Rolling Stone has compiled its list of “The 100 Best Album Covers of All Time” and The Beatles have three of them.
Abbey Road came up one short, landing at two, followed by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at 14, and The Beatles (“White Album”) at 23.
The Rolling Stones also had two in the Top 50 with Sticky Fingers at 28, and Some Girls at 46.
David Bowie had two on the list with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars at 31, and Diamond Dogs at 51.
Here’s the Top 10 and you can see the entire list at RollingStone.com;
- Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
- The Beatles – Abbey Road
- Sly and the Family Stone – There’s a Riot Goin’ On
- Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon
- The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die
- Patti Smith – Horses
- Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
- The Clash – London Calling
- Cyndi Lauper – She’s So Unusual
- Nirvana – Nevermind
Paul McCartney explains why he was barefoot on the cover of Abbey Road.
“You know why he was walking across that crossing with no shoes on?’ Well, it was hot, man. It was like a real hot day in London, and I had sandals on and I kicked them off, you know — big deal.”
Keith Richards on why later versions of The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingersalbum did not contain a real zipper on the album cover.
“The last time that they did that on the original, the zpper started to cut into the records and they had to dump a whole load and that is why the zipper disappeared and so it became a print zipper.”
Other rock acts to make the list include:
- The Velvet Underground & Nico – 11
- The Who – Who’s Next – 18
- Black Sabbath – 20
- Ramones – 22
- Fleetwood Mac – Rumours – 25
- Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols – 29
- Yes – Relayer – 32
- Talking Heads – Remain in Light – 34
- The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan – 37
- KISS – Alive! – 38
- Led Zeppelin – IV – 39
- Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A. – 42
- Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure – 47
- Judas Priest – British Steel – 53
- T. Rex – Electric Warrior – 56
- Van Halen – 1984 – 68
- R.E.M. – Murmur – 69
- Blur – Parklife – 74
- Radiohead – Kid A – 75
- New York Dolls – 78
- King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King – 81
- Neil Young – On the Beach – 88
- Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills – 91
- Grateful Dead – Europe ’72 – 99
- Spinal Tap – Smell the Glove – 100
