Back in the '70s in Atlanta, there was a record store called "Peaches Record and Tapes". Every Friday after work I would go in and spend around $20 on Top Shelf albums, you could get 3 with some money back from that $20. But they had "The Wall Of Deals", cut outs, OOPs, small lable pressings, etc I would spend an equal amount of $20, but at 4for$5 you could really build a collection quickly. I chose %90 of them solely on album art. I discovered a bunch of Gems, and a more than a few turds that way. None the less, I expanded my musical tastes greatly.
Does cover art of an album or recording influences your purchase?
For me, album or recording cover art definitely influences physical media purchases, where the physical object is part of the experience.
Cover art may never be as powerful as the music itself, but it carries its own quiet weight. It represents love, life, death, and the essence of a particular time in a musician’s journey. It captures what the music feels, without needing a single note.
Many are works of art and have become as famous as the music they stand for—Andy Warhol's covers, for example, including the banana he designed for The Velvet Underground. And there are many more!
On flip side, If you’re buying based purely on artist or recommendation, cover art may not matter. But for exploration, vinyl hunting, or curating a vibe, it remains quite influential.
I’d love to hear what album covers have etched themselves into your memory or even convinced you to listen before you knew the artist.
Thank you!
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- 56 posts total
- 56 posts total