Vinyl records are enjoying somewhat of a renaissance, with sales soaring to a 25-year high last year.
And now record covers are being celebrated as artworks in their own right in a stunning new collection.
A new book entitled Art Record Covers is being released by Taschen this month and features 500 record covers from the 1950s through to today.
From Andy Warhol’s artwork for The Velvet Underground & Nico to Robert Mapplethorpe’s cover for Patti Smith’s Horses, some of the world’s most famous artists have been behind the iconic covers of our time.
The anthology explores how art movements ranging from modernism to pop art have influenced the visuals used by musical artists to sell their records.
It comes as vinyl sales reached a record high in 2016, with 3.2 million LPs sold in the UK.
Art Record Covers, written by Francesco Spampinato and edited by Julius Wiedemann, is available from now for £49.99
A new book entitled Art Record Covers features 500 iconic record covers from the 1950s through to today. Pictured is John Lennon’s Menlove Ave. album, released posthumously in 1986. The artwork was produced by Andy Warhol
The cover for The Velvet Underground & Nico, the debut album from the Velvet Underground, (left) was designed by Andy Warhol. Early editions of the LP, released in 1967, featured a banana-skin sticker that could be peeled off. The portrait of Patti Smith on her debut album Horses, released in 1975, (right) was taken by photographer Robert Mapplethorpe
The striking cover for Lady Gaga’s third album Artpop, released in 2013, was designed by American artist Jeff Koons
The cover for Mason William’s 1968 LP entitled Music was painted by Edward Ruscha (left). Sigur Ros’s 2008 album entitled Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust features a photograph by Ryan McGinley of people running naked across a highway
The colourful artwork for Kanye West’s 2007 album Graduation (left) was designed by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. The bold design on Emanon’s album The Baby Beat Box, released in 1986, was created by American artist Keith Haring
The 2010 album cover for Touched, from electronic duo Blondes, (left) was designed by Guyton Walker. The record cover for Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation, released in 1988, features a painting by Gerhard Richter (right)
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ 2009 record It’s Blitz! featured a photograph by Urs Fischer (left). A photograph by Gregory Crewdson features on Yo La Tengo’s album And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, which was released in 2000 (right)
Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei was behind Day & Taxi’s Live in Shenzhen, Shanghai and 안전놀이터 Taipei record cover, released in 2005 (left). A picture by German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans featured on Tiga’s 2006 album 3 Weeks (right)
The cover for UJ3RK5’s self-titled album, released in 1980, was produced by band member Jeff Wall
The cover for Arto Lindsay’s 2004 album Salt features artwork by Kara Walker (left). Deerhoof’s 2006 record Friend Opportunity was designed by British artist David Shrigley (right)
The artwork for Rapper Tyler, The Creator’s 2014 album Wolf was designed by Mark Ryden (left). Black Flag’s 1980 album cover for Nervous Breakdown was created by Raymond Pettibon (right)
American rock band Melvins’ 2010 album Sludge Glamorous (left) was designed by Steven Parrino (left). The cover for The Red Crayola’s 1994 album 4 teen was created by Albert Oehlen (right)
Artist Laurie Anderson designed the cover for her 1981 record O Superman (left). American band Gastr del Sol’s 1994 record Mirror Repair features a painting by German artist Albert Oehlen (right)
