If you’re a fan of 90s album covers, there are some classics you should know about. There’s Roger Dean’s fantasy paintings, Taylor Swift’s Polaroid, and Madonna’s photo of Nick Lowe. These are just a few of the highlights, but they’re all worth a look.
Roger Dean’s fantasy paintings
If you love 90s album covers, you’ll know how iconic Roger Dean’s paintings are. Not only have his paintings graced many album covers, but he’s also created many of the game covers. His latest project, Dragon’s Dream, lets fans interact with his paintings in a new way. The game features two fantasy landscapes that you can explore and try to score high in.
Although Dean has been out of favour with critics for a long time, his work has been revived in recent years. Many aspects of pre-punk culture, like folk music, psychedelic drugs, and flares, have been restored to their former glory, and his furniture has recently been exhibited at the V&A. But despite these rehabilitative efforts, there is still a certain kind of critic who finds his exercises of the Romantic imagination to be suspect.
The images that Roger Dean creates for rock album covers are very dreamy. He describes himself as a landscape painter and his paintings often feature graceful stone arches, floating islands, and organic-looking habitats. His work uses watercolour paints and ink, as well as gouache and crayon.
Taylor Swift’s Polaroid
Taylor Swift’s new album, 1989, features a photo taken with a Polaroid camera. The camera made its name synonymous with instant photography before going bankrupt in 2000, but since partnering with Lady Gaga four years ago, Polaroid has seen a renewed popularity. In addition to Taylor Swift’s involvement with Polaroid, the camera has become increasingly popular among Instagram users.
The concept of using a Polaroid camera is a nod to the 80’s, and the new album cover shows that the singer is fond of the era. In the ’80s, Polaroid cameras became widely available and cheap. The Polaroid idea was a perfect fit for Swift’s music, as it added authenticity and a creative approach to the album.
Eric B. and Rakim’s photo of Eric B.
Rapper Rakim was the antithesis of hip-hop’s simple, easy-going persona. His face conveys his emotions, and he moves quickly. Despite the apparent simplicity of his music, Rakim made the genre more complex than its contemporaries. Their relationship took hip-hop to the next level, demonstrating that rap was not a passing fad.
In 1989, Rakim and Eric B. released a joint album, Paid in Full, under the label Island Records. It was the first album the duo had released without a manager. After the album’s success, Rakim and Eric signed a record deal with MCA Records. Their photo on the album was taken by Drew Carolan.
The duo was a powerhouse in Hip-Hop, influencing the minds of an entire generation. They released their fourth studio album Don’t Sweat The Technique on June 23, 1992. The album combined jazzy melodies with aggressive bars and top-tier rhymes.
Madonna’s photo of Nick Lowe
If you’ve ever noticed the iconic album covers from the 90s, you may notice the photo of Nick Lowe on the cover of Madonna’s album, Beggars Banquet. The engraved bathroom cover on the US version of the album complements the engraved invitation on the UK version. The same goes for the album sleeves of Whitney Houston’s best-known songs. Her album sleeves even include a graphic representation of her “Top 10” hits.
The photo is so striking that it makes it difficult not to stare at it. However, the photo has a dark side. Several of her fans cite the photo as being inappropriate. Madonna has also been criticized for making offensive comments on the album cover, including a quote she gave to Spin magazine in 1995 that was incredibly offensive. The remark was intended to be sarcastic and condescending, and did not help her reputation.