And the BEST album covers are...

[Zzzptm]

Both of those are awesome ones.

Hipgnosis could be counted on for great covers, sometimes better overall than the record inside, to wit:

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I may rank these later on once I've finished posting, but for now I'll  post these as I come across/remember them:


New Model Army are not reknowned for great covers, often they are simple with no great artistic flair. But there are a couple   that stand out:



... their 3rd album The Ghost of Cain, a prince among leather jackets!


But my favourite cover by them is their 5th album Impurity, I just love the colour and snake image

[Zzzptm]

Another psychedelic cover that I've loved through the years...



Those hungry freaks, daddy...

[Jack the Stripper]

Dio’s behemoth mascot Murray lurking from behind jagged mountains, whipping a long chain and ensnaring a helpless Priest struggling to keep his head above water is one of the most iconic metal album cover illustrations from the 80’s. Artist Randy Berrett absolutely nailed it. One of my all time faves. I’ve still got the poster of this album art that I use to have on my bedroom wall growing up.

[Zzzptm]

I had loads of fun getting headaches looking at all the 3D stuff. I like an album cover with lots of stuff going on, and this is one of those covers.

I also love simplicity and wit:



That Zappa was able to take one of Roger Price's droodles and make it into a song was joy.

[Charger]

Nearly all of the albums Jack has posted are what would be on my best album covers lists too...maybe not all in top 10 but still...

Only I would pick Painkiller over Screming from Priests catalogue and Killing The Dragon or The Last In Line from DIO.

DIO has actually been one of the most consistantly brilliant in cover arts...not a single bad cover in the whole bunch. Sacred Heart is bit cluttered and Angry Machines is bit cartoony but they are still better than 80% of album covers out there.


Savatage is another band that has had a pretty damn impressive cover art catalogue...Streets being the only miss with only featuring a picture of the band...that always seemed little off and cheap and out of ideas to me...it's always like: "Damn man....we don't have a cover art for our album...we should hire someone to make us one, have any ideas? No..damn...well shit...let's just take a picture of ourselves and be done with it"... The easy way out. I've never liked album covers with just the band members pictured...

[Zzzptm]

I agree on Dio and Savatage, they put some effort into covers.

As opposed to, say... The Beatles. I mean, an all-white cover? Really? Thank goodness for the lyrics poster inside, because the album cover gives us NOTHING.

[Jack the Stripper]

I could’ve had any one of 5 Iron Maiden covers(and I just might include another one) but I always found Powerslave one of the more interesting and detailed illustrations Derek Riggs did for Maiden, ingeniously incorporating Eddie into ancient Egypt, further opening up the character and growing his legend. Also, as were a lot of Derek’s Maiden illustrations there’s lots of little hidden messages and cryptic clues to be found which had you studying the cover for hours upon bringing it home for the first time. Back cover is great also.

[Jack the Stripper]

Savatage is another band that has had a pretty damn impressive cover art catalogue...Streets being the only miss with only featuring a picture of the band...that always seemed little off and cheap and out of ideas to me...it's always like: "Damn man....we don't have a cover art for our album...we should hire someone to make us one, have any ideas? No..damn...well shit...let's just take a picture of ourselves and be done with it"... The easy way out. I've never liked album covers with just the band members pictured...

Yep Savatage had lots of great ones, these are my two favourites.

[Zzzptm]

Hands down, Powerslave is one of my favorite covers. SO MUCH going on, from the massive electronic pyramid down to finding "Kilroy was here" in the details.

From the modern era, I offer up Sasquatch's Maneuvers as a cover I love to stare at:

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

For my next choice I'll go with Gillan's Future Shock, a solid album from the early 80s.



The cover is perfectly nice, but what I preferred was the images/paintings which are part of the booklet which came with it (I can't find those images on line sadly).

[Zzzptm]

A tip of the hat to Roger Dean, who did excellent work for Yes, as well as this little band called Uriah Heep...

[Charger]

Powerslave is another stellar one.

Future Shock as well...always liked that space age styling. It's got a strong late 50s vibe to it.

I'll throw in the third Charred Walls Of The Damned album cover here:



It is one of the creepiest covers I've ever seen...

[Charger]

Oh and this great cover just turned 30!!!!!

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

^^^
Well, that's one I'll knock off my list then! Fantastic cover.