The Best Album Cover From Every Year Of The '60s

The 1960s saw an explosion in all types of art, from music and film to visual and otherwise, but one under-appreciated crossover between the many artistic triumphs is the renaissance of album art that headlined the unforgettable tunes. The '60s really had it all in varieties of music: bubblegum pop, folk rock supergroups, century-defining rock bands, and most of all, lots of iconic vinyl records with album art that made a lasting impression on fans. In this list, we'll count down each year of the 1960s and feature its most standout album cover, with artists like John Coltrane and the Beatles in particular consistently contending for the top spot. 

Each year of the '60s, especially as the decade neared its end, boasted almost too many quality albums and artworks to count, but we've distilled the very best of the best from each year of the '60s across jazz, folk, and, of course, classic rock 'n' roll. Jazz's top artists often dominated the aesthetics needed for a truly great album cover, but the top acts in rock began to steal the title away by the end of the decade. There are nearly too many honorable mentions to name, from "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" to "Rubber Soul" and "The Doors," but we hope you enjoy these 10 records that stand out as the best album covers of their respective years. 

The decade began with a masterclass in jazz music from one of the genre's biggest legends, John Coltrane. "Giant Steps" was released in February of 1960 and has since been solidified as an all time classic. The album's artwork features an excellent photo of Coltrane playing his signature instrument, the saxophone, in a beautifully lit and styled capture that brings a similar feeling to the album's music itself. Paired with an orange outline and Coltrane's name and the title over a white background, this photo brings "Giant Steps" to life: live, dynamic, and colorful as intended.

Nina Simone was a legendary pianist and singer, and her 1961 record delivered not only on the musical front, but on the stylistic one as well. "Forbidden Fruit" is an incredibly compelling jazz record, blending folk and blues influence into a cohesive and stunning record. Its cover stands alone as a unique selection in an era where artists mostly featured themselves on their covers, capturing a simultaneously pretty and eerie scene as a person's eyes stare through greenery. Simone's portrait and the expected text lines the record's top border as well, which pop against the rest of the artwork. 

Clearly, jazz was unstoppable in the early '60s, with 1962's top cover also hailing from the dominant genre. This record by Bill Evans and Jim Hall stands out because of its genuinely artistic photo that brings alive the album's title, "Undercurrent." The original photo was taken by photographer Toni Frissell in 1947 and is featured in the Library of Congress. It's a breathtaking shot and matches Evans and Hall's music in reference to the weightlessness of jazz. "Undercurrent" may not be a record in every vinyl collector's household, but the cover alone makes it worth a listen or a purchase. 

1963 was a continuation of jazz's artwork dominance; one of its most prodigal artists brought an excellent collection of tunes to life with this simple but poignant cover. "Monk's Dream" is one of the crowning achievements of Thelonious Monk's career, blending an easy listening and gorgeous jazz with experimental arrangements. The bright mint of the backdrop matches the music perfectly, with Monk's silhouette providing an excellent contrast. "Monk's Dream" is a record fit for prominent display in any album collection, especially for fans of beautiful jazz and memorable artwork. 

Though this album isn't their most popular or iconic, it's a cover that stands out for its realism and contrast. "Wednesday Morning, 3AM," released in '64, is a stylistic shift from the more minimal covers of this list, with most of its space dominated by large album text, and the bottom third showcasing Simon & Garfunkel posing on a New York subway platform as the train speeds by. "Wednesday Morning, 3AM" isn't the smash hit of albums to follow, but the aesthetic is very of its era, which makes it feel like a perfect time capsule today.

At the turn of the decade, rock 'n' roll fully took over, with some of the genre's defining records released in accompaniment of instantly recognizable covers. This first monument of rock in the decade is Bob Dylan's breakout "Highway 61 Revisited," which is made all the more memorable thanks to its iconic artwork. Dylan sits with a serious expression among a few pops of color, backed by a white outline, in an image that feels definitively '60s rock. Almost any rock 'n' roll fan will recognize it instantly, as Dylan's serious and confident expression atop his electric era helped shape the music of the decade to come. 

Bob Dylan nearly went back-to-back here with the excellence of the "Blonde on Blonde" cover, but this California band's signature record just edges it out for the top spot. 1966's "Pet Sounds" was a simultaneously innovative and radio-friendly record for the Beach Boys, and its iconic cover art certainly helped its legacy. The silliness and slight absurdity of its main image, the band members feeding a herd of goats, with an extremely pleasing green and yellow color palette to match the browns, is excellently framed and designed — altogether a record fit for prominent display and one of the most memorable covers of the era.

Hailed by many as the pinnacle of '60s alternative rock, this collaborative record features an album cover designed by one of the 20th century's most renowned artists. 1967's "The Velvet Underground & Nico" exudes a sound that's even cooler today thanks to the visionary styles of Lou Reed, John Cale, and the rest of the talented band. To match the record's unique, mold-breaking sound, its artwork is singular and recognizable at a glance. Painter Andy Warhol, whose signature accompanies a stylized banana, stands out on the plain white background — and it's a logo that's become almost bigger than the record, and a standout piece of Warhol's catalog. 

With incredibly tight competition from Johnny Cash's live album at Folsom Prison, this stellar rock record is a surefire pick for one of the top album covers of the '60s. 1968's "Electric Ladyland" was an important moment in the career of Jimi Hendrix and the Experience, capturing a raucous moment in rock with some of the most passionate performances of the decade, including the classic hit "All Along the Watchtower." Its artwork features a colorized picture of Hendrix performing, with red and yellow tones that exactly match the warm feel of the record. In both music and style, it's hard to compete with "Electric Ladyland."

There are a genuinely large number of masterpiece album covers from 1969, from King Crimson and Led Zeppelin to Miles Davis, but there's just no topping the Beatles' iconic record, which sports one of the most classic album artworks of all time. "Abbey Road" should give an instant image to any music fan on words alone, with John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison crossing the picturesque crosswalk that is now a tourist attraction. It's simultaneously elegant in its display and its fashion, as well as popping in its color. The artwork of"Abbey Road" may even be the top of the decade, but as this list shows, there's some extremely steep competition.