What makes a great CD cover?

When choosing our areas to research into products I chose to research CD covers. I'm a big fan of album cover artwork. Even though it is an audio book we wish to create it would be foolish to ignore the artwork of the music industry.

Cover artwork for albums have been amongst some of the most celebrated artwork of the last century but what makes a great album cover? Sometimes the imagery can be the embodiment of the CD's content on the other hand it can be completely irrelevant to it. It may even hold no meaning in itself at all. Yet does it need to? How about just an eye-catching image? I believe this it the fundamental purpose of a CD sleeve, to grab the consumer’s attention. Whether its by by an intricate and beautifully composed image or a really abstract piece of artwork.

Here are a selection of album covers I believe are great in terms of there design. All from various years and in numerous styles from different genres of music. Each are famous for their imagery alone.












I think it would be wise to take influence from the artwork of the music industry. particularly these good examples. Be it the simplicity of the Beatles white album, the surreal but vivid artwork of Chris Flemming on the Biffy Clyro covers. Perhaps even the raw feel given by both the punk covers in the collection by the clash and the sex pistols.

Ben