With over 30 offical albums released and tons of CD singles, it's hard to miss the different cover arts that have accompanied the great music they blanket. So, what r your Top 5 favorite covers and Top 5 least favorite covers?

Top 5 faves:
1) Diamonds & Pearls
2) Controversy
3) SOTT
4) Lovesexy
5) PE

Top 5 non-faves:
1) For You
2) Black Album (It would have been cool if they had put some Glow-In-The Dark lettering on it or something...i'm just sayin')
3) Parade
4) Come
5) Chaos and Disorder

Top 5 Favorites

1. Musicology
2. 3121
3. Prince
4. 1999
5. The Rainbow Children


Top Least 5.

1. The Black Album
2. Chaos and Disorder
3. Batman
4. Parade
5. Crystal Ball
[Edited 5/11/08 17:07pm]

Favorites:
1) SOTT
2) 1999
3) Dirty Mind
4) Around the World in a Day
5) Parade

Least Favorite:
1) Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic
2) Planet Earth
3) The Rainbow Children
4) Diamonds and Pearls
5) Graffiti Bridge

My 5 favourites:

1. Sign of the Times
Perfectly matches the atmosphere and the lyrical themes of the music: the chaotic stage set-up and Prince half walking out of the picture, his face being blurred

2. Parade
Just a simple, but stark black and white 'pose' with an iconic quality

3. Around the world in a day
The vinyl version of course, with the fold out cover showing the complete scenery with the laddder in the middle. A colourfull, playfull take on those psychedelic albumcovers from the sicxties.

A bit further 'behind' those classic three:

4. 1999
Handwritten and drawn by Prince himself, quite charming.

5. Lovesexy
I am not really a person who likes to look at naked men.. lol, but its quite an iconic pose and it fits the album.

The 5 most worst:

1. Emancipation
Both the cover and especially the booklet seem to be designed by someone who is both colourblind and lacks any eye for esthetics.

2. Planet Earth
It reminds me of hindu / indian posters, but in a bad way. I don't see how it connects with the music either. Next to that the inlay photo of Prince is awfully 'gay', in an awkward way (no offense here).

3. NPS
The whole 'artwork' around that time looked so dated and amateuristic. What was he trying to express with it?: cool partypeople? afro-american awareness? a mixture of those? But why in such a corny retro-seventies kind of way?

4. Musicology
An very amateurish and cheap looking cover. While the idea is not that bad (a living three growing trough a manifactured wall = real, organic music instead of plastic music), the execution sucks.
On the other hand i must say i quite like the artwork in the booklet itself, its more subdued and stylish.

5. The Vault / Chaos and Disorder
Obligational albums: while i like them both quite a lot when it comes to the music, the artwork of both albums just 'screams': don't buy me!

Honorable mention:

Dirty Mind
The cover of this album did withhold me from buying it in the record store for years and years. I had less problems with buying the Lovesexy album then i had with buying Dirty Mind.
Alltough i personally think it still is an ugly picture of a sleazy looking 'man' in stockings, i can understand what it represented and it surely fits with the lyrics of that album.. lol
[Edited 5/11/08 18:51pm]

Riverpoet31 said:

Top 5 and not reflective of the music

1. Planet Earth, The holographic art mixed the orange 3121 logo, I just love moving it back and forth
2. Controversy, I just love it, he gives the "Do I give a fxxk" look, its a challenge to you, like or hate my music, but whatever you think I don't care. The simple newspapers behind add to our made up heroe's air of non chalance, looks like a defiant South American revolutionary (Prince meets Simon Bolivar)
3. Dirty Mind the bed springs, punk look and black and white make our hero stand out, great thing about this early gem is the music inside meets the quality of the cover. Big ups to the inner sleeve of him on the bed (masturbating?) with the song titles spraypainted on the walls
4. 3121 The simplicity of Prince's back/silhouette against an orange wall with 3121 in vamporella lettering just works!
5. ATWIAD The cover art is breathtaking a mass of images that give a clue to the personality of the artist, pity the album wasn't as good.

Worst

5. 1999, the album is incredible and breathtaking, the artwork is dreadful, reminds me of rotting meat or hippie scribbles and the sexual imaggery is dirty rather than sexy

4. The Rainbow children, was the artist on acid, and tghe images of the drummer border on the racist Jim Crow sambo caricatures.

3.New Power Soul What the Fxxk, again creepy cartoons and lettering make this album look as plastic as its contents

2. The Vault/Rave 1999 Photoshop at the worst and that look what the fxxk, crappy music, crappy art and cheep ass photoshopped drugged out lettering, hell naw

1. Chaos and Disorder Crappier graphics mixed with gothic lettering and a heart on a toilet, just not a welcomer. This album looks and sounds like a funeral

Top 5
- Parade
- For You
- Controversy
- 1999
- Lovesexy

Bottom 5
- Graffiti Bridge
- Rave
- Musicology
- Crystal Ball
- Batman



You know, I'm gonna give an honourable mention to NPS, because I think it's horribly fabulous.

Riverpoet31 said:

I'll agree with most of that - except I'll take Dirty Mind over ATWIAD

Thanks everybody for sharing your choices. I like Riverpoet's and Tane's awesome reasons for their choices, so I'm going to share my reasons just to be fair


Top 5 faves:

1) Diamonds & Pearls - I totally dig shiny things...I swear at times it's like I revert back into a 3 year old because I just at shiny things ...anyway, I like it not just because it's shiny, but because it actually brings out the title. When u say "Diamonds and Pearls", you expect something bright and shiny yet soft and classic. The cover offers just that with it's sparkly silver hologram surrounded by strands of Cream colored pearls. Plus, it has a hologram...that's cool as hell, I don't care what anybody says.

2) Controversy - Controversy just has that phenomenal shot of Prince looking serious....love when the man looks like he don't take shit from nobody and that's this picture to me; love the "Rude Boy" pin on his jacket too. Plus, I love how he has put the faux newspapers on the front and back of the booklet. The photo just pops for me. Very good album cover to put to such a great album that delves into many different areas as shown by the headings of the faux newspapers. Some day, I will get a microscope and read the inside, because my vision isn't that amazing.

3) SOTT - This cover is a clusterfuck....but in a great way. It kinda tells u that this album isn't going to be one-dimensional at all before you even put the CD in the player. I love how you can barely see him in the right bottom corner. He was using his alter ego Camille on this album, so it's like that tiny, blurry piece of him is just signifying that this isn't entirely him on this record. It's beautiful chaos just like the album.


4) Lovesexy - Prince naked sitting inside a flower. It's soo revealing and I think that's what he wanted for this album. After scrapping the Black Album and choosing to release this one, I think he did this cover to strip away the darkness he felt on the Black Album....or he just wanted to get naked and sit in a flower, I don't know For all I know, it was probably just really hot that day. The fact that they had to sell this album in a brown paper bag when it first came out makes me love it even more, because the album doesn't really have any overly-sexual songs on it. I have this cover on my Myspace page and it's HUGE, so when people see it and I ask them do they like the Prince picture, most of them (not being Prince fans) are like, "That was Prince? I thought that was a chick."

5) PE - I'm one of the many who isn't a fan of PE, but I like the cover because, like I stated above, I can revert to being 3 at times. It changes and it's got pretty colors. Now, if he could have only gotten rid of the inside photo, that would have been great.


Top 5 non-faves:

1) For You - I don't like that dayglow or whatever it's called image at all. I realize the album was released in the late 70s, so that explains it, but it just seems really blurry and rushed to me. You can barely see him. It doesn't say anyting about the album at all to me, and it's a very good album, so I don't get the weak-ass cover.

2) Black Album Like I stated originally, it would have been cool if they had put some Glow-In-The Dark lettering on it or something (hell, they had T-shirts back when this album was released that changed color with body heat, so I know they had Glow-In-The-Dark ink). It's a black square...seriously, WTF?!?! I realize that it was never supposed to be released, so I blame this bullshit on Warners. Sure, Prince was probably being a baby about the whole thing and refused to agree on a real cover, but they couldn't come up with something a little better? Uh, okay. If they had put a glow-in-the dark design or lettering on it, it would have been a whole lot better. All that mirror lettering used on soo many of Prince's covers and booklets and nobody could do something better for this cover..sad.

3) Parade - The reason I don't like Parade's cover art is actually fickle on my part...it's side-ways. Now many may find that cool, but it's annoying as hell to me, because I constantly flip it around in the CD case because I forget that it's supposed to be like that. I don't like the picture either...it frightens me just a tad bit sometimes. It just creeps me out. It's weird, because I love the vinyl's cover ( I know, right), but hate the CD's. On the inside of my vinyl's jacket, there are signatures from all the band, but I don't see them on the CD jacket.

4) Come - I hate this photo of him. I had a love/hate relationship with that Prince hairstyle. There were times when I loved it, ie Diamonds and Pearls, O+> , and The Hits covers, but there are times when I hated that shit, ie. GoldNigga video and on this shitty cover. Maybe it's the facial expression that pushes me to the "I wanna cut it all off" side in this case. I don't like how this cover is all depressing and morbid, when the music really isn't. I'm not 100% sure, but it looks like he's standing in front of the Sagrada Family Temple in Barcelona, Spain. I've seen it and it's absolutely breathtaking with an amazing history, but it's all dark and sinister looking on this cover (something that it really isn't at all IMO), but like I said, I can't remember if that is what he's standing in front of.

5) Chaos and Disorder - This cover is along the same lines as "Come"...depressing and morbid, except now it's in color, only shows his eye with a fake tear added, all his accolades, what could be the infamous "Vault" (or just where he keeps all his money/clothes/shoes/haircare products), and has a heart sitting in a toilet. I get all the symbolism used here by Prince, but I really don't want to see his feud with Warner everytime I wanna listen to the album...which is very seldom, because I think it's a hot mess. Prince says his music is very important to him, but on this whole album, it's like he was just releasing songs to get out of his contract (which would be true). The album cover just shows someone who's pissed off, fed-up, and doesn't really care anymore to me. All his awards sitting on a cheap-looking table pissed me off a little. Was he trying to say "thanks Warners" for signing me so I could get these, was he bragging about them, was he offering them back for his 'musical freedom', or did he just not care about them...terrible cover for a terrible album...makes total sense in the end.


Hey, terrible cover or great cover, I'm happy that all the albums have at least one good song on each of them.
[Edited 5/14/08 17:50pm]

Faves.

1.1999- the styling of the letters along with the purple backdrop give it a special flavor that prepares you for the journey ahead (the Eye on the middle of the record is a special touch that cant be beat)

2.Dirty mind- One look at the black and white backdrop with this half naked dude in a speedo looking back at you just commands attention. at first you are curious because you dont know if this is going to be good then BLAAOOOOWWW. you get smashed over the head with groove after groove (plus you get 'gotta broken heart again' which is a great slow jam)

3.Controversy- cover stands out, cool facial expression and fake newspaper headlines are good for a chuckle,

4.Purple rain-the purple motorcycle is awesome

5.Prince- i wish i had hair like that

Least faves.

1.Lovesexy-i can deal with the half naked pose but it just seems like its missing something, its too light

2.the gold experience- i dont like how hes hiding behind the gold glow, it strains my eyes and i have 20/20 vision

3.Rave un2 the joy fantastic- wow no words neccesary here

4.the rainbow children- dont like the album, dont like the cover

5.around the world in a day- dont like the style of artwork

top 5 faves....

1.1999
2.diamonds & pearls
3.sign o the times
4.chaos & disorder
5.lovesexy

top 5 least faves...

1.for you
2.rave unto the joy fantastic
3.emancipation
4.the gold experience
5.prince

Top 5

1. PARADE - he looks amazing! The gatefold for the vinyl is even better with all the picks inside - and I love the way that when you open it out, both images join together with his navel on the spine!

2. Controversy - Again he looks flawless and his stare is hypnotising. Along with all the tabloid headlines, it was the perfect image to represent the album!

3. 1999 - Just so much going on in this album cover. The artwork reminds me of being an Art student and the kind of scribbles and shit that lined my sketch book. I love the inclusion of his eyes and lips and the fact it states 'and the revolution'!

4. ATWIAD - Again, such great art work. You can look at it for ages and keep finding something new. I love the way that when you open out the full gatefold, the psychodelic hills are the outline of a naked woman reclining! I also loved the fact that all the single releases (except Paisley Park) covers, were enlrged sections of the album cover!

5. LOVESEXY - The album that took Prince to the next level! After his bad experience from the Black album - Prince wanted to wear his heart on his sleeve and bear all - not just spritually but phisically as well it seems. Apparently his head was shrunk by a third to make it look more in proportion to his body for the cover - and if you've ever been up close to him, you wouldn't argue this!




Least faves are,


1 - The Vault - Bad hair day!!!!! And he looks majorly pissed off too! Brat!!!

2 - The Rainbow children - Nothing really 'Princey about it other than him on the spine in some awful green jumper. Bleugh!

3 - Emancipation - Has the original proposed cover for the Dawn project with the inclusion on of broken shackles and chains over it as a final dig to Warners! Crap either way!

4 - Come - Bland and again, Bad Hair!!! That Typhoon thing was just wrong!

5 - For You - Not my favourite image of Prince but the album is amazing!




Have not wasted a vote on Black as it seems a waste, even though I think as a publicity statement or whatever, it actually served a good purpose and therefore don't dislike it as much as expected.

best:

1. sott
2. atwiad
3. graffiti bridge
4. diamonds and pearls
5. the rainbow children


worst
1. dirty mind
2. 1999 the new master
3. the purple medley
4. prince
5. rave

best:
1999 - excellent cover, the best, personal, artistic, lots of smaller images to see, double meanings, symbolic in an uncontrived way, fun and naughty everything a rock star should be!!
lovesexy - clever, artistic beautiful example of graphic art
parade - brilliant photography with classic quality graphic design
N.E.W.S. - inspired design beautifully executed packaging design.
Diamonds and pearls holographic cover - new, forward thinking, unique, fab pic of Prince with wendy and lisa - ooh and a smoking shot which is unusual.


worst:
crystal ball - looks like my 11 year old got hold of microsoft office and came up a real bad logo! pixelated, rough!
come - appalling photography, quite scary, wierdy long legs, bad hair.
symbol - way to wierd, too many symbollic gestures, and wierdy mayte shots
prince for you - basic uninspired just-signed record co cant be arsed to do anything different shot, however now iconic as a sign of the times
3121 - uninspired, cryptic, boring graphic design almost no thought involved.

ooh and:
ATWIAD - awful awful awful graphics and drawings
Graphiti Bridge - again awful awful graphics they coulda done sooo much with that brief!

I would LOVE to design a Prince album cover!!!

his recent offerings have not been too hot either theres a penchant in his camp for anything computer generated and they have let the design element slip - sometimes its good to go back to basics and create a really strong design. My ethos has always been just cos a computer CAN do it doesnt mean it should be utilised in design! Crystal Ball looks like a classic 'DTP' offering from the 90s like someones secretary came up with it!!

I remember finding my copy of DAP in New York when it first came out and it wasnt in the Uk yet! I was so excited to flick through the racks and see that holographic cover glinting up at me, ill never forget it, its still unique in my collection of mixed artists, does anyone else know of a similar cover by anyone else? It was new technology then, although it had been around for art and specialist projects - as far as i know no-one had ever used it for CD design and to think nowadays its on every bank card, every pound, passport etc.
[Edited 5/15/08 10:06am]
[Edited 5/15/08 10:07am]
[Edited 5/15/08 10:15am]
[Edited 5/15/08 10:17am]

.
[Edited 12/19/12 17:27pm]

my fave is purple rain

fonkee said:

Good point!!

BEST

PURPLE RAIN
PARADE
SOTT
PRINCE-DIRTY MIND
MUSICOLOGY

WORST

N.E.W.S
CRYSTAL BALL
CHOAS & DISORDER
LOVE SYMBOL ALBUM

Why do so many people list Purple Rain as a best cover art?


I would love to know, it looks like someone wrapped the cd in wrapping or wall paper and stuck a photo on the front. Even back then I thought it was an awful cover, some may think now that its retro or something but i say no it wasnt even 80s feeling in the 80s it was just bland and awful.

Its the kind of cover that makes you cringe and hide it when you have friends over 'eh yes - sorry i like Prince' - 'the music will speak for itself' - kinda stuff, thank god we have computers now and we dont need to constantly get the awful covers out on display when we want to hear the albums. I never got why that shot of him and the bike is so awful and yet he looked so good in the actual film?

syble said:

my only complaint about the art of purple rain, was the sleeve inside. b4 additional printings of the album, it was hard 2 read the lyrics due 2 the picture of the lake and the purple writing

L4OATheOriginal said:

You had vinyl then? Ive only got the CD

syble said:

and i still have it on vinyl and all of his albums, protege, 12 inches and 7 inches as well

...
[Edited 5/19/08 18:03pm]

Best

1. Controversy
2. Parade
3. Thieves In The Temple Single (and/or Lovesexy)
4. Prince
5. Dirty Mind


Worst

1. The Gold Experience
2. Musicology
3. Rave
4. Come
5. NPS

L4OATheOriginal said:

ooohhh!

so you have a huge collection of cover art!

you still have a turn table then? I havent heard my LPs for 15 years - no turn table!

syble said:

Oh my, I LOVE my vinyl!!!! It just sounds so much better! Alot of my stuff in my vinyl collection is purely for the collection and never been played! But then other stuff - especially the extended versions of like Paisley Park, Anotherloverholenyohead, Love or Money, La, la, la, He, he, hee! All the b-sides from around the world in a day etc, etc.

Can't beat it!!!!

Oooooops! Jacked the thread - (again!). Sorry!!!

you love your vinyl eh?