House Music Album Covers: The Best of the Best
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A look at some of the best house music album covers from across the years. From early pioneers to contemporary greats, these are the images that graced the covers of influential house music albums.
Best House Music Album Covers
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago in the 1980s. It is characterized by a four-on-the-floor drumbeat, off-beat hi-hat cymbals, and synthesized basslines. House music was originally designed for nightclubs, but has since become popular around the world.
Daft Punk – Homework
There are few electronic acts that have managed to achieve the level of mainstream success that Daft Punk has. The duo’s 2013 album Random Access Memories won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and their single “Get Lucky” was one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Before they were topping charts around the world, Daft Punk were known for their creative and innovative album covers. Their debut album Homework featured a stark white cover with a simple logo, but the album’s artwork is actually a photograph of a daft punk robot from the 1980s toy line by Bandai.
The cover for their 2001 album Discovery was inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The front cover features a close-up of Daft Punk in their iconic robot helmets, while the back cover is a recreation of the famous “Star Gate” sequence from the film.
Daft Punk’s fourth studio album, Human After All, was released in 2005 with little fanfare or promotion. The album’s artwork features a simple image of Daft Punk’s logo, but the true beauty of the cover lies in its simplicity.
The cover for Random Access Memories, Daft Punk’s most recent album, is a departure from their previous work. The cover features a photo of Daft Punk without their helmets, surrounded by colorful lights and geometric shapes.
The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers’ fourth album, 1997’s Dig Your Own Hole, is one of the most iconic in dance music history. The cover, designed by UK design duo Tom Hingston and Michael C Place, features a stylised image of a planet being blown up. The cover perfectly encapsulates the sense of fun and excitement that The Chemical Brothers’ music exudes.
Fatboy Slim – Better Living Through Chemistry
The cover for Fatboy Slim’s debut album, Better Living Through Chemistry, is a simple but eye-catching design that perfectly captures the spirit of the music inside. A smiling sunburst logo floats in a pool of blue water, surrounded by ripples and bubbles. It’s a happy, optimistic image that sets the tone for an album full of catchy, upbeat tunes.
The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation
The Prodigy’s second album, Music for the Jilted Generation, was released in 1994. The album’s artwork was designed by Simon Thorpe and featured a close-up image of a burning Union Jack flag. The album’s title and artwork were a direct response to the UK government’s introduction of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which placed restrictions on electronic music festivals. The Prodigy’s album artwork caused controversy at the time, but has since become an iconic image of 1990s counterculture.
Second Best House Music Album Covers
In this article, we will be discussing the second best House Music album covers of all time. This list is in no particular order. We will be discussing the album covers and what makes them so great.
The KLF – Chill Out
This album is the KLF’s ambient house album and was originally released in 1990. It is one of the most influential and popular chill out albums ever made and was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The cover features a detroit skyline at night with the words “KLF” in neon lights.
Leftfield – Leftism
The cover for Leftfield’s debut album “Leftism” is a close-up of a Throbbing Gristle record, which is appropriate given the industrial influences on the music. The artwork was created by Trevor Jackson, who also did artwork for Metalheadz and Mo’Wax.
Underworld – Dubnobasswithmyheadman
Underworld’s second album, Dubnobasswithmyheadman, was released in 1994 to critical acclaim. The album’s artwork was designed by the band’s then-guitarist and philosopher Karl Hyde. The cover features a close-up of Hyde’s face, superimposed over a cityscape. In the background is a red spiral, which is meant to represent the album’s dub-influenced sound.
Orbital – In Sides
Orbital’s In Sides is one of the most beautiful and timeless album covers in not just house music, but all of music. Housed in a die-cut sleeve, the artwork features a double portrait of the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco, with the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir on one side and Jerry Garcia on the other. The entire thing is set against a deep blue sky, making it look almost like a painting.
Third Best House Music Album Covers
In this article, we will be discussing the third best house music album covers of all time. We will be providing detailed information on each of the covers, as well as our thoughts on why we believe they are deserving of this title.
Massive Attack – Blue Lines
Blue Lines is the debut album by English trip hop group Massive Attack, released on 8 April 1991 by Wild Bunch Records and Virgin Records. The album’s influenced laid the groundwork for the future sound of trip hop, but was not without its detractors; at the time, someCritics denounced creatively innovative track “Daydreaming” as “a total anathema to rave culture”.
The group recorded the album over a period of two years in Bristol, London, New York City and Jamaica. Blue Lines features contributions from Horace Andy, Grant Marshall, Neneh Cherry, Dominion Server and Shara Nelson. An early version of the song “Lately” features vocals from Robert Del Naja’s then-girlfriend Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins.
In March 1998 Q magazine placed Blue Lines at number sixty-six in its list of the Greatest Albums of All Time; in 2000 the same publication placed it at number seventy-three in its list of The 100 Greatest British Albums Ever; and in July 2002 Pitchfork Media ranked it at number twenty-two on its Top 100 Albums of the 1980s list.
Portishead – Dummy
Dummy is the debut album by English band Portishead, released in August 1994. The album cover was designed by band member Geoff Barrow’s then girlfriend, Paula Charles. It won the 1995 Mercury Music Prize for best album. It is often cited as one of the finest examples of ’90s trip hop music.
Air – Moon Safari
Air’s debut album, Moon Safari, is a electronic music classic. The album artwork is a beautiful abstract painting that perfectly sets the mood for the music. It’s no surprise that this album has been cited as one of the best house music album covers of all time.
Morcheeba – Who Can You Trust?
Morcheeba’s debut album, Who Can You Trust?, was released in 1996 to critical acclaim. The album’s artwork is a close-up of a woman’s mouth, complete with red lipstick. The design is both alluring and unnerving, and it perfectly reflects the band’s blend of trip-hop and downtempo electronica.
