Musicradar.com announced the results of its “Best Album Cover” poll, naming Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” as #1.
“Bold, iconic and symbolic, the cover to Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album fulfilled every aspect of Richard Wright’s brief to be: ‘smarter, neater – more classy’ than previous Pink Floyd covers,” the music site writes.
Floyd’s other entry in the Top 50 was “Animals,” at #10.
You can browse all 50 at the Musicradar Web site.
Tell us your favorite; win a prize
It got us thinking what true Floyd fans such as yourself would vote as the best Floyd cover ever.
Place your vote by leaving a comment here with your choice. If you need a refresher, take a look at all the albums here. (And, yes, if you’d like to vote for “A Nice Pair” or “A Collection of Great Dance Songs,” feel free — even though those compilations aren’t listed in our discography.)
Let’s skip solo albums for now. And don’t bother voting more than once, because we’ll only count your first.
After voting’s slowed to a trickle, we’ll pick a few of you to receive free one-year subscriptions to Sound+Vision magazine.
Ummagumma is the best album cover!!
I love the Wish You Were Here album cover!
I’ve always loved the cover of Wish You Were Here.
Animals
I dig the WYWH album cover.
They’re all good. But, it’s hard to top the masterpiece – Dark Side Of The Moon!
I use it as my avatar – Dark Side of the Moon!
All of Floyd’s albums and covers are unique and awesome, which makes it hard to choose. My choice is A Nice Pair.
I always liked the Wish You Were Here cover, with the buisnessman-on-fire shaking hands!
I have always loved “The Wall” cover, then “Dark Side Of The Moon” is my second favorite !
Dark Side of the Moon.
I love “Meddle”, the cover and the music. Dark Side of the Moon a close second on the cover.
It’s always been WYWH for me…incorparates the music within so well. The theme of omni-presence in the songs is reflected in all four sleev images-the faceless executive,the splashless diver,the man oblivious to being on fire and the (barely visible) figure in the shimmering veil. Each of these aslo represents the four elements,fire,air,earth and water,and each of these spill out onto each of the photo’s border (sand spilling out of a hole on the back cover,water flowing through a hole on the inside sleeve). The theme of omni presence is shown on the outer bag too-two robots shaking hands…since when did machines show emotion? Empty gesture,just like the record executives sung about in the lyrics. All this and a free postcard too…my favourite cover of all!
I love the A Momentary Lapse of Reason cover
has to be “animals”
Atom Heart Mother! Ummagumma at close second.
Wish You Were Here
It was tough to choose just one but I’ve always really liked the cover of “Meddle”. Mostly because I’m still not quite sure what what it is lol. At first I thought it was a finger or something but after looking at it a little closer it looks more like someone with a nose bleed underwater. Also honorable mention to “Obscured By Clouds,” I’d just love to adjust to focus knob! >_<
ANIMALS ! ! !
Iconic, clean and unforgettable. Depicting both the bands light show and, inside, the pulsating heartbeat that begins and ends the album. Like light perpetually trapped by it’s prisms, the Dark Side of the Moon cover seems destined to shine on as the best of all time.
I am surprised that my second favourite – from which Floydian Slip takes it’s logo – namely the box set “Shine On” is not listed on your Albums page.
If it counts….Echoes is my favorite followed by Dark side.
Tough to choose, but my favorite is “Pulse”. It is probably the most visually stunning of the albums, with lots to look at and some hidden pictures within pictures.
So much to see and discover on Pulse. ENIGMA PUBLIUS
For me, my favourite Floyd cover is “Ummagumma”. It was so “out there” and fun to look at, both on the front and back.
From a simple prism on a black backgound came one of the most iconic images of all time! Dark Side of the Moon!
I wasn’t aware that Mr. Wright was on the record for DSOTM. It would be cool to see a listing of Mr. Wright’s contributions to Pink Floyd; he seems to be the least-known member of the band.
Probably the least-appreciated member of the band, IMO.
Atom Heart Mother. the pureness of this cover as the complexaty of The
Floyd if just awesome as for the music the exploring of sound is amazing for the fried egg to the waves of melody…
Without a doubt – ‘Animals’. Picking up a picture of a power station for a cover is just so random, yet utterly awesome – not only is Battersea power station iconic as design (and having very mystical atmosphere), but also the detail with the flying pig is fantastic, so the cover is a total win.
Wish You Were Here for sure! Everything isn’t as it seems with that cover. There’s more going on than meets the eye…
It actually came down to two covers. Wish You Were Here and Animals. However, the one that shows Hipgnosis at their best has got to be Wish you Were Here. Very strong sticking with the theme of something missing. Very creative.
1st is always the best & I’m a die hard Syd freak.Doesn’t hurt that it’s also my favorite album of all time.So I pick “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”.
Dark Side of the Moon….hands down! It is one of the most iconic images of the entire rock era. It speaks volumes not only about the music, but about our perception as human beings. Are there albums I like better? Yes. In terms of album art Dark Side is the clear winner.
I used to live in Oz, so it has to be Atom Heart Mother for me.
Ummagumma was indeed the first cover that came to mind without studying them all.
If it was based on shear workmanship and effort you’d have to go with Animals or Momentary Lapse because of the fact both used real props and not computer tricks for their fantastic imagery!
Ummagumma has my vote. Been listening to a local artist’s work that reminds of this album. Besides, I love David’s photo! 🙂
Atom Heart Mother is my favorite. It’s the only one I ever went so far as to frame and hang on the wall.
i really always loved piper at the gates of dawn album cover i like the whole kaleidoscope feel to it! love the pic of roger nick rick and syd .
Dear FS,
My bias for all things Gilmour-led Floyd will show here. My favorite cover is “A Momentary Lapse of Reason.”
Regards,
Ed
PS – Other favorites: Atom Heart, PULSE, Division Bell, WYWH, Animals, Collection of Great Dance Songs, Shine On. Honorable mention: Richard Wright’s Broken China
The cover of “A Saucerful Of Secrets” is what “Pink Floyd music” is all about. Wonderful. Then comes AMLOR and DSotM.
All the best.
Cengiz.
My favorite album cover is the delicate sound of thunder
Ale
While I love every Pink Floyd album collectively, I would have to side with the cover that has the most meaning. What is in the cover of The Dark Side of The Moon (i.e. the album itself), is probably of most musical depth, I think what is on the the cover of Wish You Here is of most artistic depth. Too many times do we meet people that appear dedicated and sincere when really they are full of BS behind our backs. The Fire on the back side of the business man demonstrates this idea successfully. Therefore I choose Wish You Here.
(don’t know why I wrote “wish you Here.” I meant “Wish You Were Here.” Wow… talk about Sunday morning Hangovers eh?)
It’s a tough decision!! But I LOVE The Division Bell’s cover. It’s so iconic… maybe in the near future it will as emblematic as The Dark Side Of The Moon!!
All of them are great but the “animals” album cover is my personal favorite
Wish you Were Here…very symbolic of life itself.
Meddle with Ummagumma a very close second…
Thanks!
Animals – The cover artwork conveys the atmosphere of the music.
Dark Side of the Moon …. Hard to choose one but this has ALWAYS been my favorite
UMMAGUMMA!!!!!
dark side forever
1975 Welcome to the Machine, to me is truly my vote for #1.
Ah yes 1975 3rd yr @ College and Welcome to the Machine comes out…Truly my pick for #1 album cover!!!!
Definitely Dark Side of the Moon. I’ve always loved the album. So much in fact, I had it tattooed on my forearm!
The Dark Side of The Moon!!! Best álbum cover of all times!!!!!!! <3
Ummagumma is my favorite. (And my second favorite is A Sacerful of Secrets, which is also incredibly beautiful…)
Wish You Were Here. That guy on fire is cool.
Atom Heart Mother
Dark Side Of The Moon FOREVER!!!!!
dark side of the moon….u can have never btr cover than it…
Wish You Were Here
Pulse – I like the pretty light.
Animals