Art Historian Reveals the Artists Behind your Favorite Album Covers

The visual and musical arts have always had strong links. From Andy Warhol to Wolfgang Tillmans and Grace Jones to Lady Gaga, many of the world’s most famous musicians and visual artists have joined forces to create iconic album covers. Dr. Bernard Vere lectures in 20th century art at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and he is here to dive into the stories behind how some of the world’s most famous album covers came to be.
00:16 The Velvet Underground & Nico’s “The Velvet Underground & Nico” album art by Andy Warhol
01:37 Frank Ocean’s “Blond” album art by Wolfgang Tillmans
03:21 Grace Jones’s “Nightclubbing” album art by Jean-Paul Goude
04:36 Red Hot Chili Peppers’s “I’m With You” album art by Damien Hirst
05:49 Lady Gaga’s “Artpop” album art by Jeff Koons
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[@SothebysInstitute]

Which of these album covers was your favorite? Can you name any other album covers created by visual artists?

[@barrymoore4470]

I liked Goude's cover for 'Island Life' best. It's striking yet relatively simple, bold while not brash.
It might not qualify as a work by a visual artist in the usual sense, but the cover for Nico's 1970 album 'Desertshore' showcases scenes from the film 'La Cicatrice intérieure', which was directed by Philippe Garrel and starred Nico.

[@SothebysInstitute]

@@barrymoore4470 Thanks for sharing!

[@emgual]

Gaga's!!!

[@arstyahf]

justice for ARTPOP !

[@jefpepitone3574]

super merci

[@carlcontrera1699]

He forgot to mention Robert Rauschenberg's LP cover for the Talking Head's "Speaking in Tongues"

[@thefederation2388]

Kanye - Graduation - Takashi Murakami
Kanye - 808’s and Heartbreak by Kaws
Kanye - My beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - George Condo

[@bonaface]

what artist designed antisemitic remarks? Kanye.

[@joshuakunda6708]

Kanye - Yeezus - Virgil Abloh and George Condo

[@carltwidle9046]

It's seems strange that people would get upset about flies being killed in an art exhibit. Yet people buy cans of fly spray for households.

[@willfarrell]

🎸🎸🎸

[@idelsagil9129]

0:16
1:37
3:21
4:34
5:49

[@joshuakunda6708]

Takeoff- The Last Rocket- Hebru Brantley

[@diegoromero346]

[@anaalnsiqueira]

Pink Floyd?

[@SothebysInstitute]

Yes, Storm Thorgerson is the graphic artist behind many of Pink Floyd's most recognizable album covers. He also created album and other art for notable groups like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Cranberries, and Phish.