The Stories Behind Iconic Album Covers
The portrait album cover is as common as it is routinely unremarkable. But sometimes, the right pairing of photographer and musician leads to career-defining imagery for both parties—sights that distill complex sounds. Some of those working relationships ended up imploding; others led to ongoing visual collaborations. The recently released book “Total Records: Photography and the Art of the Album Cover” explores these dynamics, and the stunning pictures that emerged from them. Pitchfork spoke with the book’s editor, curator and photo historian Antoine de Beaupré, to trace the origins of six covers that simultaneously highlight the best of art photography.
