With a name like Pixies, you might expect sweet, innocent looking cover art. This cover art photo is organized confusion that might make would-be listeners curious about the music. Bright colors and an abstract image are combined to create something visually stunning. Iron and Wine - The Shepherd’s Dog (2007) Haunting eyes peek out from beyond a mass of golden words that serve as hair.Ī little bit of everything was thrown into this odd but intriguing cover art. Someone might pick up this CD just to try to figure out what is going on with the cover.īold slpashes of gold and red are used on this cd cover, which features a clever typography image. Who doesn’t love flying fish? This cover art is confusing without being annoying. This ELO cover art is classic and unforgettable.

The street-art feel of this cover art is both comical and slightly unsettling.Įlectric Light Orchestra - Out Of The Blue (1977) King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969) One of many brilliant cover art designs for Tool, this one is also a stunning optical illusion. Vintage-looking and abstract, this beautiful coverart begs for an explaination. Neutral Milk Hotel - The Aeroplane Over The Sea (1998) What look to be dollish little men have lost their heads, and perhaps some sales opportunities as well. This gruesome cover is meant to be humorous, but may err on the side of bizarre.

Osaka Popstar - Rock’em O-Sock’em Live! (2008) This strange cover seems to be showing a mirrored world, where we sit and watch a window, surrounded by televisions. For the purposes of this cross-section of remarkable and obscure cd cover art we have chosen to ignore the musical genius of the albums in favor of showcasing brilliant cover art. While we may love the familiar cover art of some classic favourites because we love the bands and the music, a critical look at the cover art can often be a disappointment.

It must be noted that a collection of this nature is never complete, and the value of art is very personal and subjective. Mainstream marketing is rarely this attractive, and the wide variety of beautiful CD cover art makes browsing CDs an enjoyable experience that reaches far beyond the music. Captivating or iconic cover art can make a band instantly recognizable, which increases sales, which in turn boosts airplay and subsequently demand for the music. This type of cover art can make a big difference when a little-known band releases an album. The CD cover art designs and concepts featured in this showcase present dramatic, quirky, unusual or unique artwork. The most striking designs are those that capture both a buyer’s attention and the essense of the music. Thankfully, others are much more creative and work to create a cover image that reflects the mood, attitude or feel of the music it promotes. Some CD covers feature heavily edited and airbrushed vanity photos of the musicians or recording artists. The creation of CD cover art is an intergral part of this process. While recording artists and bands are busy recording their albums, a separate effort is usually being made behind the scenes to plan for the launch, promotion and circulation of the new tracks.

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