Whether viewed via a cardboard sleeve, plastic jewel case, or online thumbnail, the album cover can be pivotal to the perception of the music it envelops. After all, long before a single note has been played, it essentially serves as a record's first taster. None more so than in the pre-streaming, crate-digging age when consumers had to venture into brick-and-mortar stores, often relying on little more than an eye-catching image to choose their latest pet sound. Now, in time for the 2026 GRAMMYs, the Recording Academy has added a new Category celebrating what is very much an art form in its own right.

The concept of adding artwork to an album cover is credited to Alex Steinweiss, an art director hired in 1938 by Columbia Records to make the typical brown paper bags a little more aesthetically pleasing. By the end of the following decade, the practice had become commonplace, and pretty soon, creatives such as Neil Fujita, Bob Cato and Reid Miles were able to build entire careers on making vinyl pop off the shelf.

Of course, it was when the album format began to take precedence over the hit single that cover art entered its dominant era. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and every other artist that spearheaded the rock and roll revolution recognized the power that a 12" sleeve could hold. The psychedelic, prog-rock and heavy metal scenes became particularly enamored, too, adorning their musical masterpieces with elaborate imagery left open to copious amounts of interpretation.

Although much smaller in size, the album cover continued to thrive throughout the advent of the cassette tape and then the compact disc, with designers — including portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz, Dutch film director Anton Corbijn, and kitsch guru David LaChapelle — simply adopting different techniques to wow the crowds. And while the rise of the internet has reduced the eyeball space even further, artists are still keen to ensure that their visual representation aligns with their sonic.

No doubt that the debate over who should win Best Album Cover at the 2026 GRAMMYs is already starting. In honor of the new Category — as well as some other exciting changes for next year's telecast — GRAMMY.com revisits some of the covers that have made a mark on pop culture since the first GRAMMYs in 1959. From simple portraits to fantastical collages, here's a look at 34 that are arguably just as memorable, if not more, than the albums themselves.

1960s

Jimi Hendrix — Are You Experienced

The Jimi Hendrix Experience gave us two classic album covers for the price of one with their game-changing 1967 debut. Shot by Bruce Fleming, the original U.K. sleeve featured its eponymous frontman adopting a Dracula-like stance next to bandmates Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell. But for its North American release, Karl Ferris repositioned the trio as a "group travelling through space in a Biosphere on their way to bring their unworldly space music to earth." Taken at Kew Gardens via the du-jour style of the fisheye lens, its deeply psychedelic aura was considered a much better fit for the Summer of Love.

The Beatles — Abbey Road

The Beatles literally stopped traffic while shooting the cover that turned an otherwise unremarkable London street into a tourist landmark. The Fab Four had initially planned to hike up the Himalayas for their 11th LP, but eventually decided a zebra crossing walk outside their EMI recording studio would suffice. Photographer Iain MacMillan was given just 10 minutes to capture the legends in all their sharp-suited — and in Paul McCartney's case, barefoot — glory. Of course, the Merseysiders' entire back catalog could have graced this list. But despite their label's concerns over the lack of a title or band name, it's Abbey Road's portrait of both unity and individuality that remains the group's defining image..

The Doors — Morrison Hotel

In one of those remarkable twists of popcultural fate, Ray Manzarek just happened to stumble across an L.A. establishment with the exact same name of the album he was scouting cover locations for. It needed a spot of subterfuge, however, for the stars to truly align. Indeed, with its front-of-house receptionist unwilling to play ball, The Doors and photographer Henry Diltz had to wait until he was called away, and in a matter of just seconds, snap the contemplative window gaze that ironically would put the Morrison Hotel on the global map.

Velvet Underground & Nico — Velvet Underground & Nico

No-wave pioneers Velvet Underground and self-proclaimed "Chelsea Girl" Nico also omitted their names on the cover to their seminal self-titled debut, allowing its designer to take full credit instead. After all, it was Andy Warhol's idea to represent their magnum opus with the image of a moldy banana, and on its early pressing, tempt record buyers to "peel slowly and see." It was a typically playful approach that counterbalanced the dark and discordant sounds hidden within. This is the moment where modern art and modern pop truly collided.

1970s

Cream — Disraeli Gears

Australian artist Martin Sharp certainly ensured that Cream's second album Disraeli Gears stood out from the crowd. The multi-talent, who also co-wrote Side B's opener "Tales of Brave Ulysses," attempted to capture its fluorescent sound with a decidedly trippy collage of colors, florals and photos taken in London's Hyde Park and Scotland's Ben Nevis. Presiding over all the organized chaos are the trio themselves, including an atypically clean-shaven Eric Clapton, positioned like the Mount Rushmore of psychedelic rock.

Joy Division — Unknown Pleasures

The Cambridge Encylopaedia of Astronomy might not initially appear to be the stuff of British post-punk history. But it was while perusing the 1977 tome that Joy Division guitarist Bernard Sumner spotted a series of pulsar radio waves that subsequently became the scene's defining image. With a little help from Factory Records designer Peter Savile, who reversed the original's black and white lines to make it look 'sexier,' the cover perfectly encapsulated the stark, atmospheric and curious nature of the Mancunians' cult classic Unknown Pleasures, and nearly a half-century on, it remains a T-shirt favorite.

Pink Floyd — The Dark Side of the Moon

A Black Magic chocolate box was the brief given to album cover maestros Hipgnosis for Pink Floyd's pièce de résistance The Dark Side of the Moon. Just as they'd done with their previous collaborations with the prog-rockers, designers Aubrey Powell and Storm Thorgerson thought completely outside the box — or should that be prism — using a striking combination of colors and physics for a sleeve that perfectly reflected the group's visually dazzling live shows. It's an image that has become synonymous with the Brits more than any other, proving that sometimes, the simplest ideas really are the best.

The Clash — London Calling

"Unfortunately, you always sort of tend to destroy the things you love," bassist Paul Simonon once remarked, referring to the iconic cover of The Clash's London Calling. The bassist had smashed his guitar to smithereens during a 1979 gig at New York's Palladium in frustration of some overzealous security. And while photographer Pennie Smith believed her snap — accompanied by green and pink lettering inspired by Elvis Presley's self-titled debut — was too out of focus to grace the double album, it proved to be the perfect visualization of punk rock's defiance.

The Rolling Stones — Sticky Fingers

Four years after his banana peel stunt, Andy Warhol once again toyed with the concept of the album sleeve for the Rolling Stones' ninth LP Sticky Fingers. This time, he incorporated a working zipper and perforated belt buckle which, when opened, revealed a pair of white briefs emblazoned with his famous name. Contrary to popular belief at the time, the crotch in question didn't belong to the group's rubber-lipped frontman. Not that designer Craig Braun was forthcoming in quashing the rumor: "If girls think that that's Mick's d—, we're going to sell more albums," he later admitted about the gimmick, which took cover artwork to new provocative heights.

Willie Colón — La Gran Fuga

"Armed with Trombone and Considered Dangerous," cautions the cover of Willie Colón's collaborative album La Gran Fuga (The Big Break) in an inspired mock-up of a Most Wanted poster. Committing to the bit, designer Izzy Sanabria also throws in a cheap "mugshot"-style photo of the salsa pioneer, a series of fingerprints, and a warning that his musical partner in crime, Puerto Rican singer Héctor Lavoe, is on the run, too. In fact, the whole charade was so convincing that the very real FBI insisted their name be removed from the sleeve. This was album artwork at its most tongue-in-cheek.

1980s

Bruce Springsteen — Born in the USA

Sporting the classic white T-shirt and denim jeans (alongside a pocketed red baseball cap), Bruce Springsteen embodied the All-American hero while posing in front of the Stars and Stripes for his seventh LP Born in the USA. Much to photographer Annie Leibovitz's chagrin, however, The Boss' brooding features remained entirely out of view. "In the end, the picture of my ass looked better than the picture of my face," he later admitted about the cheeky artwork that found its way into 30 million homes.

N.W.A. — Straight Outta Compton

Firmly living up to their tag of the "world's most dangerous group," the cover of N.W.A.'s debut, Straight Outta Compton, saw the rappers in full-on gangster mode. All six members look ready and willing to send their unseen victim — "I just lay on the ground and they pointed what hopefully was an unloaded gun down at the camera," photographer Kevin Poppleton later quipped — sleeping with the fishes. But it's Eazy-E who's got his hands on the trigger in a truly menacing cover that foreshadowed all the lyrical and sonic aggression ahead.

Run-D.M.C. — Raising Hell

"I hate to admit it but there wasn't a 'concept' concept for that album," art director Janet Perr has admitted about her work on Run-D.M.C.'s mainstream breakthrough. Yet it was by capturing the hip-hop pioneers at their true essence, without any bells or whistles, that made Raising Hell's artwork so authentic. Although their signature Adidas trainers are out of sight, Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels (not officially signed to their Profile Records label, Jam Master Jay was restricted to the back cover) still ooze Hollis cool.

Talking Heads — Remain in Light

Talking Heads' Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth drew upon the knowhow of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create one of the first computer-generated album covers. Relegating their initial plans of a warplane collage to the back, Remain in Light instead splashes portrait photos of all four members with crude red 'paint' for a disturbing image that makes them resemble bloodied bank robbers. The inverted "A"s in the group's name only adds to the sense of unease.

1990s

2 Live Crew — Banned in the USA

From a distance, there's nothing particularly remarkable about the artwork for 2 Live Crew's fourth album. It's essentially just the group standing in front of the American flag in typical hip-hop attire. But shift your gaze toward the bottom right-hand corner and you'll notice a black and white sticker designed to ward off, but which only ever really enticed, the young and impressionable. Indeed, Banned in the USA was the first ever album to come equipped with a parental advisory sticker. By 1992, another 224 records had joined the potty-mouthed club; the sticker is still used in today's physical market, while streaming services will apply a similar "Explicit" tag to any tracks considered family-unfriendly.

blink-182 — Enema of the State

blink-182 promoted their second album Enema of the State with a blend of toilet humor and scantily clad visuals that perfectly aligned with the success of American Pie. The Californians apparently didn't know that model Janine Lindemulder — who they also chased in the promo for "What's My Age Again" — was in the adult entertainment industry when she was selected to brandish the blue glove in a provocative nurse's outfit. But a generation of hormonal teens, who ensured the cover art adorned more bedroom walls than any other at the turn of the century, thanked them anyway.

Britney Spears — ...Baby One More Time

While most international audiences saw a solemn Britney Spears praying angelically for the cover of her all-conquering debut album, her homeland's fans were treated to a more carefree image that better reflected her Mickey Mouse Club past. The teen princess looks the height of innocence as she kneels down smiling while surrounded by pastel pink. ...Baby One More Time's cover art essentially signaled an era in which pop became a playground for the girls (and the boys) next door.

Jay Z — Reasonable Doubt

Photographer Jonathan Mannion had planned to give Jay-Z's debut album a "Miami Vice meets the monarchy" look when it was titled Heir to the Throne. But on rechristening its vivid hustler tales Reasonable Doubt, it was decided that instead of flashy Versace suits, the Jigga Man should adopt a classic mafia persona instead. You might not be able to clearly see the rapper's face, but his hat, scarf and cigar instantly prove that he means business. And as Jay's first official studio album, Reasonable Doubt's powerful cover set the tone for how he would soon revolutionize the hip-hop world.

Lauryn Hill — The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill went back to school to help sell the solo debut that promised a glittering career ahead. Indeed, alongside photographer Eric Johnson, the ex-Fugees singer returned to her New Jersey alma mater for a series of hallway, classroom and bus shots that tied in with the album title's theme. But it was the woodshop that appeared to inform The Miseducation's front cover, with Hill's familiar face cleverly made to look as though it had been etched on a timber desk. It's still one of the hip-hop scene's most unique covers, and perhaps all the more special because the multiple GRAMMY winner has still never been properly followed up.

Nirvana — Nevermind

Spencer Elden became the world's most famous baby in 1991 when an image of his naked four-month-old self swimming underwater (and chasing a string-tied dollar bill) adorned grunge's ultimate blockbuster.Nirvana's defiant Kurt Cobain, who'd conceived the idea after watching TV footage of water births, refused to cover the youngster up, insisting the only sticker he'd allow is one reading, "If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile." Unfortunately, despite previously celebrating his contribution to Nevermind's success, the grown-up Elden is now trying to sue the band for "lifelong damages." Even so, it remains one of rock music's most striking (and unforgettable) images.

2000s

Amy Winehouse — Back to Black

"Amy was four hours late. She'd been partying all night. But she still managed to be cool and crazy." Photographer Mischa Richter certainly appeared to get the full Amy Winehouse experience when shooting the soul singer for the future GRAMMY-winning Album Of The Year Back to Black. Without knowing it, she also brilliantly captured the record's essence in a snap at her very own London home. Richter had no idea of the album's title when she snapped Winehouse in a darkroom adorned with blackboard paint. Showing little sign of the troubles ahead, the simple but effective image remains one of the most indelible of her tragically short career.

Gnarls Barkley — St. Elsewhere

Super producer Danger Mouse and soul man Cee Lo Green concocted a wild backstory for their chart-topping side project, claiming that Gnarls Barkley was a pal of Isaac Hayes, a former boyfriend of Mariah Carey, and a one-time English teacher for electro wizards Kraftwerk. Little surprise, therefore, that the cover for their debut album St. Elsewhere is similarly madcap, its nuclear explosion producing a cloud filled with everything from skyscrapers and speared army helmets to palm trees and purple tigers. It's a piece of art that practically demands listeners to give it their undivided attention.

Kanye West — The College Dropout

Conceptualized by Roc-A-Fella's in-house designer Eric Duvauchelle, The College Dropout promoted Kanye West's cuddly yet despondent looking mascot from single ("Through the Wire") to album cover. The Dropout Bear would also grace the rapper's follow-ups Late Registration and Graduation, the latter in animated form. But it's on the bleachers of a high school gym, surrounded by an array of 16th century gold ornaments, where the bear subverted hip-hop's typically macho posturing the most effectively.

NSYNC — No Strings Attached*

No one could accuse *NSYNC of failing to commit to their sophomore's puppet-master concept. As well as playing marionettes in the video for third single "It's Gonna Be Me," the boy band also tied themselves up by strings on its theatrical cover art. Justin Timberlake and co. were, of course, alluding to the domineering presence of RCA and their controversial former manager Lou Pearlman, both of whom they'd also been involved in lengthy lawsuits with. More than 2.5 million Americans instantly bought into No Strings Attached's metaphor, breaking a Billboard record for first-week sales.

Outkast — Stankonia

The American flag once again adorned an iconic album in 2000, although it looked noticeably different to the one raised for Born in the USA. Outkast not only inverted its famous stars, they also swapped out its red and blue for black, a monochromatic color scheme that helped the hip-hop duo take center stage. A shirtless, leather pants-clad André 3000, very much looking like a Jimi Hendrix-esque rock star, and a more casually dressed Big Boi adopt very different poses, perhaps reflecting Stankonia's billing as a utopia where "you can open yourself up and be free to express anything." It takes a brave act to tamper with the Stars and Stripes, but the sleeve proved that few hip-hop acts are as fearless.

Shakira — Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

Who better to take inspiration from than the universe's first ever woman? Shakira was so enamored with the idea, she played Eve on the cover of Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and its swiftly issued sequel. It was the former's more grounded cover that packed the biggest punch, however, as the Colombian, donning a see-through gown while holding a baby girl in her arms, fought back against the idea that women can't balance motherhood with a career. . And though there wasn't an opportunity for Shakira to win a GRAMMY for Best Album Cover back then, Fijacion Vol. 1 did earn her both GRAMMYs and Latin GRAMMYs in 2006, including Album Of The Year at the latter.

2010s

Billie Eilish — WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

Taken on her 17th birthday, the cover for her debut album instantly confirmed that Billie Eilish wasn't your average teen starlet. Sporting pure white contact lenses while posing demonically on a bed that had been plunged into darkness, the deliberately eerie artwork looked more suited to a classic '70s horror than a '10s big pop girl. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? Eilish asked. This pure nightmare fuel suggests we didn't want to know the answer.

Katy Perry — Teenage Dream

After approaching the aptly named confectionary-based artist Will Cotton with the sole intention of buying a painting, Katy Perry was then persuaded to pose for one instead. The result, which sees the chart-topper lying nude in a cloud of pink cotton candy, ended up gracing the cover of the seven-time GRAMMY nominee Teenage Dream. Committing even further to the sweet concept, a limited number of sleeves were also sprayed with a bubblegum-like scent. Perry continued to apply its vivid color scheme throughout her imperial phase, inspiring numerous other big pop girls to embrace their playful, irreverent side, too.

Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp a Butterfly

Just as provocative, thought-provoking, and proudly confrontational as the Best Rap Album GRAMMY winner itself, the cover for To Pimp a Butterfly transports the hip-hop house party to the ultimate house. "Just taking a group of homies who haven't seen the world and putting them in these places that they haven't necessarily seen ... and them being excited about it," is how Kendrick Lamar described the monochromatic snap taken on the presidential lawn. The fact that the rapper's shirtless, cash-waving posse (and a baby) are surrounding a dead white judge, however, suggests that their jubilance is far more politically charged.

Rihanna — Anti

It's now been nine years since Rihanna committed to a full-length studio effort. But if Anti does prove to be Rihanna's last ever album cover, then she sure went out in style. Roy Nachum's striking artwork presents the Barbadian not as a world-famous adult, but a balloon-holding girl attending her first trip to daycare while blindfolded by a gold crown. "Sometimes the ones who have sight are the blindest," the superstar explained about the sleeve, which also came accompanied with a Chloe Mitchell poem written in Braille. It was a design that expertly reflected Rihanna's evolution from teen R&B princess to serious artiste.

2020s

Bad Bunny — Un Verano Sin Ti

Designed in conjunction with the L.A. graphic artist known as Ugly Primo, the cover for Bad Bunny's Un Verano Sin Ti is perhaps best described as "happy sad." On one hand, there are palm trees, sun rays, and dolphins gliding through the air. On the other, there's a despondent, one-eyed heart who looks like they'd rather be anywhere else. Adopting a coloring book visual style, the sleeve perfectly encapsulated the record's concept of "a summer without you." Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the album's (and it's cover's) melancholic themes is its juxtaposing success: Un Verano Sin Ti went on to become the first entirely Spanish album to top the year-end Billboard 200, and the first to receive an Album Of The Year GRAMMY nod.

Beyoncé — RENAISSANCE

Having recently appeared to ditch the concept of music videos, the album cover has now become Beyoncé's dominant method of expressing herself visually. And she certainly pulled out all the stops for her dance floor-focused seventh LP, RENAISSANCE, straddling a horse constructed from mirrored disco balls while sporting a silver, helix-shaped bodysuit. Shot by Dutch fashion photographer Carlijn Jacobs, the sleeve inevitably drew comparisons with both Lady Godiva and Bianca Jagger's iconic equine entrance at Studio 54, cementing Beyoncé as today's ultimate style icon.

Charli xcx — brat

There's not many album covers that can claim to have owned an entire season. But the lime green (Pantone 3507C, to be precise) artwork for Charli xcx's zeitgeist-defining sixth LP did just that, spearheading what would become known as Brat Summer. "I wanted to go with an offensive, off-trend shade of green to trigger the idea of something being wrong," the party starter explained about the remarkably effective sleeve that, despite its apparent simplicity, took five months to execute. The fact that everyone from the London Mayor to Kamala Harris adopted the same aesthetic proved it was very right.

The Weeknd — After Hours

The Weeknd certainly committed to the visual concept for fourth LP After Hours, which began with the red-suited star staggering around Vegas in the video for "Heartless" and concluded alongside an army of bandaged dancers at the Super Bowl. The R&B lothario also portrayed the character "having a really bad night out" on its cover, hence the blood, bruises and slightly Joker-esque grin that suggests he's actually reveling in all the chaos. Ultimately, it proved that the humble album cover could still cause a stir.