Music Album Covers Featuring the Artwork of Shusei Nagaoka

Composite image of 16 album covers featuring the artwork of Shusei Nagaoka.

Shusei Nagaoka (長岡秀星, Nagaoka Shūsei, November 26, 1936 – June 23, 2015), a renowned Japanese illustrator, gained significant recognition in the 1970s and 1980s for his captivating album cover art. His work appears on the covers of albums by artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Electric Light Orchestra, and Jefferson Starship. Nagaoka's artwork is characterized by its futuristic and imaginative themes, often depicting otherworldly landscapes, cosmic scenes, and fantastical elements. His meticulous airbrush technique and vibrant color palettes create a sense of depth and dynamism in his illustrations, making them visually striking and memorable.

Lest we think these album covers themes of space and future slightly anachronistic and quaint, we should keep in mind that impact of the moon landing at the end of the 1960s. The Apollo 11 mission in 1969, which saw humans land on the moon for the first time, had a profound impact on popular culture and the collective imagination of the 1970s. A 1970s record executive: “Get me some spaceships on that cover!”.

Here are 16 albums by Shusei Nagaoka:

Caldera - “Sky Islands” (1977)
Caldera - “Time and Chance” (1978)
Deep Purple - “When We Rock” (1969)
Earth Wind and Fire - “All ‘N All” (1977)

Electric Light Orchestra - “Out of the Blue” (1977)
Jefferson Starship - “Spitfire” (1976)
Kitaro - “Oasis” (1979)
Mandré - “Mandré Two” (1978)

Munich Machine - “Munich Machine” (1977)
Parlet - “Pleasure Principle” (1978)
Space - “Deliverance (US Edition)” (1977)
Space - “Just Blue” (1978)

Sun - “Destination Sun” (1979)
The Godz - “The Godz” (1978)
The Skyliners - “The Skyliners” (1978)
The States - “The States” (1979)

Music Album Covers with Surreal Imagery (including Salvador Dalí)

Composite image of 16 album covers featuring surreal imagery.

What makes an image surreal? One answer is that the image tends to be dreamlike and taps into your unconscious, presenting ordinary elements put together in unexpected ways.

Here are 16 album covers featuring surreal imagery. Three of the covers feature artwork by the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí (1904 – 1989), who also appears on one of the albums. The remaining album covers are reminiscent of artists like Dalí and René Magritte (1898 – 1967). The latter is covered in a separate post Music Album Covers Featuring the Surreal Imagery of René Magritte.

We left out many albums to come up with this group of 16 covers. It’s very much a subjective choice. Stay tuned for a possible part two of surreal album covers.

Biffy Clyro - Puzzle (2007)
Jackie Gleason - Lonesome Echo (1955) - cover by Salvador Dalí
James Black - Friends That Break Your Heart
Klaus Schulze - Timewind (1975)

Liz Green - Haul Away! (2014)
Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)
Nick Hakim - Greem Twins (2017)
Ray Lynch - The Best Of (1998)

Rufus du Sol - Surrender (2012)
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush (2020)
The Answer - New Horizon (2013)
The Curtis Fuller Sextette - Imagination (1960)

Various - Dalí - The Endless Enigma (1990) - cover by Salvador Dalí
Various - Dalí in Venice (1962) - cover by Salvador Dalí
Wilsen - I Go Missing in My Sleep (2017)
Yanni - Keys to Imagination (1986)

Music Album Covers Featuring the Surreal Imagery of René Magritte

Composite of 16 album art covers featuring René Magritte artwork. 

What makes an image surreal? One answer is that the image tends to be dreamlike and taps into your unconscious, presenting ordinary elements put together in unexpected ways.

René Magritte (1898 – 1967), a Belgian Surrealist artist, is celebrated for his thought-provoking and enigmatic paintings that challenge perceptions of reality. His influence extended beyond traditional art galleries, including in the world of music through album covers. Magritte's works, such as "The Listening Room" (1958) and "The Philosopher's Lamp" (1936), have appeared on the covers of albums like The Jeff Beck Group's "Beck-Ola" (1969) and Alan Hull's "Pipedream" (1973).

Magritte’s surreal imagery, characterized by unexpected juxtapositions and dream-like scenes, still resonates with us today as fresh, if not often copied and parodied. Magritte's art often features motifs like bowler-hatted men, floating objects, and mysterious landscapes.

Here are 16 album covers featuring artwork by René Magritte:

Alan Hull - “Phantoms” (1979)
Alan Hull - “Pipedream” (1973)
Bats in the Head - “Headroom” (1999)
Daniel Balavoine - “Vienne” La Pluie (1975)

Dream Express - “Track One” (1976)
Gladys Knight & The Pips - “Visions” (1983)
Glass Moon - “Glass Moon” (1980)
Jeff Beck - “Beck Ola” (1969)

Knut Reiesrud - “The Soul of Man” (1998)
Manset - “Le Langage Oublié” (2004)
R.A.F. - “The Heat's On” (1981)
Racoon - “Liverpool Rain” (2010)

Sphere - “Four in One” (1982)
Styx - “The Grand Illusion” (1977)
The Rascals - “See” (1969)
Thiago E Os Quase Quinze - Thiago E Os Quase Quinze (2013) - with breadfruit