February 25, 2009

Jonathan Jones’s favourite album covers

Jonathan Jones finds it difficult not to be seduced into buying albums with great cover art. Here are some of his favourites

Album covers: Fleet Foxes — The Fleet Foxes album, which uses a detail from Bruegel the Elder's masterpiece Netherlandish Proverbs Photograph: Public Domain

Album covers: Animals by Pink Floyd — Storm Thorgerson's cover design for Animals by Pink Floyd is often hailed as the best ever. Famously, the inflatable pig broke free of its moorings on the second day of the photoshoot Photograph: Public Domain

Album covers: Joy Division's Closer — Joy Division's Closer was released two months after the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. The sleeve was designed by Martyn Atkins and Peter Saville. The photograph, by Bernard Pierre Wolff, shows the Appiani family tomb in Genoa Photograph: Public Domain

Album covers: Pink Floyd's The Wall — The design for Pink Floyd's The Wall was the unmistakable creation of Gerald Scarfe Photograph: Public Domain

Album covers: Strange Days by the Doors — After Jim Morrisson refused to appear on the cover of Strange Days, the Doors' second album, photographer Joel Brodsky decided on a circus theme. Finding the performers proved a difficult task Photograph: Public Domain

Album covers: The Dark Side of the Moon — Hipgnosis and George Hardie's design for the cover of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon is a regular in lists of the greatest album covers of all time Photograph: Martin Godwin/Guardian

Album covers: The Velvet Underground & Nico — Andy Warhol's iconic banana for the Velvet Underground & Nico's debut album originally took the form of a sticker which, when peeled away, revealed a flesh-coloured fruit beneath Photograph: Public Domain

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