yelena Yemchuk to create a Victorian-era tableau featuring two mysterious figures in elaborate period dress. The resulting photograph became one of the most hauntingly beautiful album covers of the 1990s, perfectly capturing the band's ambitious double album's themes of melancholy and grandeur.

Label
Virgin Records
Designer
Billy Corgan
Photographer
Yelena Yemchuk
Genre
Alternative, Rock
Decade
1990s
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Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf — album cover art

Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf (1977)

Fantasy comic artist Richard Corben painted this hellish motorcycle scene after record executives rejected dozens of concepts. The underground comics legend created one of rock's most theatrical covers for an album that sat unreleased for two years.

Label
Cleveland International Records
Designer
Richard Corben
Genre
Rock, Metal
Decade
1970s
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Rumours by Fleetwood Mac — album cover art

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (1977)

The theatrical cover photo of Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks — him holding a crystal ball, her in flowing chiffon — masks the emotional chaos behind the scenes, where every romantic relationship in the band was simultaneously falling apart.

Label
Warner Bros.
Photographer
Herbert Worthington III
Genre
Rock, Pop
Decade
1970s
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The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie — album cover art

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie (1972)

Shot on a rainy London night outside K. West furriers shop, this iconic image almost never happened - the original concept was completely different. Photographer Brian Ward captured Bowie in his full Ziggy regalia under moody street lighting, creating one of rock's most atmospheric covers.

Label
RCA Records
Designer
Terry Pastor
Photographer
Brian Ward
Genre
Rock
Decade
1970s
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