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It is always a delight to see different and creative album covers and the following are definitely a cut above the rest.

1. The Mars Volta-Frances the Mute

This cover shows two cars- one is standing a few feet in front of the other. Both the drivers are wearing blue suits and their faces are covered with red velvet cloth bags. They are both staring straight ahead and the band’s name is etched onto the top right corner.

2. Michael Jackson – Dangerous
The album is hugely popular and the album cover contributed to some of the success. Initially, the album was encased in a large box which showed the singer’s eyes and when it was opened, the normal cover was revealed. It was peppered with Occult Symbolism, Freemasonic symbols and a photograph of Aleister Crowley- a ceremonial magician.

3. Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon

Dark Side of the Moon released in 1973 and the cover art was appreciated because it was simple and clear cut. It shows a white light entering from the left and going through a prism and an array of beautiful colors bursts out from the other side. The background is black and the band and album’s title is in a circle on the right.

4. Circa Survive: On Letting Go

The background of this album cover is purple and grey. A frail and bony girl is floating in the sky and a parachute like object seems to be bursting out of head- only she doesn’t have a head. Fire is coming out of the bottom of the ‘parachute’ and engulfing her head.

5. The Last Goodnight- Poison Kiss

This album cover features an apple that has a part of it bitten off. A skinny green snake is curled around it and its mouth is open. The color of the background is a combination of purple and grey while the album title and band’s name is featured on the left.

These album covers meant to look artsy and different and needless to say, they managed so well that they end up sparking controversy through the country.

1. The Origin of the Feces

This album was released by Type O Negative in 1992 and the cover photo was said to be ‘cheeky’. It featured a derriere that was held by two hands and the image was in gray. It was said that it belonged to Peter Steele, the lead vocalist.

2. Far Beyond Driven

This album by Pantera was released in 1994. It showed a drill that was sticking out of a human’s anus. It was then replaced with the image of a skeleton and the same drill, it seemed, was coming out of his forehead instead.

3. Amorica

This album was released in 1994 by The Black Crowes. It showed a woman wearing an underwear which had the American flag printed on it. A few strands of hair were poking out which is why it was banned.

4. Appetite for Destruction

This Guns n Roses album was released in 1987. The name was taken from a painting by Robert Williams. The cover showed a very graphic rape scene which is why retailers across the country refused to stock the album. The cover was then replaced by a common image of skulls.

5. Holy Wood in the Shadow of the Valley of Death

The cover of this album by Marilyn Manson released in 2000 shows the singer against a black background. His arms are stretched upwards and it looks as though he is being crucified. The disturbing part is that his jaw is missing and when he was asked about that, he replied saying that it was symbol of censorship. The image is very violent and was later removed completely from the album cover.

These albums were released during the 1970s – a decade which saw the coming in of new Rock and Roll artists, phenomenal breakthroughs in the world of art and culture, the whole hippie era, and the improvement of those who changed the music scene during the 60s.

1. The Beatles – Let It Be (1970)

Even when John Lennon and Paul McCartney do not get along, they manage to make beautiful music together. This album was recorded in 1969, prior to “Abbey Road”, but was released a year later. This album includes beautiful, memorable music, that will stay in people’s hearts and minds even today, with hits such as “Two Of Us” and “I’ve Got A Feeling”. “Let it Be” also marks the last album the band released together before disbanding in 1970.

2. Saturday Night Fever – Various Artists (1978)

The movie marked to be one of John Travolta’s most successful movies as a newcomer, along with “Grease” co-starring Olivia Newton John. It would not be fair for the soundtrack of the movie to be successful as well. It did, after all, send the first four singles to the #1 spot. This not only sent the movie and John Travolta to the golden spot, but The Bee Gees as well, who at that point, were hitting any music awards show on the planet.

3. Michael Jackson – Off the Wall (1979)

This album marks the first for Michael Jackson as a solo artist, away from The Jackson 5, the group he had been a part of with his brothers at time. This also marked the first collaboration between Jackson and Quincy Jones. They also collaborated together on Jackson’s most successful album, 1984’s “Thriller”. “Off The Wall” includes different tracks with different melodies, such as “Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough”, which makes you want to dance at a night club, and “She’s Out Of My Life”, which makes you want to get some tissues to dry off some tears. All tracks in the album were written by Jackson himself.

4. John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band (1970)

By the time this album came out, John Lennon was already a star in the making for a very long time. He was, after all, one fourth of the most powerful band in the 60s, The Beatles. This was the debut album of John Lennon away from The Beatles, with such hits as “Mother” and “Well, Well, Well”. Beforehand, Lennon released three experimental albums, along with his wife, Yoko Ono, and a live performance in 1969.

5. Abba – Ring Ring (1973)

This was the beginning of an era for this Swedish pop group. Its four members consisted of two real life close friends, who wrote all music and lyrics together, with their wives as leading vocals. “Ring Ring” was released in a limited release in several territories such as Australia, South Africa, and Mexico, on March 26, 1973. It was not released in the UK until 1992, and in the US three years later. The band started out in 1972 with the track “People Need Love”, but it was not until the title track of the album was released that they agreed to be a permanent group.

There is really no barometer by which one can measure the sales figures of music albums. Information before 1980s was not verifiable, and data from developing countries is also not very reliable. However, based on a lot of figures available, these are the largest selling music albums of all time, in any genre.

1. Michael Jackson – Thriller
Release in 1982, this album by Michael Jackson has been at the top of this list for a long time. It was the first album where music videos were used to promote the album. It also helped Jackson to break racial barriers and make him a pop icon. The album won eight Grammy’s at the 1984 Grammy show.

2. AC/DC  – Back in Black
This was the 7th album released b y Australian Hard Rock band AC/DC. The album has been re-mastered and re-released thrice in 1994, and 1997 and in 2004. It has some of their biggest hits, such as “You shook me all night long””and the title song “Back in Black”. It is the biggest selling album of all times by any band.

3. Meat Loaf  –  Bat out of Hell
This album was developed by singer Meat Loaf from the musical Neverland. Since 1975 they were writing rehearsing the songs, and for the next two and half years they were rejected by many record companies. However in 1977, Todd Rungren agreed to produce this album, and the rest as they say, was history.

4. Pink Floyd  – The dark side of Moon
Released in 1973, this album’s prism image cover is one of the most recognisable of all time. Many music critics have dubbed it as the most influential and greatest albums ever. The music is about mental illness and about greed and conflict, and has been their most commercially successful music album.

5. Eagles  – Their greatest hits (1971-1975)
This is a compilation of the hit singles of Eagles, and covers more than the four years mentioned in the title of the album. It was an instant hit on its release and the fact that it continues to top the charts shows the popularity of this country rock band.