Rules for Picking This List:
- Album or song from album must be saved on my Spotify account
- Album cover design must not be an extreme close up like focusing on eyes or mouth
- Album cover design must have enough face visibility so no upper body shots, full body shots, profile shots
- Album cover design must feature only one face
Blank Banshee by Blank Banshee
Album Cover Artwork by Blank Banshee
The cover art I picked is the art used on Spotify but there’s a different version used on his Bandcamp page. This is a vaporwave classic and essentially invented vaportrap. That’s Lara Croft’s face. I also enjoy how the album title uses 0 (zero) to denote the debut album.
Forever Young by Alphaville
Album Cover Artwork by Ulf Meyer Zu Küingdorf
I Get Wet by Andrew W.K.
Album Cover Artwork by Roe Ethridge
Truly a “Party Hard” expression. Andrew W.K. claims he hit himself in the face with a brick but didn’t bleed enough so he used a water bottle full of pig’s blood to achieve the effect for the cover art. Yikes.
Richard D. James Album by Aphex Twin
Album Cover Artwork by Aphex Twin
Richard D. James is Aphex Twin’s real name and he made the cover art himself using Photoshop. He has also hidden his face inside songs before which is uncovered by a spectrogram.
Sea Change by Beck
Album Cover Artwork by Multiple Artists (Listed Below)
Broken-hearted Beck. Also had four cover art versions.
Artwork credits:
- Autumn de Wilde – cover photo(s)
- Jeremy Blake – artwork
- Kevin Reagan, Beck – art direction, design
- Ekaterina Kenney – creative director
Cobra Juicy by Black Moth Super Rainbow
Album Cover Artwork by Tobacco
Tobacco sold this design as Ugly Orange Full-Head latex masks. I helped fund this album when it was on Kickstarter with my measly college-era $1. It was exciting because this was a “return” album for BMSR. Tobacco likes obscuring his own face in promo images.
Because The Internet by Childish Gambino
Album Cover Photography by Autumn de Wilde
That’s the kind of mug that yawns, “I’m more talented than you and I will own music and television.” Actual cover art is a GIF and the physical version uses lenticular printing to get the animation.
Matangi by M.I.A.
Album Cover Photography by Daniel Sannwald
Moon – EP by M|O|O|N
Album Cover Artwork by Multiple Artists (Listed Below)
Art Credit: Photo by Drew Swantak, edited by Madison McKenna.
Discovered by playing Hotline Miami 2 which is an addicting game with a pulsating soundtrack.
Illmatic by Nas
Album Cover Artwork by Aimee Macauley
Classic cover art for a classic album. Does the classic album make it classic cover art or does the classic cover art make it a classic album? Maybe they work in tandem? Started the trend of rappers using photos of themselves as babies on covers (see Biggie, Lil Wayne, Drake). Wikipedia has a whole section about the album artwork.
McCartney II (Special Edition) by Paul McCartney
Album Cover Artwork by Multiple Artists (Listed Below)
Not sure who designed this but AllMusic has the following credits:
- Rebecca Church – Art Research, Photo Research
- Richard Miller – Art Research, Photo Research
- Claudia Schmid – Art Coordinator, Photo Coordination
- Catherine Shepherd – Art Research, Photo Research
Fatherfucker by Peaches
Album Cover Artwork by Walter Schonauer
Don’t fear the bearded lady.
Mondo Sex Head by Rob Zombie
Album Cover Artwork by Rob Zombie
I’ve used a cat as the cover design for a book so I feel I’m in very extended company with Mr. Zombie.
Ross Ross Ross by Sebastian
Album Cover Artwork by So-Me
So French. When is he releasing new music?
Rap Money by Shirt
Album Cover Artwork by Shirt?
Recess by Skrillex
Album Cover Artwork by RØBØTØ
Actor by St. Vincent
Album Cover Artwork by Annabel Mehran
The Seer by Swans
Album Cover Artwork by Simon Henwood
To Be Kind by Swans
Album Cover Artwork by Bob Biggs
Paper Trail by T.I.
Album Cover Artwork by Bill Orcutt and Ian Wright
The only face on this list of album cover art made through collage. Live Your Life samples the song featured in one of the OG YouTube viral videos.
Fucked Up Friends by Tobacco
Album Cover Artwork by Tobacco
The only face split in half. Looks like a broken VHS tape visual. Very in line with Tobacco’s aesthetic.
Luck by Tom Vek
Album Cover Artwork by ???
Melted by Ty Segall
Album Cover Artwork by William Keihn
Reminds me of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Ty Segall sounds like he strung up a chainsaw as a guitar to play.
Music from The Comedy, A Film by Rick Alverson by Various Artists
Album Cover Artwork by Emily Kaplan?
You’ll Cowards Don’t Even Smoke Crack by Viper
Album Cover Artwork by Viper?
Viper out Lil B’d Lil B in 2014 when he released 347 albums. This cover art is a total meme but it fits with his DIY aesthetic. I legitimately enjoy some of the cloudy beats on this thing.
Tyler Fugazzie 
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