Judging a Record by Its Cover

In a move that’s long overdue (in my opinion), The Grammys have announced a new category for 2026: Best Album Cover. Big news for anyone who’s ever bought a vinyl just because it looked cool.

To give you a quick bit of history – the idea of sticking artwork on records came about in the late 1930s, thanks to Alex Steinweiss, an art director at Columbia Records. He made sleeves look less like paper bags and more like something you’d actually want to own. By the end of the ’40s, record sleeves were a full-blown art form – and designers like Neil Fujita, Bob Cato and Reid Miles were making careers out of making vinyl look as good as it sounded.

Things really took off when albums started outselling singles. Artists like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones clocked that a 12" sleeve could say just as much as the music inside. Psychedelic rock, prog, heavy metal – they all went all-in on the visuals. More weird. More wild. More iconic.

And even as formats shrunk – tapes, CDs, digital – album covers kept hold of their power. Designers like Annie Leibovitz, Anton Corbijn and David LaChapelle found new ways to get noticed. Even now, in the age of the tiny thumbnail, the best ones still make you stop scrolling.

So, to celebrate the new Grammy category, I asked around Drummond Central to find out which sleeves – past or present – we think deserve a shiny gramophone of their own. Here’s what the team said:

Thom Yorke – The Eraser

Chosen by: Ross, Senior Artworker

“I loved the Eraser by Thom Yorke – a long linocut by Stanley Donwood depicting a man trying to stop a flood as it washes away London. I don't think lino prints get used enough, and the images of London landmarks caught in the waves really matched the sombre vibe of the album.”

Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Chosen by: Stephen, Executive Creative Director

“On the day it was released I was reading about the cover in Creative Review. It was designed by Paul Nicholson. I bought it that day. It was the first time I ever bought an album purely for the cover without hearing one note of music. I still listen to it now at least once a week. Timeless in many aspects.”

Lorde – Melodrama

Chosen by: Jess, Copywriter

“My favourite has to be Melodrama by Lorde. The cover is a painting by Sam McKinniss. The colours are vibrant and stunning, and the feeling you get from the art really encapsulates the album.”

Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures

Chosen by: Josh, Senior Account Manager

“The correct answer is Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division. It's a graphical representation of the radio waves emitted by the neutron star CP1919 as it rotates, and it's just so unbelievably cool.”

SZA – Z

Chosen by: Thomas, Creative

“SZA's first EP – the cover design is inspired by the beer bottle label of Anchor Brewery's California Lager, one of my favourite beers. I wouldn't take SZA for a lager drinker. But here we are.”

J Cole – Off Season

Chosen by: Ryan, Account Executive 

“As a basketball based album, it was only right to have the album cover and name to match. Also cool that his friend from school ended up being the creative behind it and they shot it at the last minute (fourth quarter), on a tight budget, the day before it had to be submitted.”

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica 

Chosen by: Sam, Account Manager  

“The best album covers are the ones you like but can't explain why.”

Kings of Leon – Only By The Night 

Chosen by: Harry, Junior Copywriter  

“It's one of the first album covers I can remember noticing properly when I was young. There's just something unique about it. There's five faces (four people, one eagle) but you only see one face. Looking at it makes me think of quiet New York streets at night. Maybe it's the darkness and the security camera-esc style, combined with track five 'Manhattan' that's made that connection for me. It's proper album art though and a banging album.”

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here 

Chosen by: Tash, Senior Art Director  

“For me it’s when you feel lost and disconnected, trying to find meaning in life. It’s about being true to yourself, not living with regret, and not letting life pass you by.”

berlioz – jazz is for ordinary people

Chosen by: Aidan, Senior Motion Graphics Designer 

“berlioz likes to refer to himself as 'If Matisse made house music' and has got come class illustrations on his singles and albums. I’m planning on collecting his single covers to hang on my walls at home. His music is also a belta style of jazzy chill house tunes that have mint instrumental beats with soft lyrics. He was incredible at the WHP last year and I am also seeing him at Glasto at the end of June.”

Pixies – Doolittle 

Chosen by: Rich, Senior Copywriter

“It's got a monkey on it. And it was designed by local lad Vaughan Oliver.”

Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around 

Chosen by: Iain, Head of Studio 

“One of the first albums I ever bought for myself, my Dad had tons of his older albums. I love this one because he was known as the man in black and this was one of the last albums he released before he died showing him dwindling out of the spotlight.”

Neil Young - On the Beach

Chosen by: Emma Chaplin, Senior Planner 

“I love everything about this cover. It’s packed full of cool easter eggs and references (like the headline of the newspaper) you can get stuck into. But it’s also just a really weird, beautiful image.  The surrealism of the car poking out of the sand, potted palm tree on the reverse and especially the 70’s print beach furniture.”

So there you have it, our rundown of the sleeves that deserve a standing ovation. Some iconic, some unexpected, some with a monkey on them. Roll on the 2026 Grammys, where I for one will be tuning in to see which album takes home best dressed.

All album covers shown belong to their respective copyright holders and are used here for editorial purposes only. We’re just fans, not rights holders.