13 Iconic Album Covers by Famous Artists: From Warhol to Koons

A selection of 13 legendary album covers created by renowned visual artists highlights the intersection of music and art. The list includes Coldplay's 'Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends' (2008) featuring Eugène Delacroix's 'Liberty Leading the People' (1830), with the album title referencing a Frida Kahlo painting. Guns N' Roses' 'Use Your Illusion I and II' (1991) incorporate Raphael's 'School of Athens' reworked by Mark Kostabi. The Beach Boys' 'Surf's Up' (1971) pays homage to James Earle Fraser's sculpture 'End of the Trail' (1915). Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut (2008) uses Pieter Bruegel the Elder's 'Netherlandish Proverbs' (1559). Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'I'm with You' (2011) features a fly on a medical capsule by Damien Hirst. Jackie Gleason's 'Lonesome Echo' (1955) has a cover by Salvador Dalí. The Clash's '(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais' (1978) vinyl itself bears Roy Lichtenstein imagery. Talking Heads' 'Speaking in Tongues' (1983) features a Robert Rauschenberg plastic box with three collages. David Bowie's 'Without You' single (1983) has Keith Haring's radioactive figures. The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) famously sports Andy Warhol's peelable banana. Blur's 'Think Tank' (2003) cover is by Banksy. Patti Smith's 'Horses' (1975) uses a Robert Mapplethorpe Polaroid. Lady Gaga's 'Artpop' (2013) cover by Jeff Koons shows her birthing a blue sphere, referencing Botticelli's Venus.