The gift of music has shaped history and captured the culture and life during the time of the album’s influence and the cover is the first impression to listeners. This project has carefully chosen 18 album covers that reflect not only the artist, but how the albums reflect the culture and influence society.
From “The King of Rock & Roll,” Elvis Presley’s first album was released on May 23, 1956. This album contributed to the rise of Rock & Roll and challenged the cultural norms of the 1950’s by showing Elvis singing, playing his guitar, and dancing, which was seen as controversial during this time.
Joni Mitchell’s first photographed album, ‘Blue,’ is tinted this color as the title name with Mitchell pictured singing into a microphone. The album is tinted to reflect the themes of fear, love, loss, self discovery, loneliness, and commentary on the Vietnam War.
The album, ‘Aladdin Sane,’ was a pivotal moment in David Bowie’s life and this was an experimental album in terms of music and style. The image of a portrait of Bowie looking down, focuses on the iconic lighting bolt representing his public persona and struggle with his newfound fame.
Patti Smith’s debut album ‘Horses’ was released in 1975 and was seen as controversial because of Smith’s androgynous appearacne. The black and white portrait of Smith looking into the camera and wear androgynous clothing, reflects the blend of poetry and rock, while exploring the themes of freedom and rebellion.
Cyndi Lauper’s album, ‘She’s So Unusual’ had a large impact on MTV’s peak in 1983, along with reshaping female artists’ individuality and perception in the media. The cover features Lauper in an unusual pose in a prom dress, bold accessories and behind a wax museum was intended to show not only Cyndi’s unique fashion, but also how the album celebrates individuality and independence.
This album by Bruce Springsteen is a commentary on the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the hardship veterans face, and is not the only album about war on this list. The album shows Springsteen’s bottom half rather than a traditional portrait, and was intended to show what the average American would wear, while the flag background was seen as misleading to listeners who believed the album was about patriotism.
‘True Blue’ solidified Madonna as a pop icon with some of her most well known looks. This portrait album first showcased Madonna’s defined iconic style with her own sophisticated twist featuring platinum hair, bold lipstick and heavy eye makeup.
‘Nevermind’ shifted the music industry to the 1990’s with the introduction of grunge and the band Nirvana. The picture of a baby underwater reaching for a dollar bill, was to depict the birth of grunge music to mainstream music and the dollar bill represents greed.
‘Enema of the State’ by Blink-182 brought the band to the spotlight with their new direction of polished pop punk. The portrait of a woman in a nurse outfit, was intended to be provocative and humorous to parallel the bands playful style.
This album solidified Gaga as the new Madonna and showcased her ability to create pop music with a couture twist. Mirroring the theme of the album of showcasing the darker side to fame and fortune, the black and white portrait of Gaga’s eyes looking directly at the camera, is meant to look like a monster.
‘1989’ transitioned Taylor Swift from a country to pop superstar. The polaroid cover with Swift’s face cropped reflects her music reinvention of nostalgia with a 80’s style pop inspired album that won three Grammy’s, including Album of the Year.
Frank Ocean’s album ‘Blond,’ focuses on Ocean’s sexuality and struggle with fame. The photograph shows Ocean in the shower as he cups his hand over his face with lime green, showcasing Ocean’s life of exploring his identity, gender, and struggle with fame.
‘Sweetner’ represents Grande’s healing journey from personal trauma after the Manchester bombing in 2017. The upside down portrait represents how Grande’s world was turned upside down after the bombing and it’s her first album in color to represent the new, colorful chapter of her life.
‘Folklore’ was inspired by stories written by Swift during the pandemic in 2020. The black and white image in the woods, represents isolation during the pandemic and rustic aesthetics aligns with the album’s alternative-indie sound.
Released after his death in 2018, ‘Circles’ is Mac Miller’s six studio album that represents his struggle with addiction and mental health. Miller, who sadly passed away from an overdose, features a blurry image of himself which reflects the album’s themes of introspection, addiction, and his personal journey towards inner peace.
’30’ is Adele’s fourth studio album following the theme of titling her album after the year of her life. The portrait album of Adele looking to the side, represents how the album is about heartbreak as Adele sings about handling her divorce.
SZA’s second studio album ‘SOS ‘focuses on isolation and loneliness and the album covers depicts this. Inspired by the famous Princess Diana image in 1997, SZA is in a similar pose looking towards the sea to convey the albums and Diana feeling of isolation.
Beyoncé’s first country album, ‘Cowboy Carter,’ pays tribute to her roots of Texas by featuring a white horse and Beyoncé in patriotic Western clothing. This is meant to symbolize American identity and the African Americans to Western culture, creating a narrative around authenticity, representation, and power.
