Iconic album covers. What’s your favourite?

Ha ha, have a look, you’ll be surprised how many are covered here too.
But not this one, here goes:

PS, I don’t know this album, i have tried to like Zappa’s Sheik but found it hard going and gave it to my baffled brother…

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Not what I really listen to much anymore, but one of my faves (I took the photograph).

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Hi Stevie, I think what makes an album cover “Iconic” is probably a bit subjective.
What makes a cover Iconic? There are going to be reasons why imagery on a record sleeve is Iconic to someone and maybe completely meaningless to others.
I dont think anyone can prescribe what is or isn’t Iconic.

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I imagine it’s similar to the famous story about how a high court judge described pornography ‘ I can’t give you a strict definition but I know it when I see it’

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Unless I missed it, when referring to iconic, I’m surprised that no one posted Electric Ladyland. Maybe it goes beyond acceptable, even today.

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You’re right. That album cover is iconic, even though Hendrix said he didn’t like it at the time. However, I dislike things being changed, or history erased, just because they don’t fit with current taste or prejudices.

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Hi Dread :kissing_heart:
What makes an icon for me (religious imagery aside, like typical Russian icons of Mary, which tend to be very similar) is that they are so distinctive that people know them, who may well be not record buffs or audiophiles, maybe not down to release dates and tracks etc but a general recognition. So Sgt Pepper is an obvious and worldwide example.

Much as I adore Strange Days, I doubt you’d get much recognition if you polled a supermarket checkout queue… :upside_down_face:

Greetings Stevie, I get your drift but I think if we were to be too rigid in interpretation we will end up with a short lived thread of the usual suspects (Sgt Pepper is a good example) as dictated by self appointed critics and tastemakers.
You mentioned googling, but my take as I said is that “Iconic” can be very personal, I dont need those critics and tastemakers telling me what is or isn’t Iconic.
The covers for example that I have posted are Iconic to me and others who follow that particular genre or in the case of Legalise It also to those who are active and campaign amongst the herb fraternity.
Some subjectively iconic record sleeves imo are those that for some reason connected on a personal level, like they just jumped out at you amongst the racks, just on the basis of the artwork, drawing you to it, opening up your mind, taking you to another place, capturing a zeitgeist, the “wtf is this?”
Dont know if I’m making sense.
Maybe to avoid a thread of non descript sleeves, posters should include comment on what or why a particular sleeve is iconic to them.

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I’m not the most eloquent at conveying in written form what I’m trying to express. Put another way there are many “famous” record sleeves that I’m aware of and instantly recognisable even from music that I dont have or own. Those covers though are not “iconic” to me as they dont ignite or inspire any kind of feelings in me particularly, but many sleeves that are not famous are iconic to me as they spark some feeling, passion or emotion whether or not I like the music within. Isn’t that what art is about

Yes I think that any image of an album cover should be accompanied by text to explain why it’s iconic to that person. I personally like to read other people’s views even though they might not coincide with my own.

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Not obviously known enough to be iconic.
A year 2000 electronica release that was using upbeat nostalgic noises.
Album cover is a grainy rough image that kind of looks like the ashtray glamour and clamour that I loved as a teenager.

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Is that D Diggler as Dirk Diggler in the film Boogie Nights? :grin:

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I am sorry, but I have never been into the punk music. This is quite ironic because when I was a teenager I played a bass guitar in the band…we played punk!
I promise to buy the album then and listen to it asap, I have sevaral albums which I am planning to frame and hang on the wall (well, the album covers) so this one is one of them. The others so far purchased are: ‘The Beatles - Abbey Road’, The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, ‘Rush - Hemspheres’ and ‘Moving Pictures’.

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Yes I have the Stranglers RAven with a 3D cover. I think it was an import. This would be one of my early iconic covers for sure. Another one from the same period was Ultravox Ha Ha Ha.

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image

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Can’t believe this hasn’t appeared previously

Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell

An iconic album cover if ever there was one and a pretty iconic album as well

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I hate that album, probably cause it was thrashed when it was released and I got sick of it. I cringe every time I hear it, I realize it’s a great album otherwise it would not have sold as well as it did.

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image

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My entry in the “I can’t believe this hasn’t happened previously” category. Or did I miss it?

Pink Floyd Ummagumma

Claude

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