Album Cover Analysis

( Vinyl Record)

(Oasis CD cover)

(My Choice of 10 CD covers)

1. What are the typical features that an album cover has? Make a list of all the elements they have in common.

Typical features that are dominant on every album cover that I have chosen are:

• Name of the artist
• Imagery - either of the artists or a photography or graphics that reflect the album
• Colour Scheme
• Name of the album
• List of the songs- not always on the back
• Barcode
• The actual CD matches the imagery on the cover
• Name of album and artist down the spine of the cover
  

2. How would you categorise the covers in front of you? Are there any other ways of distinguishing between them other than generically?
When first looking at them it is the most easiest to catergorise them into the different types of genres infront of me. This would be pop, r 'n' b, indie-rock, and jazz. However I feel i could also put them into catergories from oldest to the most modern CD. I think this is firstly the vinyl record is distictively larger which is why I know this the oldest as the size and make of a CD has significantly changed. I think also the imagery looks much sharper on the CD covers as they become more modern. I could also catergorsie the CD's into who they would most appeal too, as in the PCD CD is obviously very girly and will attract a younger mainstream market, whereas the red hot chilli peppers album cover is attracting more of a male audience as the picture is not of the band its just very plain. I could also catergorise the CD album covers by the way the different ways they try to appeal there audience wether it be by artist or by picture or graphics.

3. Album covers serve many different functions. What do you think these are (ie what is their purpose?)
I think the main purpose of a CD cover is to sell the artists music, it needs to attract and appeal the right audience in order for them to want to go to the shops and buy it. The album cover has to be asthetically pleasing however different album covers do this in very different ways. All the r 'n' b and pop album covers seem to use there artist to attract their audience this is shown on the PCD, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Mis Teeq album covers- which all have the same genre. However the more indie music album covers use art to sell the album. The cover needs to reflect the music there trying to sell in order to appeal to the correct audience and give them a taster as to what they will listen too if they bought the cd. This is obvious on the Jazz CD which has a painting of someone playing the saxophone and this would allow the audience to know what the music will be like. An album cover generally needs to look appealing needs to stand out on the shelf and also needs to sell the artist aswell as the music.