Revealed: 'the most iconic album covers of all time'

Artists:
Joy Division »

by Kev Kharas [Edit this content] ▾ 30 comments 11:31 March 5th, 2008

It's official - the cover of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures has been voted the most iconic album cover of all time.

The poll was hosted over at MusicMagpie.co.uk, whose readers chose the album art above others from The Stone Roses and The Beatles.

The cover, pictured above, was created by Peter Saville in 1979 after guitarist Bernard Sumner found the original image in an astronomy encyclopedia. It represents, apparently, 100 pulses from the remnant of a collapsed star.

Here's the top ten:

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
The Beatles - Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Smiths - Meat is Murder
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Paul Weller - Stanley Road
Sex Pistols - Never Mind the B*****ks

Reckon they got it right? If not, how wrong were they on a scale of 1-10? DiScuss.

Got news? Email us at newsdesk@drownedinsound.com

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Comments

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Oh dear

Can we have a feature on genuinely good album covers? Like Different Class, or Hawkwind gatefold sleeve ones?

Incidentally, I really like the lyrics book in the new Nick Cave album (and the album itself) but the cover itself is a bit meh.

Royter-Hatfood | 5 Mar '08, 11:36 | X | Reply

wot no

london calling?

etc

shadyadie | 5 Mar '08, 11:37 | X | Reply

wtf?

houses of the holy is one of the worst zep covers

Jamie_Summers | 5 Mar '08, 11:38 | X | Reply

Or just resurrect this:

http://drownedinsound.com/articles/2681633

Royter-Hatfood @Royter-Hatfood | 5 Mar '08, 11:41 | X | Reply

wrong

its amazing. i wouldn't say its the most iconic though. Sgt Peppers has got to be the winner. or maybe Velvet underground and Nico, which isn't even in that top 10. proving the perennial truth, top 10s aren't worth the html their written in

theseabass @explosionsunderwater | 5 Mar '08, 11:43 | X | Reply

what!

No Sticky Fingers?
No Velvet Underground and Nico?

and what about What's Going On?
or Electric Ladyland?

Stanley Road, LOL

music_lawyer | 5 Mar '08, 11:45 | X | Reply

nnnngggg

*they're

theseabass @theseabass | 5 Mar '08, 11:46 | X | Reply

iLOVELiSTS

pieces_of_reece | 5 Mar '08, 11:59 | X | Reply

Another yawnsome poll.

Huzzah.

bamos | 5 Mar '08, 11:59 | X | Reply

"General public creates another unimaginative consensus"

They should launch the poll again...this time not allowing the always obvious rotating top 20 to be included in the vote. Then see what happens.

Raoul_Duke | 5 Mar '08, 12:03 | X | Reply

where's Tin Planet?

snow_brigade | 5 Mar '08, 12:09 | X | Reply

Where's 'Once Upon A Time in the West?'

Ha ha ha...

I remember a massive feature in Q on Kula Shaker's 'K' artwork, oh how times swiftly change!

joeydubya | 5 Mar '08, 12:24 | X | Reply

isn't the sex pistols one a bit

pish?

poptimusgrime | 5 Mar '08, 12:24 | X | Reply

Paul Weller- Stanley Road

LOL.

andrewviolet | 5 Mar '08, 12:52 | X | Reply

Agree re: Joy Division

sadly my fave album cover is Modern Life is Rubbish.

prole-art-threat @andrewviolet | 5 Mar '08, 12:54 | X | Reply

What no 'The Others'?

LOOOL

prole-art-threat @prole-art-threat | 5 Mar '08, 12:55 | X | Reply

Nirvana, Nevermind

anyone?

begreen | 5 Mar '08, 13:11 | X | Reply

^^

and why on earth is stanley road there

isibuko @shadyadie | 5 Mar '08, 13:11 | X | Reply

no Daydream Nation?

anyway, what about the WORST album cover? How about 'Whatever People Say I am That's What I am'?

Leatherface @begreen | 5 Mar '08, 13:15 | X | Reply

WORST album cover?

Hard Fi, Once upon a time in the west.

begreen @Leatherface | 5 Mar '08, 13:19 | X | Reply

what the hell

does ICONIC mean here anyway? I don't think it means anything - what really makes Ziggy Stardust more 'iconic' than Hunky Dory or Low or Heroes or Alladin Sane?

Yet another meaningless angle on a poll to find "ten albums that we all like".

BakerStreetSaxSolo | 5 Mar '08, 14:15 | X | Reply

What about London Calling?

domgourlay @BakerStreetSaxSolo | 5 Mar '08, 14:17 | X | Reply

As soon as I saw this story

I thought Nevermind and Daydream Nation... where are they?

I mean Daydream Nation's made it onto The Simpsons ffs! like 8 years after its release

Yesiamaduck | 5 Mar '08, 14:58 | X | Reply

iconoclasm

being iconic certainly means something, it doesnt always mean that its the best. Marilyn Monroe is an icon but that does not make her a better actress than Dudie Dench. Sid Viscious is an icon but he was not a more talented bassist than andy rourke of the smiths. I suppose it comes down to the image having some kind of cultural significance.

I think that all these album covers have a certain iconic nature, whether they are the most iconic or the best album covers ever is obviously very subjective.

Its just a fucking list, the point is so that people discuss it... which you all are.

Transmission @Yesiamaduck | 5 Mar '08, 15:57 | X | Reply

Oh well whatever nevermind

Wow I am actually genuinely suprised that Nirvana Nevermind was not in there, pretty sure most people who listen to music of any genus would instantly recognise that.

The only two I wouldn't agree with are Paul Weller and the Smiths, I couldn't really tell you what either look like but would know them perhaps if I saw them.