What Makes an Iconic Album Cover?
Storm Thorgerson’s bold, visionary designs have made his album artwork a staple of the progressive rock scene of the past 60 years.
Written by Caroline Pastrano
Illustrated by Angela Mikaela Mendiola
The Dark Side of the Moon artwork is so notable that even those far from being rock connoisseurs can easily recognize the Pink Floyd album at first glance. The simple design of a prism refracting a beam of light presented against a plain black backdrop has a pristine appeal, making it the ideal composition to plaster on t-shirts, mugs, and stickers in gift shops everywhere, nearly to the point of becoming a completely separate entity from its source material. Unlike with traditional art, however, the artists behind popular graphic designs are rarely given the recognition they deserve. Storm Thorgerson is no exception.
Thorgerson was an artist and designer who frequently collaborated with well-known musical artists, remaining active from 1968 until his death in 2013. His career began with and evolved alongside the rise of progressive rock as a genre, during which time he worked closely with Pink Floyd throughout the group's nearly 50-year run. He also designed works for dozens of other artists, including other classic rock legends like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath as well as more recent prog rock entries like Muse and The Mars Volta. There are unmistakable shared qualities throughout Thorgerson’s body of work, and these distinct traits allow his art to remain a staple of rock music to this day.
Progressive rock is a genre marked by experimentation, often featuring unusual time signatures and genre-atypical classical and jazz-inspired instrumentation. Thorgerson’s work perfectly complements these musical trends, and we can look to the aforementioned Dark Side of the Moon as a great example. Thorgerson was given minimal direction from the band when it came to the album artwork, only the suggestion of something clean and simplistic. Thus, the enduring prism design was born.
Image courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment
Primarily inspired by Pink Floyd’s usage of laser light effects at its live shows, the notorious album cover gives away little to nothing about the actual music itself. Released in 1973, The Dark Side of the Moon is a concept album that follows a human life from start to finish, exploring themes of freedom, mental illness, and the state of the human condition. For a musical work this vast and thematically bold, less is more when it comes to artwork. The prism is an ideal symbol for this album to attach itself to, distinct and aesthetically pleasing without being overly flashy. It allows the music of the album to speak for itself, but still ensures a striking first impression. Progessive rock tends to lack the catchy hooks and power chords of more traditional forms of rock and pop, meaning that the imagery of this music is what will often remain most prominent in people’s minds. Thorgerson is certainly successful in this regard, seeing how culturally significant in its own right this image has become. For many, it’s likely to be the first visual they associate with Pink Floyd. With this level of necessary balance between impressions and imagery, it is vital to create cover art that will truly last. With The Dark Side of the Moon, Thorgerson has done just that.
Much of Thorgerson’s other design work departs from the simplicity of the Pink Floyd prism, however. He often employed his penchant for photo manipulation through the pursuit of a heavily surrealist style. Perhaps one of the greatest examples of this tendency graces the cover of another one of Pink Floyd’s most famous works, the 1975 album Wish You Were Here. While the art of The Dark Side of the Moon is simple and coherent, the design for Wish You Were Here seeks to confuse. Pictured on this album cover are two men, one of whom is on fire, shaking hands with each other on a slab of concrete against a bright blue sky. An edge of the photo appears seared into the page, as if the fire has overtaken the bounds of the image itself. As an album, Wish You Were Here explores the harsh realities of the music industry and the difficulties of life within it, bookended by two halves of the 26-minute suite "Shine on You Crazy Diamond," a work dedicated to former band member Syd Barrett who retired in 1968, early in the band’s tenure, due to deteriorating mental health.
Image courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment
With this cover, Thorgerson encapsulates the hidden ruthlessness that can underscore formal business deals and the figurative concept of “getting burned.” The stiff posing and plain background appear clean and corporate, providing a great contrast to the bright flames that permeate the scene, hinting at a barely concealed inner turmoil. This type of surreal imagery and metaphor is common throughout Thorgerson’s work, to the point where much of it is instantly recognizable as his own. Many of his designs feature human figures acting out strange situations, or everyday objects arranged in such a way that they no longer appear familiar. The visual themes of his other works may stray far from the clarity of The Dark Side of the Moon’s cover, but certain important traits remain consistent. There is precise attention to detail in all of Thorgerson’s design work, all of which features clean, distinct lines and forms arranged as intentionally as possible. This means that even works like the hypnagogic cover of Wish You Were Here are pleasing to look at, and ultimately quite memorable.
Thorgerson passed away from cancer in 2013 at the age of 69, towards the end of Pink Floyd’s tenure as a group. As with the music it accompanies, his artwork continues to hold an important spot in today’s cultural consciousness. Thorgerson will always be remembered as one of the most crucial contributors to the imagery of Western popular culture, even by those who do not know his name.