14. The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
Photographer: Don Hunstein
A cover where less is more, and is all the cooler for it. A casual photograph of Dylan with his then-muse Suze Rotolo, taken in the West Village, New York City, it was unusual at the time for being unstaged and unposed. Critic Janet Maslin described it perfectly as “a photograph that inspired countless young men to hunch their shoulders, look distant, and let the girl do the clinging”.
13. Houses of the Holy by Led Zepplin
Designer: Aubrey Powell/Storm Thorgerson
Thorgerson appears once more in this list, but few can deny the validity and coolness of this effort, for the mighty Led Zeppelin. Location? The natural wonder of the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. What’s on those basalt columns? A series of spooky looking golden-haired children (actually created using multiple-exposure shots of just two actors) crawling up towards a distant light. Alleged inspiration? The novel Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke, where children climb off the end of the world. Sinister, wrapped in mythology and very, very cool – yep, that’s the Zep.
13.) Ramones by The Ramones
Photographer: Roberta Bayley
Bayley remarked that getting The Ramones to pose for a photo was ‘like pullig teeth’, but the world would like to thank her for persisting, as the results formed one of the most enduring and cool rock ‘n’ roll images of all time. The monochrome image of the ultimate punk pioneers would be replicated by countless young hopefuls over the coming years, and immortalise Johnny, Tommy, Joey and Dee Dee forever.
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