Artists express themselves through the cover art of their records and the songs they create. Parma Recordings describes this as a “symbiotic relationship” between the music and artwork.

Album art is no longer as prominent in this day and age of streaming. However, according to Parma art director Ryan Harrison, it still pays to have a cover that grabs attention. 

“Having an awesome-looking cover definitely helps you stand out in a sea of tiny squares.”

That begs the question: “What makes an album cover bad?” British album cover connoisseur Simon Robinson has a simple criterion. As he explained in an interview with Exclaim, it’s “any cover design which sets out to achieve a particular end result — and misses.” 

Robinson used Tony Orlando and Dawn’s 1973 record “Tuneweaving” as an example. The cover featured an embroidered photo of the three band members.

“Any sane record label executive (is there such a thing?) would have swapped it over for the nice photo on the back,” Robinson said of the album art.

Some experts believe the streaming era hurts the music industry and impacts listeners’ appreciation of album art. Syndey-based record dealer Mark Lumley said music fans “lost something” when new technology took over. 

“The digital age has removed the tactile experience of looking at the cover, reading the cover notes, that type of thing,” Lumley told ABC Australia.

However, current-day artists see it differently, especially since vinyl records have returned over the past few years. For award-winning songwriter Kate Lucas (a.k.a. Coda Chroma), creating album art is part of the creative process. 

“You want to have a visual component of that. It is a complete body of work,” Lucas said to ABC Australia, adding that she earns more by selling physical copies of her music.

So, what makes a good album cover? Sometimes, it’s the simplicity of the artwork that may literally encapsulate the music’s spirit. For this, Lumley used AC/DC’s 1975 record “TNT” as an example. 

“It’s an explosive album, and it’s an explosive cover. Perfect,” he said.

Let’s hear from you, readers. Which of these album covers ranks the worst for you? Are there any honorable mentions that should be on this list? Share your thoughts in the comments!