The 50 Greatest Album Covers of All Time

As voted by Planet Rock listeners

Author: Scott ColothanPublished 8th Aug 2023

As part of The Rocks 2023, we asked Planet Rock listeners to have their say on the greatest album cover of all time.

Thousands of listeners voted for their favourite album artwork, and the Top 3 was revealed on air during Wyatt’s special The Rocks 2023 show on 4th August.

Planet Rock can now proudly reveal the full Top 50 featuring some of the greatest rock bands ever and, more importantly, some of the greatest album cover artists in history.

Artists whose seminal sleeves feature include Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Fleetwood Mac, Meat Loaf, Queen, Rainbow, Judas Priest, Eagles, David Bowie, Nirvana, Metallica, The Who, Magnum and Marillion.

The 50 Greatest Album Covers Ever:

50) Motörhead – ‘Overkill’ (1979)

Motörhead's self-titled debut introduced their fearsome mascot Snaggletooth the War-Pig to the world, and two years later artist Joe Petagno gave Snaggletooth a kaleidoscopic makeover for the 'Overkill' sleeve before the beast became a mainstay on most of Motörhead's album sleeves. Despite being loved by Planet Rock listeners, Joe Petagno says the 'Overkill' cover is a "disappointment" as he felt "rushed." He noted: "It should have been multi-layered. It was supposed to have a feeling that there was more to it, there were going to be more bits and pieces. In a way, I kind of did it on the 'Inferno' thing. I sort of took my revenge on the new trinity. In a way."

49) Peter Gabriel – ‘Peter Gabriel’ (1980)

Peter Gabriel's third self-titled solo album is known to many fans as 'Melt', reflecting the artwork which sees the left side of Gabriel's face liquify away. The photo was taken with a Polaroid SX-70 instant camera, and Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis said that Gabriel relished the chance to mutilate his face. "Peter himself joined with us at Hipgnosis in disfiguring himself by manipulating Polaroids as they developed," the late designer noted. "Peter impressed us greatly with his ability to appear in an unflattering way, preferring the theatrical or artistic to the cosmetic."

48) Eagles – ‘Hotel California’ (1976)

One of the best-selling records of all time, the Eagles' ubiquitous 1976 album 'Hotel California' is adorned with a photograph of The Beverley Hills Hotel in California. The timeless image was captured by photographer David Alexander while standing 60 feet above Sunset Boulevard on top of a cherry picker.

47) Jethro Tull – ‘Aqualung’ (1971)

The watercolour painting of a homeless man was created by American artist Burton Silverman. It was loosely based on a photograph taken by Ian Anderson's of a man on Thames Embankment, London. Silverman was paid a $1,500 flat fee for the painting.

46) KISS – ‘Destroyer’ (1976)

The 'Destroyer' cover art was designed by fantasy artist Ken Kelly and it features Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss standing atop some rubble with a destroyed skyline in the backdrop. Ken Kelly later mimicked the sleeve on Manowar's 1987 album 'Fighting the World.'

45) Uriah Heep – ‘Demons and Wizards’ (1972)

Uriah Heep enlisted esteemed Yes artist Roger Dean to create the artwork for their much-loved fourth album 'Demons and Wizards'. Featuring a wizard amidst a fantasy landscape, the artwork sets the tone perfectly for the music contained with the album.

44) Rush – ‘Moving Pictures’ (1981)

Created by long-time Rush collaborator Hugh Syme, the artwork to Rush's 1981 magnum opus 'Moving Pictures' is a very literal translation of the album title. A triple entendre, it features workers moving pictures, then the paintings themselves depict emotional – or moving – scenes, and finally the back sleeve has a film crew making a motion picture of proceedings. The sleeve was photographed outside the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park, Toronto.

43) Megadeth - ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’ (1986)

Esteemed graphic artist Ed Repka, who has created artwork for dozens of artists, regards 'Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?' as one of the landmark moments in his creative career. Repka painted Megadeth's mascot Vic Rattlehead standing outside an obliterated United Nations Headquarters while clutching a 'For Sale' sign in his skeletal fingers.

42) David Bowie – ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ (1973)

The artwork to David Bowie's rock n' roll tour-de-force 'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars' depicts Bowie as Ziggy at 23 Heddon Street in London, outside the home of furriers "K. West". The photograph was taken by Brian Ward in monochrome and recoloured by Terry Pastor.

41) Judas Priest – ‘British Steel’ (1980)

Polish artist Roslaw Szaybo, who also designed Judas Priest's logo and their sleeve for 'Stained Class', created the iconic 'British Steel' artwork of a hand clutching a large razorblade made from British steel. A truly timeless heavy metal image. Guitarist KK Downing remarked decades later: "As soon as we saw it, we thought: 'This is as sharp-edged as we are.' It's so totally fitting. Obviously, we're aware of the symbolism behind the image. It was a popular razor blade manufacturer, and something we'd seen around since we were so high, hanging around our granddads. It just seemed so very British."

40) Led Zeppelin – ‘Led Zeppelin’ (1969)

The cover to Led Zeppelin's eponymous debut album features a black-and-white image of the Hindenburg disaster, which occurred on 6th May 1937 in Manchester Township, New Jersey and killed 36 people. Graphic designer George Hardie created the cover illustration from the iconic photograph taken by Sam Shere by rendering it in ink using a radiograph pen. Jimmy Page later said of the sleeve: "It's a dramatic incident, it's a dramatic album, it's a dramatic statement."

39) Queen – ‘News of the World’ (1977)

Queen enlisted American sci-fi artist Frank Kelly Freas for the artwork to their sixth studio album 'News of the World'. The band asked him to recreate the cover image he made for the October 1953 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, which featured a giant robot holding a dead man's body in his hand. For 'News of the World', the man was replaced by all four members of Queen – Freddie Mercury and Brian May are in the droid's hand, while John Deacon and Roger Taylor are falling to the ground.

38) The Clash – ‘London Calling’ (1979)

The Clash's 'London Calling' album cover features a black-and-white Pennie Smith photograph of bassist Paul Simonon smashing his Fender Precision Bass at the Palladium in New York City. The design was created by Ray Lowry, and with its pink and green lettering and black-and-white photo, it pays direct homage to Elvis Presley's self-titled debut album from 23 years earlier.

37) Iron Maiden – ‘Killers’ (1981)

In keeping with the murderous album title, on Iron Maiden's second album, 'Killers', the band's beloved mascot Eddie is holding a blood-smeared axe as his unfortunate victim claws at his chest. The block of flats in the background is based on where artist Derek Riggs was living at the time.

36) Metallica – ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)

The concept for the sleeve to Metallica's thrash metal opus was devised by Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, Kirk Hammett and their manager Peter Mensch, and it was brought to life by artist Don Brautigam. The seminal image features a cemetery field of white crosses tethered to strings that are being held by a puppeteer's hands in a clouded, blood-red sky, with a fiery orange glow on the horizon.

35) Emerson, Lake & Palmer - 'Tarkus' (1971)

A defining image of the progressive rock movement, Emerson, Lake & Palmer's gloriously bonkers 'Tarkus' sleeve depicts a gun wielding part armadillo / part tank hybrid called Tarkus as it roams a pastoral landscape. Created by British artist William Neal, the inside of the gatefold sleeve presents the events of the title track 'Tarkus', from his birth as an egg heated by an erupting volcano through to his battle with a manticore.

34) Yes – ‘Relayer’ (1974)

Such is his revered status, Yes' 'Relayer' is one of a number of Roger Dean artworks on this Top 50 list. Dean lists 'Relayer' as one of his favourite sleeves he has created for Yes, saying: "Relayer I would say was my masterpiece of drawing, a pencil drawing with thin, barely perceptible, watercolour washes, then ink drawing in the foreground. So that's a highpoint of my draughtsmanship, if you like." It depicts a gothic cave with knights on horseback riding in the distance and huge serpents ominously slithering in the foreground.

33) Cream – ‘Disraeli Gears’ (1967)

Australian artist Martin Sharp wanted to reflect what he perceived as the "warm fluorescent sound" of Cream's music when designing the 'Disraeli Gears' sleeve so he came up with a psychedelic collage featuring birds, flowers and goddesses. The photograph of Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton at the top was taken by Robert Whitaker who is best known for capturing the "butcher cover" to The Beatles' sole US-only album 'Yesterday and Today.'

32) Hawkwind – ‘Space Ritual’ (1973)

One of the finest live albums of all time (it even made Planet Rock's 50 Greatest Albums list) 'Space Ritual' is also adorned with one of the finest album covers in rock music. Designed by Barney Bubbles, it features a psychedelic six panel foldout sleeve that centres on a mythical rendering of band member Miss Stacia.

31) Emerson, Lake & Palmer – ‘Brain Salad Surgery’ (1973)

The warped brainchild of H. R. Giger, ELP's 'Brain Salad Surgery' showcases the late Swiss designer's biomechanical art, which fuses human forms with machines. The woman beneath the skull - who you can fully see on the inside sleeve - was modelled on Giger's then partner Li Tobler. The cover originally had a full phallus on it, however it was switched for a less visible airbrushed one at the record label's request. Six years after the release of 'Brain Salad Surgery', Giger shot to global fame when he worked on the aesthetics for Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien.

30) Fleetwood Mac – ‘Rumours’ (1977)

The 'Rumours' cover features a black-and-white photograph of Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks, taken by photographer Herbert Worthington, against a cream-coloured backdrop. The stylised shot features Nicks in her 'Rhiannon' stage persona, while Fleetwood is in a vintage outfit complete with two dangling balls hanging from a chain. It's an image that's instantly synonymous with Fleetwood Mac.

29) Magnum - ‘On a Storyteller's Night’ (1985)

The sublime fantasy artwork on Magnum's breakthrough album 'On a Storyteller's Night' is by the band's long-time collaborator, Rodney Matthews. Based on a sketch by Magnum guitarist Tony Clarkin, it depicts the interior of a tavern that takes inspiration from Matthews' former local boozer The George in Norton St. Philip, and it even features a rendering of Matthews' pet dog Patch under the table. Matthews says 'On a Storyteller's Night' is "a favourite of mine and one of my best known images."

28) Van Halen – ‘1984’ (1984)

Created by graphic artist Margo Nahas, Van Halen originally wanted a cover featuring four women dancing but the idea was abandoned. Instead, Nahas brought her portfolio to the band and they picked the painting of the smoking putto, which was based on a photograph she took of her best friend's toddler Carter Helm holding a candy cigarette.

27) Marillion – ‘Script for a Jester’s Tear’ (1983)

Marillion frontman Fish gave artist Mark Wilkinson the brief of portraying 'a down at heel writer and his surroundings', and he created this visually detailed and striking sleeve of a dejected Jester. Wilkinson told Prog Magazine in 2015: "Everyone loved the final cover. The band, the label, the management. People have been very kind about it over the years, and I know fans believe it to be an important part of the band's history. Oh, and Paul McCartney was said to have been impressed. But I am still waiting for the call to work on one of his covers."

26) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Appetite for Destruction’ (1987)

Axl Rose's friend Billy White Jr. designed the iconic Celtic cross tattoo on the cover of Guns N' Roses' debut album 'Appetite for Destruction', with another artist named Andy Engel making some refinements to the final design. It was originally used on the inside sleeve of 'Appetite for Destruction' with Robert Williams' controversial painting of a robotic sex offender who is about to be punished by a metal avenger on the front. When several retailers refused to stock 'Appetite for Destruction', Geffen records got cold feet and switched the front artwork to White Jr.'s design.

25) The Who – ‘Who’s Next’ (1971)

Parodying the monolith in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, 'Who's Next' features an Ethan Russell photograph of a giant concrete slab wedged into a slag heap in Easington Colliery, County Durham. The four members of The Who – Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon and John Entwistle – are walking away from the ominous monolith having seemingly urinated on it.

24) Led Zeppelin – ‘Physical Graffiti’ (1975)

Abandoning their usual gatefold design, for 'Physical Graffiti' Led Zeppelin opted for a die-cut cover of two side-by-side tenement buildings located at 96 and 98 St. Mark's Place in New York's East Village. 'Physical Graffiti' has two inner sleeves – one for each LP – and a middle insert cover featuring images that can be seen through the die cut windows; essentially creating different visuals for the cover depending on which way the sleeves are inserted.

23) Yes – ‘Tales from Topographic Oceans’ (1973)

Long-standing Yes artist Roger Dean designed the 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' gatefold sleeve, which depicts a magical otherworldly landscape at dawn with a Mayan temple on the horizon and the sun rising behind it. Another aesthetically stunning image from Roger Dean for the progressive rock overlords.

22) Pink Floyd – ‘Wish You Were Here’ (1975)

The two businessmen shaking hands on the iconic artwork to Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' were stuntmen Ronnie Rondell and Danny Rogers. The photograph was taken by Aubrey "Po" Powell of Hipgnosis at The Burbank Studios in California. Decades before the advent of CGI, one of the stuntmen had to be set on fire wearing a flame-retardant suit and Rondell drew the proverbial short straw.

21) Queen – ‘Queen II’ (1974)

Drawing direct inspiration from a famous image of Marlene Dietrich in 1932 movie Shanghai Express, the Queen II artwork features Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon standing in diamond formation against a stark black backdrop. Photographer Mick Rock created the image which would later be brought to life in the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' video.

20) Supertramp – ‘Breakfast in America’ (1979)

The highly comic sleeve for Supertramp's sixth album was designed by Mike Doud and Mick Haggerty, and it resembles the view Manhattan through a plane window. Hilariously, actress Kate Murtagh, dressed as a waitress named "Libby" from a diner, plays the part of The Statue of Liberty, while the buildings in the background features various items of breakfast food, packing, cutlery and condiments.

19) Rush – ‘Permanent Waves’ (1980)

The apocalyptic scene that forms the backdrop of the cover to Rush's seventh album 'Permanent Waves' was taken by the late photographer Flip Schulke of the Galveston Seawall in Texas during Hurricane Carla on in 1961. Somewhat juxtaposing this is the woman in 1950s attire in the foreground who is smiling and unaffected by the horrific devastation behind her. The woman in question is Canadian model Paula Turnbull – who was very famous in Europe at the time - and the photo was taken by British photographer Fin Costello.

18) Pantera – ‘Vulgar Display of Power’ (1992)

Echoing the furiously brutal music, Pantera's metal masterpiece 'Vulgar Display of Power' features a Brad Guice photograph of a man (a hired model named Sean Cross) being punched in the face. The record label wanted the a boxing glove on the sleeve, however Pantera pushed for a bare fist for maximum impact.

17) Nirvana – ‘Nevermind’ (1991)

Arguably one of the most famous babies in the world, Spencer Elden was just four months old in 1991 when his parents' friend, photographer Kirk Weddle, shot an image of him submerged in a swimming pool seemingly chasing a dollar bill on a fishhook for Nirvana's 'Nevermind' sleeve. Elden's parents were paid $7,500 for the shoot with his father helping out with the lighting. After recreating the sleeve several times in photoshoots, In August 2021, Spencer Elden launched legal action against Nirvana accusing them of child sexual exploitation and violating federal child pornography statutes. His much-maligned case was dismissed.

16) The Beatles – ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ (1967)

Pop artists Peter Blake and Jann Haworth designed the album cover for The Beatles's eighth studio album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. The oft parodied sleeve features a colourful collage featuring The Beatles in costume as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in front of cardboard cut-outs of numerous famous faces including Bob Dylan, Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Oscar Wilde, Dylan Thomas, Albert Einstein and many more. The Rolling Stones even get a mention on the sweater of the doll, which is emblazoned with the words "Welcome The Rolling Stones".

15) Mike Oldfield – ‘Tubular Bells’ (1973)

Seemingly inspired by Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte's series of paintings of floating items, the 'Tubular Bells' sleeve was created by designer and photographer Trevor Key, and it features gargantuan floating bells above crashing waves on a beach. Virgin Records boss Richard Branson wanted an image of a boiled egg with blood dripping from it, however Oldfield wisely snubbed the idea. The rest, they say, is history.

14) Iron Maiden – ‘The Number of the Beast’ (1982)

The artwork for 'The Number of the Beast' was originally meant to be used on the 'Purgatory' single cover eight months earlier, however Iron Maiden were so overawed that they asked artist Derek Riggs to hold it back for their next album. It centres on an image of the band's mascot Eddie holding Satan like a puppet and Satan clutching an even smaller Eddie, and it was all too predictably condemned by staunch Christians in America.

13) David Bowie – ‘Aladdin Sane’ (1973)

Captured by British photographer Brian Duffy at his north London studio, the truly iconic 'Aladdin Sane' sleeve features a shirtless and alien-like Bowie with red hair and a red-and-blue lightning bolt across his face. A single teardrop rolls down his collarbone. The artwork has been dubbed "the Mona Lisa of album covers" by critic Mick McCann and it remains one of the enduring images of Bowie.

12) The Rolling Stones – ‘Sticky Fingers’ (1971)

In keeping with the highly suggestive album title, The Rolling Stones' 1971 album 'Sticky Fingers' is adorned with a controversial close-up image of the bulging crotch of an anonymous male figure. The idea for the album sleeves was conceived by legendary artist Andy Warhol, however there was an air of mystery about the identity of the model with some speculating that it could be fashion designer Jed Johnson or even Mick Jagger. However, actor and Warhol superstar Joe Dallesandro claims that it was himself.

11) Led Zeppelin – ‘Houses of the Holy’ (1973)

The otherworldly cover image on Led Zeppelin's fifth studio album is a collage of several photographs taken at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland by Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis fame. The artwork was inspired by Arthur C. Clarke's 1953 science fiction book Childhood's End, and the two children on the cover were siblings Stefan and Samantha Gates. In parts of America, the album was issued with a strip of paper around the cover to obscure the children's bottoms. Powell later remarked to Rolling Stone: "When you look at the Louvre's paintings, it's full of naked children. Nobody complains about that. So this is a piece of art. It's not something that was, in any way, devious."

10) Dio – ‘Holy Diver’ (1983)

Dio's mascot Murray took centre stage in Randy Berrett's illustration for 'Holy Diver.' It depicts the gargantuan devilish figure of Murray emerging from a hellish Mordor-esque landscape as he whips a Catholic priest with a chain. Undoubtedly one of the defining images of the heavy metal genre.

9) Wishbone Ash – ‘Argus’ (1972)

In keeping with some of the medieval themes on the record, Wishbone Ash's 'Argus' sleeve depicts a helmet-wearing warrior overlooking a landscape at the Gorges du Verdon in Provence, France. Designed by the late-great Storm Thorgerson, the identity of the person wearing the military regalia has never been revealed, adding to its enigmatic aura. Some claim the mysterious figure inspired the aesthetics of Darth Vader in the first Star Wars movie five years later.

8) King Crimson – ‘In the Court of the Crimson King’ (1969)

23-year-old computer programmer Barry Godber, a friend of King Crimson co-founder and lyricist Peter Sinfield, painted the striking image of Schizoid Man for the sleeve to 'In the Court of the Crimson King'. Godber based the image on his own face, which he viewed through a mirror while painting. Godber tragically died of a heart attack in February 1970 just four months after the album's release, and it was the only album cover he created in his all-too-short lifetime.

7) Black Sabbath – ‘Black Sabbath’ (1970)

The highly eerie cover for Black Sabbath's eponymous debut album in 1970 was shot at the 15th Century Mapledurham Watermill, located on the banks of the River Thames in Oxfordshire. Having previously used his distinctive false-colour effect on Colosseum's 'Valentyne Suite' in 1969, designer Marcus Keef utilised the same technique to startling effect to create an unsettling atmosphere. Central to the sleeve is the ghostly, enigmatic woman in black, who is seeming referenced in the opening lines of the title track and opening song on the record: "What is this that stands before me? / Figure in black which points at me."

6) Deep Purple – ‘Deep Purple In Rock’ (1970)

The 'Deep Purple in Rock' album cover was the idea of the band's manager Tony Edwards, who suggested placing the US Presidents' heads on Mount Rushmore with the heads of the Mark II line-up; Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice. Created by London design agency Nesbit, Phipps & Froome, the resulting cover is easily one of the most iconic sleeves in rock history.

5) Meat Loaf – ‘Bat Out of Hell’ (1977)

Illustrated by Richard Corben, the iconic cover to Meat Loaf's blockbuster debut album 'Bat Out of Hell' features a long-haired creature riding a motorcycle out of the ground of a graveyard. The backdrop features tombstones and a large bat straddling atop a mausoleum. A gloriously over-the-top album cover that complements Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman's brilliantly bombastic music perfectly.

4) Iron Maiden – ‘Powerslave’ (1984)

The brainchild of Derek Riggs, Iron Maiden's 'Powerslave' album has visually complex Egyptian-themed artwork. Riggs hid many humorous references for fans poring over the artwork including Mickey Mouse's face, the graffiti 'Indiana Jones was here 1941', the swear words 'Bollocks', and the sentences 'wot a load of crap' and 'Wot? No Guinness?'. Truly one of the best album covers ever.

3) Iron Maiden – ‘Somewhere in Time’ (1986)

Once again the creation of fabled Iron Maiden artist Derek Riggs, the 'Somewhere in Time' sleeve features a cyborg Eddie the Head holding a gun in a futuristic Blade Runner-esque cityscape. Upping the ante from 'Powerslave' two years earlier, the 'Somewhere in Time' artwork features dozens of references to Iron Maiden's history across its wraparound gatefold sleeve.

2) Pink Floyd – ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ (1973)

Designed by Hipgnosis and George Hardie, Pink Floyd's 'The Dark Side of the Moon' artwork depicts light refracting from a triangular dispersive prism and it's based on an image Storm Thorgerson saw in a 1963 physics textbook. Hipgnosis presented four designs to Pink Floyd, and they were unanimous in their decision. "There were no arguments," Roger Waters remarked decades later. "We all pointed to the prism and said 'That's the one'."

1) Rainbow – ‘Rising’ (1976)

Esteemed American fantasy artist Ken Kelly, who sadly passed away in 2022, created the visually striking painting on Rainbow's seminal second album 'Rising'. It depicts a hand emerging from the clouds and clutching a rainbow amidst an atmospheric mountainous backdrop. Kelly also designed sleeves for KISS, Ace Frehley, Manowar and Coheed & Cambria during his illustrious career.

Feature: The Rocks winners 2023

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