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What would an album be without its cover? The visual representation of the music contained within it plays a vital role in setting the tone for the project.

It's hard to determine what pictures are suitable for the task. Some might get chosen because they're visually captivating and evoke strong emotions, while others can seem intriguing for their artistic merit and storytelling.

There's definitely no one-size-fits-all formula. However, the Facebook page 'Images That Could Be Album Covers' is on a mission to collect a wide variety of examples that could be slapped onto your next favorite platinum record, and it's doing quite a good job if you ask me!

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    The history of album cover art can be traced back to the early days of music recording when albums had simple and straightforward designs.

    As the music industry grew and evolved, so did its look, and, in turn, the covers. The 1960s and '70s saw the emergence of album cover art as a separate field, with artists and designers pushing the boundaries of creativity and experimentation.

    A prime example of this is The Dark Side of the Moon. March of 2023 marked 50 years since the release of Pink Floyd's eighth studio album. It beamed the band into super stardom with platinum-selling singles such as Money and The Great Gig in the Sky.

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    Typifying Pink Floyd's mix of philosophical lyricism and spaced-out rock sound, the project sits comfortably in the top 50 best-selling albums of all time, and is frequently called one of the greatest albums of all time by popular music magazines such as Rolling Stone and NME.

    #5

    Album Cover For: Best Friend

    Album Cover For: Best Friend

    Images That Could Be Album Covers Report

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    dannyboy avatar
    Danny Boy
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I bought a new house last year, and I'm only just now starting to get to know the raccoons who come around. They stop by every night for dry corn-on-the-cob feed and black oil sunflower seeds, and I sit on the Adirondack chair, rock some ganj and chitter to them. One of these days, I just know one of them is going to come up to me after the others leave and say, "Dude, you do realize that other than insulting my cousin's wife, you're pretty much just speaking gibberish when you chitter at us, right?"

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    "The iconic album cover, produced by Storm Thorgerson’s legendary design agency Hipgnosis, is a seminal reference point in pop culture and modern art," Ph.D. Candidate in Text and Image Studies at the University of Glasgow Christopher Vezza wrote.

    "Unsurprisingly, it makes for a popular band t-shirt design and figures consistently and prominently on 'best album cover' lists."

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    #10

    All Tracks Lead To Me

    All Tracks Lead To Me

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    nytronytemare97 avatar
    TonyTee
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Something about this picture speaks to me, I really like it and I too could see this being an album cover, the album cover to the sequel to Eminem’s Recovery album

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    "The image of the enigmatic prism reflecting beams of light into deep space parallels the band's complex sound world and their lyrical interplay between science and mysticism," Vezza explained.

    "There are several interpretations of the cover art's meaning. Some fans have suggested that it works as a metaphor for personal and psychological darkness, while others maintain that the prism in particular represents intellectual thought and ambition."

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    The image of a prism reflecting a rainbow of light delivered on Pink Floyd's request for a bold and dramatic design.

    Additionally, Thorgerson claims that the artwork served as an homage to the impressive light show that had become an integral part of Pink Floyd's live performances.

    #18

    Flower Child

    Flower Child

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    tjleso99 avatar
    Headless Horseman
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    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I saw a pair of hightop converse that have this weird green carpet-y cover that would be perfect for this

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    In the 1980s and '90s, things became more commercialized, with artists and labels placing greater emphasis on the marketability of a cover.

    In the digital age, the front page has taken on a new significance as it is often the only visual representation of an album that consumers will see, so artists and designers are becoming increasingly innovative in their approaches, with many using digital tools to create unique and visually stunning designs.

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    #19

    Images That Could Be Album Covers Report

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    dannyboy avatar
    Danny Boy
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This fills me with more dread than I would have thought... I wonder if there's some sort of primal reason for that. Or maybe I just had a bad experience with dandelions when I was little.

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    #22

    High Class Moms

    High Class Moms

    Images That Could Be Album Covers Report

    From a marketing perspective, the cover can be highly influential in creating an appetite for new music. With the right design approach, tracks and albums can, in a way, come to life before people even get to listen to them.

    And it's really evident scrolling through 'Images That Could Be Album Covers.' I bet you even thought of a music genre (or maybe even a certain name) that these would fit.

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    #31

    Barely

    Barely

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    dannyboy avatar
    Danny Boy
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    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember around 30 years ago, when there were some disgusting sociopaths hitting gravestones in cemeteries around the city. I think they ended up destroying 40+ before they finally caught them. Three boys who were 16 and 17. They got my Grandpa George. Yeah, good one, guys. Real funny. Almost as funny as when they tried you little boys as adults, even though your testicles had obviously never dropped...

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    #35

    Images That Could Be Album Covers Report

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    dannyboy avatar
    Danny Boy
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When abuela starts throwing her sandals... take 'em and run, 'cause abuela can't run that fast barefoot. Ha!

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    #38

    Date Night

    Date Night

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    TonyTee
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Abe, if I’m the one being honest here… Run for your life

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    #40

    Images That Could Be Album Covers Report

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    david2074 avatar
    David
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is so irresponsible to let toddlers drift without helmet / leathers.

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    #43

    Barbie - Openheimer

    Barbie - Openheimer

    Images That Could Be Album Covers Report

    #47

    Images That Could Be Album Covers Report

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    dannyboy avatar
    Danny Boy
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Questions, questions... Do you think of the various possibilities, a sweatshop worker's cry of existential angst? **shudder**

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    #50

    Crazy Corner

    Crazy Corner

    Images That Could Be Album Covers Report

    Note: this post originally had 144 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.