Classic Album Covers of the 60s

The hectic cultural and political upheavals occurring in the 1960s marked a divide between the relatively stable cultural environment of the previous decade and what is now regarded as the golden age of pop music and youth culture.

Flourishing alternative cultures in the latter part of the decade laid many of the foundations of later trends and subcultures and this influence is nowhere more apparent than in record packaging, with classic graphic design and layouts reappearing again and again. This newly reformatted edition of Classic Album Covers of the 60s is a collection of over 200 of the very best (and in some cases worst) that designers had to offer throughout the decade. Representative designs from each period are illustrated in full colour, taking the reader on a journey from the wholesome joviality of the Very Merry Macs and Muscle Beach Party, through stylish and understated jazz cover designs, to the best psychedelic designs of the late 60s such as the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper and the Incredible String Band’s The 5000 Spirits.

The changing style of album cover design illustrated in Classic Album Covers of the 60s provides a fascinating reflection of changing cultural trends during a decade whose ideas and artistic expressions sought to break the prevailing rules and, so doing, laid the foundations for cover design today.

About the Author

Storm Thorgerson is a graphic designer and filmmaker who shot to prominence in 1968 as one half of Hipgnosis. Along with Aubrey Powell, he designed iconic record covers for the likes of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Genesis. In 1983 Storm formed Green Back Films and made clips for Paul Young, Yes, Robert Plant, Nik Kershaw and others. Today, Storm continues to design album covers (Phish, Cranberries, Pink Floyd, Catherine Wheel, Megadeth, Muse), to execute assorted graphics for DVDs, websites, programmes, T-shirts and to direct the occasional film. He has written and designed several books including '100 Best Album Covers' (Dorling Kindersley) and 'Eye Of The Storm' (Sanctuary Books).