Since the beginning of recorded sound, when Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, music has diversified in a snowball manner. Designs evolved over the early 20th century from original cylindrical recordings to the eventual arrival of disc-shaped LPs in the early 1930s.
As technological advancements in recording and playback burgeoned over the middle of the 1900s, so too did the development and diversification of musical style. The arrival of rock ‘n’ roll music in the 1950s marked the beginning of recorded music as a commercially impactful product. Moving into the 1960s, marketing naturally became increasingly important for recordings made by musical artists as a means of promoting sales.
As time moved on, and the 1960s design revolution boomed, the artwork became more and more important to not only sell the record at hand but deliver the artist’s message. The aesthetic had become just as important as the sonics that lay within the gatefold.
Fast-forward to the modern age and it’s easy to see how album cover art has come to reflect the work it is promoting. With the focus moving toward streamed music over the past 20 years, it seems album artwork is no less important to music lovers and artists alike. Much of modern music contains samples and covers that pay tribute to the musical icons of yesteryear. It appears that artists often also opt to sample and pastiche the aesthetic ideas used by their forbears to pay homage and grab the listener’s attention.
Today, we explore some of the most iconic and memorable album artwork inspired by previous designs.
Hip-hop album artwork inspired by other albums:
Childish Gambino – Awaken My Love & Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
When Childish Gambino released his 2016 third studio album, Awaken My Love, the rapper surprised his fans with a change in style from his usual, more conventional rap music to something a bit heavier with psychedelic funk elements reminiscent of the classic Funkadelic album Maggot Brain.
In a respectful fashion, he paid homage to his key influence for the album artwork by presenting a pastiche of the manic looking head displayed on the Maggot Brain cover. The updated parody features an elaborate white headdress in place of the afro hairstyle seen on the 1971 Funkadelic classic.
Sean Price – Songs in the Key of Price & Stevie Wonder – Songs In the Key of Life
The late Sean Price was one of New York’s finest rappers of the 1990s. His vocals were unique in the rap world, and one could tell from listening to his music that the aural quality of his rapping was important to him. It would therefore seem appropriate that his 2015 posthumous release, Songs In the Key of Price, should pay homage to one of his vocal icons, Stevie Wonder.
The album parodies not just the name, but also the design, which copies the circular layered feature framing a portrait of himself. The only difference between the two designs is the purple colour scheme Price used in place of the original orange used for Stevie Wonder’s 1976 masterpiece Songs In the Key of Life.
Tech N9ne – Killer & Michael Jackson – Thriller
Michael Jackson released one of the most commercially successful albums of all time with Thriller in 1982. The groundbreaking pop album was polished off with a horror-inspired music video which revolutionised video production for music releases. On a very different musical wavelength, hardcore rap icon Tech N9ne decided to create a comical parody of Jackson’s classic album cover.
Where Jackson lay down looking suave and sexy in a white suit, Tech N9ne now lay in a similar position wearing a straight jacket. He also opted to elevate the shock factor by using a blood-red font for the album title. While the music within couldn’t be more different, the albums share their bold statement and a link to horror.
Kanye West – Life of Pablo & Madonna – Nothing Fails
Kanye West has never been one to hide it when he takes inspiration from others. His music is mostly formed from the building blocks of samples, and the album art for his 2016 album The Life of Pablo is no deviation from this trend. The cover art for the controversial artist’s seventh studio album was inspired by the artwork used for Madonna’s single ‘Nothing Fails’.
It is unclear whether West is showing respect for Madonna or if it’s a cheeky warning to let her know he’s hot on her historic heels as one of the biggest names in popular music. The similarities are obvious with the layered text and overlapping photos. Another slight parallel could be also drawn between the cover of Life of Pablo and the artwork on Radiohead’s In Rainbows with its text separated with a slash repeated down the cover.
Nas – Illmatic & Howard Hanger Trio – A Child Is Born
There are few people who will try and judge the legitimacy of Nas’ seminal debut album Illmatic as one of hip-hop’s most prominent foundation stones. The record not only catapulted the New York rapper to the top of the musical pile but hinted, from the very start, of Nas’ legend status.
The rapper’s artwork was directly inspired by the Howard Hanger Trio album A Child Is Born and the rumours are that Nas’ grandfather and ultimate jazz legend Olu Dara Jones may have had something to do with the albums being selected.
