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Thereâs something magical about an album cover that instantly grabs your attention, even before you hear a single note.
And while opinions may vary wildly, thereâs one cover that seems to rise above the rest. You know the one. Itâs the perfect blend of mystery, style, and iconic imagery. This cover doesnât just sell music, it tells a story.
What makes it the best?
For starters, itâs instantly recognizable. Even if youâve never listened to the record (though you really should), youâve definitely seen the cover in a friendâs collection, on a T-shirt, or hanging on a dorm room wall. It transcends genre and generation, becoming a visual anthem for music lovers everywhere.
Maybe it's the colors. Maybe it's the attitude. Maybe it's just something you canât quite explain. Whatever it is, this cover has become more than packaging. It's art.
So whether youâre a vinyl collector, a casual Spotify scroller, or just someone who appreciates a good aesthetic, thereâs no denying this record has the greatest cover of all time!
According to a list compiled by RollingStone, the best album cover of all time is Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures, released in 1979.
Here's what RollingStone had to say about the greatest album cover of all time:
"Thereâs an uncanniness to the jagged, unpredictable angles on the cover of Joy Divisionâs debut album, Unknown Pleasures. Is it a mountain range? A graphical representation of brain waves? Why does it look so bleak? The mystery draws you in, and when you put the record on, with its bass-heavy atmospherics and frontman Ian Curtisâ overwhelming angst, the image makes a little more sense."
Check out RollingStone for a continued list of the best album covers ever made, and listen to Joy Division on iHeartRadio.