Your most influential album cover

[Jim85IROC]

I'm having a hard time thinking of any album in which the album cover was much of any influence.  The music, sure.  The bands, sure.  The albums, sure.  The cover?  Most of my favorite music I borrowed from friends and copied to cassette, so the album covers were never an issue at all.

 

That said, the album cover I've spent the most time staring at, and the one that I have the most copies of (multiple CD pressings, re-releases, remasters, DVDA, multiple vinyl pressings, 180g vinyl and even on a t-shirt) would be the Hotel California album.

Edited February 23 by Jim85IROC

[mrjamiam]

3 hours ago, Jim85IROC said:

I'm having a hard time thinking of any album in which the album cover was much of any influence.  The music, sure.  The bands, sure.  The albums, sure.  The cover?  Most of my favorite music I borrowed from friends and copied to cassette, so the album covers were never an issue at all.

 

That said, the album cover I've spent the most time staring at, and the one that I have the most copies of (multiple CD pressings, re-releases, remasters, DVDA, multiple vinyl pressings, 180g vinyl and even on a t-shirt) would be the Hotel California album.

This came out when I was a kid, and I really haven't looked at it since, although the songs have been present (not least because of being unavoidable for a long stretch).

Looking at it now, after a career that involved a decent amount of work-related travel and hotel stays, the first thing that comes to mind is that someone must have pulled the fire alarm.  Then you look closer and everyone is too completely dressed for that to be the case.  But the crowd waiting for the all-clear to go back to their rooms is something I've experienced more than once, and it looks pretty much like this.

[cmatthes]

On 2/22/2026 at 3:05 AM, BoogieMKIIA said:

Well…..

When I was a kid, every dad in my neighborhood had this album at the top of their record stacks. 

For YEARS.

[RobB]

5 hours ago, Jim85IROC said:

Saints preserve us, just look at those reprobates! They look like they’ve been up for days…

[BadgerDave]

[specialk]

[ZR]

A true classic! One of my desert island discs, which I guess I'd just look at cuz how would I have power?!😃🫣

[ZR]

Man, I thought for sure that album cover would get at least one like from you aging geezers! 

I guess I'm 62 going on 16 but it's still one of my favorites. I like Scorpions... and tits too! I guess you guys don't. 😃

[Disturber]

No one has said this was their most influential cover yet. That tells me you are a sane buch a lads after all. 
 

[ARM OF HAMER]

[Steve Haynie]

20 hours ago, ZR said:

Man, I thought for sure that album cover would get at least one like from you aging geezers! 

OK.  I liked it.  

[diablo175]

The illustrator in me tended to respond more to painted/airbrushed art more so than covers featuring photography. For instance: 

Richard Corben's art for Bat Out Of Hell:

Or this Drew Struzan's art for Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (which does feature some titties but an absence of genitalia)

[kizanski]

11 hours ago, Disturber said:

No one has said this was their most influential cover yet. That tells me you are a sane buch a lads after all. 

Friends growing up were huge Scorpions fans and had all of the important vinyl. 

Even as a young boy seeing that for the first time, I found it disturbing.  

[diablo175]

Just now, kizanski said:

Friends growing up were huge Scorpions fans and had all of the important vinyl. 

Even as a young boy seeing that for the first time, I found it disturbing.  

Thank goodness I didn't see that as a lad. I had enough f-ed up notions about sexuality, (thanks to some rather twisted young ladies in my neighborhood) Not sure I needed any more disturbing imagery to add to it.