Some rock covers are recognisable without the record. They have become images in their own right, reproduced far beyond the music.
The images everyone knows
Pink Floyd · The Dark Side of the Moon and its prism, designed by Hipgnosis, is probably the most reproduced cover in the history of rock.
The Beatles · Abbey Road owes its fame to a photograph taken in about ten minutes on a London zebra crossing.
Nirvana · Nevermind (1991) knocked Michael Jackson off the top of the Billboard 200 in January 1992, and its cover became the symbol of a generation.
The great records in the catalogue
Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and The Doors each imposed a visual identity that outlives their albums. Let It Bleed took the top of the British charts in December 1969.
Guns N' Roses · Appetite For Destruction (1987) is certified eighteen times platinum in the United States.
AC/DC · Back In Black (1980), the first album recorded after Bon Scott's death, carries an entirely black cover in tribute to the late singer.
The heirs
Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queen and David Bowie round out a shelf where the cover was never mere packaging.