Album Covers - Analysis

The album cover represents the band/artist through the artwork, fonts and album name. They are a persuasive element in selling the band/artist's music by looking good; this is established by creativity, originality, individuality and being artistic. Codes and conventions are used to communicate to the audience. The conventions are:

• Album name
• Band/artists name
• Track list
• Image associated with the band
• Price
• Barcode
• Copyright information
• Record Label

'Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band'- The Beatles

At the time of release this album cover was revolutionary, as it was entirely original to any other album covers. The cover is a product of pop art, a revolution in art as high class art was merged with popular culture, the artwork on this cover is by Peter Blake.
The cover contains many codes representing the genre of music and the band. The flowers in the foreground represent and are associated with the hippie movement of love and peace in the 60's. The drum in the centre is code for the music being produced by the Beatles, however it is also linked to the concept of the album, circus theme which is a connotation of being fun and lively. The costume worn by the band also connotates the circus theme as they are dressed as circus ring leaders in their attire, also the bright colours of blue, pink and yellow are code for happiness.
The Beatles are established as being legends, as they are position centre of an entourage of legends such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. This positioning is significant to for the bands own confidence as they consider themselves as legends.
The blue sky in the background is code for freedom and hope, hope for the bands future. Also the palm tree is code for them being on some exotic island, separating the band for the audience breaking away from the british.
'Nevermind'-Nirvana

This simple album cover makes a politic statement, as it connotates that the American society is turning human beings into consumers; and there are many codes that connotate this ideology.
Straight away the image of a naked baby in this bright blue water is a very striking image, which is extremley eye catching and contreversial at the same time. The innocence of the baby is coded by baby being naked, this also codes that the baby is un-touched by society, care free and it has it's youth. The blue water surrounding the baby is code for enternal and is beautiful.
However the beauty is spolit by the simply use of a dollar bill on a fishing hook. The dollar represents the American culture and that it's consumerism has gone too far. As the money is on the hook refelcts that everyone in the American society is hooked and pulled along by this element of society.
The font of the album name 'Nevermind' has a underwater effect which adds to the idea of the baby in the water. The 'Nirvana' font is a deliberate construction by the band, it holds a sense of elegance, pride, purity, confidence as it is bold. However there are undertones of death by the bold gothic font.
The whole album is a juxtaposition of the grunge bands style and image.
'Life in Cartoon Motion'- Mika

Straight away the album cover beams happiness and fun through the stiking use of bright colours and shapes. The colours refelect an element of primary school, associated with demographics of the target audience of pop music. Like the 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band' there is a use of flowers representing the hippie, love and peace element of Mika's music. Surrounded by the flowers are two records, this is code for retro elements expanding the audience of this cover. The white dove reflects the harmony and freedom, which is made by the lyrics in the artists songs and in the audience of children. The cartoon images are child friendly, fun and entertaining. The image composed in the corner of the cover, of the man on the sofa (representing normality) is as if he is floating showing that he is dreaming, lost in his fantasy which is a big element of fun and the music created. The image of the artist is descret as it is in sepia, this is because the image and style of the artist is constrcuted through the imagery. The artist's name is in bold and looks as if it is on a zoom, making it futuristic, the future of 20th century pop music. The album name is caligraphical written as if the artwork has been signed. The swirly font is close to the font used in the Walt Disney company associated with the happiness of children.

'Definitely Maybe'- Oasis

• Set in a living room; everyday ordinary average band, family, tight, close band.
• Positioning; the lead singer is centre foreground- lying on the floor gives a sense of arrogance, he is pensive and confident. Guitarist is second closest therefore is second important as he writes the music and plays the lead guitar. The other members are less important as they are in the background.
• Props; wine shows an element of sophistication as it is in a glass. Cigarettes reflect the working class, juxtaposition to the wine and sophistication, the bands norm. Globe, reflects their ambition to be global, to take over the world, sense of arrogance. The picture of a Man City player; their roots, influences, working class.
• Use of colour; blue sky- freedom, hope and ambition.
• Band Font is like a tabloid newspaper style
• 'Definitely Maybe'- handwritten, sense of human and normality

'Stars of CCTV' - Hard-Fi

• Alike Nirvana's 'Nevermind' album both covers are making a statement about society
• The statement 'Stars of CCTV' codes the idea of Big Brother that every movement of each individual is being watched and followed by society
• The colours yellow and black are used to create a striking impact on the audience due to the brightness of the yellow and the contrast between the two.
• Also the colours resemble the tape used to indicate some sort of danger for warning. Therefore these contrasting colours are like a warning of what society is becoming.
• There is no apparent image of the band on the cover but a simple CCTV camera which is used universially, on warning signs of the equipment. This is pushing the convention of having an image of the band but at the same time coding the impact of society and our way of living.
• The image also reflects the title- 'stars of CCTV'.
• The image also codes that as this is Hard-Fi's first album that they will now by 'stars' in the eyes of the media attention.
• The album and band name are both in an ordinary bold font reflecting the simplicity of the message being put across in the album cover

'Hot Mess' - Cobra Starship

• The album imediately codes what the music genre is and who the bands target audience is.
• The album name is tatooed on the inside of the girls bottom lip- it is part of the image which is unconventional- it is also pervocative as it is on her lips which are usually associated with seduction- tatoo's are a big part of the teenage culture as they are a sign of rebellion and art.
• The nail varnish is different on every finger this codes the artistic side of the band- the bright colours and designs code that the band are fun, youthful and experimental like their audience- each nail is a different design this reflects the bands individually and want to be different to every other band of the genre.
• The bands symbol of a cobra, which is an immediate association with the band, is pervocatively placed within the girls cleavage. This exploits sexual imagery to sell the album.
• The image of the girl is as if she is/ has been sweating this clearly links to the title hot mess and uses the idea of sexual imagery to sell the band and album. The image is not fully visible as there is no need to see it as the image exploits the band and album without seeing the woman's face.
• The font style of 'Cobra Starship' uses a range of colours this has an element of fun, youth, and character to the band. The font is quite futuristic as the letters are very angular this links to the band name 'starship' and gives the band an identity of being new and going to do and bring great things in the future.