10 Albums That Look as Great as They Sound

The Civil Wars, Florence + the Machine, Kacey Musgraves and more

This was quite the journey for me. I’ve learned through the process that I love when album art looks exactly how the artist sounds. That consistency is so satisfying to me. I also love, along the same lines, when the art tells a story across multiple records, whether that’s pre-planned or otherwise.

The truth is, album art cannot stand apart from the music. In my mind, they are one. Therefore, a good record simply can’t have a bad album cover. And a great cover cannot belong to a bad record. It’s impossible.

So please know that these 10 sleeves are for albums that I also endorse musically. You should make a giant playlist of them and prepare to be very confused because they are not connected in the slightest by genre or style.

Coldplay

Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)

What better way to get someone to purchase an album than by invoking thoughts of the French Revolution? The painted words, the woman holding the flag, the triumph in the midst of brokenness, light in the darkness. As an American, how could this not deeply resonate with me? The music speaks to my soul, and the cover is a perfect representation of that artistry. Long live, indeed.

Kanye West

Graduation (2007)

Kanye West is an artist who has put out a lot of great artwork. This one, however, is my favorite. Kanye had a recurring theme for several years of a man in a bear suit. His albums from 2004-07 had titles with themes about college—The College Dropout in 2004, Late Registration in 2005, and so forth. On Graduation, the bear is now a cartoon, the colors are vibrant and varied and the critter is clearly leaving the institution, perhaps never to return.

Florence + the Machine

Everybody Scream (Chamber Version) (2025)

All of Florence’s album artwork is beautiful, but this one is newer and is my favorite of hers so far. My friend recently bought the original album on vinyl, which included a large pressing of the photo used for this version, and the detailing on it is stunning.

Kacey Musgraves

Golden Hour (2018)

Golden Hour might just have to go in my Top-10 everything, because I have a hard time naming a better album. The art is just one piece of the greater perfection. The colors pop and reintroduce her as a country artist who leans very pop. The sun can be felt on her face and hair but it’s not too obvious. The softness of that hair and the fan are indicative of Musgraves’ softer sound, vocal style and demeanor. And it’s just beautiful, one I never get tired of looking at.

Foo Fighters

The Colour and the Shape (1997)

Without having heard the Foo Fighters or knowing the name of this album, I loved this artwork because it was so pretty. Then I discovered that the Foo Fighters were my favorite rock band of the 1990s. It’s one of the only album covers I’ve seen that perfectly showcases the LP title without said title actually appearing.

Ariana Grande

thank u, next (2019)

I am an Ariana fan, and Sweetener (2018) was the album that took me from just thinking she was talented to actually loving her music. When Grande followed it up with this one a year later, I had a feeling it would either be a cash-grab flop or an inspired masterpiece. I believe it was the latter. When you compare the two albums’ artwork, you notice a lot of similarities, but the moods are completely different. It’s almost like thank u is the tough, brutally honest younger sister of Sweetener. And that’s exactly how the albums feel to me when I listen.

Kendrick Lamar

good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)

I always thought the cover of this album was intriguing, but for a long time I didn’t know what it represented. Then my husband told me: The van in the artwork is the van which moves the plot forward in the story Kendrick is telling throughout the album. This album is already so creative and captivating in large part because of the story. And knowing that the artwork is like a snapshot in time pulls me into the story as if I’m there with him. 

Charli XCX

brat (2024)

I feel like there’s nothing to say about this one that hasn’t already been said, but it goes in my Top 10 because it is so iconic. Charli XCX is now the “green Powerpuff girl” next to Sabrina Carpenter (blue) and Chappell Roan (pink/red), thanks to this artwork. The font, the SIZE of the font, the lime green background … the number of times I’ve seen it in pop culture, on social media and pretty much everywhere is remarkable. The visual also fits the music perfectly.

Paramore

Riot! (2007)

I see this album cover and know precisely what I’m going to get from the album. I love how simple of an idea it is, and yet every “riot” feels so intentional, like each repeat of the word on the cover contributes something unique to the loudness and “teenage punk” feeling that is indicative of Paramore. I love that the biggest, loudest “riot” is a scarlet red, the exact color of Hayley Williams’ hair at the time.

The Civil Wars

Barton Hollow (2011)

This was an album that defined everything for The Civil Wars—their sound, their image, their vibe, and the trajectory of their career. The album cover is one that does not feel at all timeless, and that’s exactly what I love about it. It immediately takes me back to the early 2010s, when those hairstyles were at their peak in popularity, and when Joy Williams and John Paul White wore essentially nothing but those outfits at all times, making their brand unmistakable. The black and white moodiness, the cinematic yet understated tone … it just all paints the exact picture of The Civil Wars as we know and love them.