Your most influential album cover

[DaveH]

What album cover just grabbed you, and affected/influenced you the most? For me, it was the Kiss Alive album

As a 14-15 year old, this one shook me to my core.

Edited February 16 by DaveH

[veatch]

Great topic. *Really* hard to choose,  but i think I have to go with zeppelin. 

[Saul Goodman]

This pretty much says it all. 1973. Bequeathed to me along with the inscription. He loaned this album to me in 1973. I kept it for a long time before returning it and put all the scratches on it and all the wear on the cover. Rick was a Vietnam Vet and lifelong friend. RIP.

 

Edited February 16 by Saul Goodman

[Steve Haynie]

[Rich_S]

Edited February 16 by Rich_S

[DaveL]

 

I didn’t know who these guys were… rock radio in Boston just didn’t play this sort of stuff… 

   And then I saw all the song titles  ripper, sinner, exciter and put it back… two years later WCOZ and WAAF started playing Livin After Midnight and ripped my face off   
 

  Btw  this cover shot was staged… not a real shot from a show    I seem to recall Les Binks not in the band by then and not shown     It was a globule really and best left unsolved     

 

[mathman]

As a 13 year kid in the Bible Belt area of Pensacola that had people screaming bible quotes at passing cars... This one interested me very much.

[kizanski]

Was at some record store (pretty sure it was only records back then) with my stepfather and saw this one on the rack with the thousands of other records and it jumped out at me.
I was only 9 or 10 at the time. Didn't know who or what ELP was, didn't know any of their music, but I knew this was cool.
I asked my stepfather to buy it for me.
"How do you know this band?"
"I don't."
"...Ok."

Brought it home, put on the headphones (you know, the BIG ones we had back then), and I got lost in it.

Still to this day, one of my favorites that I play from start to finish.

A masterpiece discovered by a 9 year old because of an awesome album cover.

 

[mathman]

ELP was my first concert.  1975 iirc.  did not remember correctly.  Looked at the old ticket stub.  1977

Edited February 16 by mathman
fixed memory issues...

[Spinaltap]

[velorush]

After playing 'at' guitar for a few years, I found my tonal center with this:

I don't really play much like this anymore, but there was a period of a year or so that saw me trying to ape ever single lick.

This album made me a Strat guy. That part stuck.

[Spinaltap]

any of the Yes album covers done by Roger Dean

[DaveH]

1 hour ago, Spinaltap said:

any of the Yes album covers done by Roger Dean

That reminded me of this one that I always thought was super cool... Same artist (I believe?)

[Willie G. Moseley]

F#,,,Where There Is Music, a promo album by Ernest Maxin and his orchestra (1959).  Mantovani/Henry Mancini-type stuff ("Tangerine", Laura", etc.). First album that "influenced me" albeit not musically. "Music" or "musically" does not appear in the title and original post on this thread, so I'm going out on a tangent of sorts.

Album cover had a velvet-type texture, and it was saturated in Faberge's new perfume fragrance, "F#". The aroma stayed around for years. 

I was only nine years old but I knew this was an aroma associated with females, while my dad's Mennen Skin Bracer was "masculine".  Call it a vague realization---therefore a primeval teaser---about the trials and tribulations of puberty that would appear a few years later. 

And I'm not sure if and when ever got out of puberty...

Edited March 27 by Willie G. Moseley

[Dave Scepter]

God, there were so many, obviously the KISS records, but also these 2

[Steve Haynie]

Everyone should hear UFO's Strangers In The Night.

[diablo175]

For visual impact (with a healthy dose of musical impact) it was a toss up between this: 

...And this:

The graphic punch of both albums was undeniable! Certainly my love of comic books also factored into the Rush cover.   

Edited February 16 by diablo175

[Menehune]

16 hours ago, mathman said:

As a 13 year kid in the Bible Belt area of Pensacola that had people screaming bible quotes at passing cars... This one interested me very much.

I vividly remember being in my girlfriend's bedroom, introducing her to this album, and noting how much the body of the blonde succubus on the right side of the front cover resembled her own lovely figure. She feigned surprise and offense, and then laughed.

[ARM OF HAMER]

                                                                                

[diablo175]

23 hours ago, mathman said:

As a 13 year kid in the Bible Belt area of Pensacola that had people screaming bible quotes at passing cars... This one interested me very much.

Yeah, this album spoke to me as well. One of my faves and kinda in league with this one for it's rebellious thematic content:

[bry4321]

On 2/16/2026 at 9:29 AM, Spinaltap said:

any of the Yes album covers done by Roger Dean

I guess this is Hipgnosis but I thought my friend had spilled a tomato on his album. I know nothing about the rest of it! 

[hamerhead]

 

[ArnieZ]

I always like the CTI covers

 

arniez

[Feynman]

1 hour ago, ArnieZ said:

I always like the CTI covers

arniez

Well, you have some fine taste in music, if I may say so.  

[G Man]

I will say that I rolled that big old paper on more than one occasion.  It would light up in a big flame at the end with every hit.  Quite a fun trick for a young stoner.  The comedy on the album is gold as well.  Fifi!!!