10 Great Album Covers, Chosen by Robin Dean Salmon of Surrender Hill

Album covers have meant so much to me from, literally, the first time I ever “listened” to music. When I was five years old, my family moved to a very rural part of South Africa. Radio wasn’t something we got for music, and South Africa at the time didn’t have television. That left a stereo and a turntable. My mom and dad had a very small album collection, but the standout for me was Kris Kristofferson’s title, Kristofferson. Man, I listened to that album over and over. I used to sit and stare at the cover, and I thought he was the coolest looking dude on the planet. Besides my dad, that is. My dad had this Steve McQueen sort of deal going on, although I didn’t know who Steve McQueen was at the time. He needed an album cover, that’s for sure.

In an art class during my junior year in high school, we were given a project to create an album cover for a song of our choice. That was one of my favorite projects in school. So here we go. These are my top ten. I’ll rank them as they hit me in my life. 

Kris Kristofferson
Kristofferson (1970)

This was my first ever music. At 7 years old, I didn’t fully understand what it was that drew me to this music or this cover. But I was very drawn to it. I was always a bit of a loner, and I think the confident loneliness in the picture on the cover resonated with me. I still listen to this album, and the recording is so sparse and honest. Yet there seems to be a secret. The cover feels like that as well. I like that about it, a lot. What’s hiding in the dark?

Kiss
Destroyer (1976)

Upon moving to the United States in 1977, my folks got me a small stereo. My first couple of weeks of sixth grade in small town Texas were interesting for sure. A classmate tuned me onto Kiss, and this was the first album I ever owned. Man, I couldn’t wrap my head around these dudes, but I loved them and I loved this cover. I was a huge Kiss fanatic.

AC/DC
Highway to Hell (1979)

This is a killer album. I love the energy of this album, and I think the cover fits perfectly with the music.

Sex Pistols
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)

This would be the next standout for me. I was sent to a small boarding school, and I hated it with a passion. I got very angry. This album helped me through. I love the cover, as it conveys all the emotion trapped in that vinyl. It’s such a stylistic slap together. But the color combo is perfection.

Ramones
Ramones (1976)

Not a lot needs to be said here. This is just classic. Authentic and badass. A plus was that I could actually play most of these songs on my guitar. I knew those three chords. I loved the black and white.

The Clash
London Calling (1979)

I loved this cover the minute I saw it. It reached out and slapped me in the face. I never knew it liberally borrowed from an Elvis album cover. That made it even cooler. I have this poster hanging in our studio.

U2
War (1983)

I absolutely love this cover; the striking image, the emotion that kind of changes according to the mood you’re in when you look at it. The way the photo is underdeveloped is just killer. Black, white and red was my favorite color combo.

Blondie
Parallel Lines (1978)

When I first got this, I was really getting into art and composition in school. I wasn’t a good artist by any means, but I loved it. This cover is so classy and full of style and attitude. And, well… look at the girl. Sheesh!!

U2
Joshua Tree (1987)

I loved this layout. The picture is awesome but the layout is so clean and crisp. It was around this time, while living in NYC, I started pining for the Southwest a bit.

Bruce Springsteen
Born to Run (1975)

This is such a great album cover. The movement in the cover photo and the way it wraps around the back is just awesome. I love the joyfulness in the photo. Such incredible energy jumps off the cover. Timeless.