Top 10 Carly Simon Album Covers

Feature Photo: Unknown; AP photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Carly Simon Album covers list presents our favorite album covers from one of the most beautiful and talented musical artists of all time. There are not many in classic rock history like Carly Simon. With a powerhouse distinctive voice and a look that probably broke many hearts, it all was matched by a talent for songwriting that was a gift to music fans. Carly Simon has released twenty three studio albums since her 1971 debut. She has released multiple soundtrack albums, live albums, and many compilations as she has recorded on multiple labels. We have covered her music, her albums, and more here at ClassicRockHistory.com. Now it’s time to pick our ten favorite Carly Simon album covers. It will not be easy as there are so many to choose from.

# 10 – Have You Seen Me Lately

We open up our Top 10 Carly Simon Album Covers list with the beautiful album cover for her record entitled Have You Seen Me Lately. The album was released on September 25, 1990. The photograph on the cover matches the title perfectly. Standing there in blue jeans and a tank top, Carly Simon was looking drop-dead gorgeous as usual. The album cover was designed by Carolyn Quan. The photography was done by Bob Gothard. Hand lettering was completed by Kathy Schinhofen.

# 9 – The Best of Carly Simon

Greatest hits albums sometimes have really good covers. This was easily the case with Carly Simon’s first greatest hits album called The Best Of Carly Simon. This would become a classic album covers as Carly Simon’s first best of release became a huge seller. In fact, it became the biggest selling album of her career. You couldn’t miss this one in the record stores. The Best Of Carly Simon was released on November 24, 1975. The cover photograph was taken by Albert Mackenzie Watson. The cover was designed by Glenn Christensen.

# 8 – Spoiled Girl

Carly Simon made some of the sexiest album covers in classic rock history. They were sexy but also classy and artistic. Carly Simon was a great songwriter but she loved the art of presenting her fans with intoxicating album covers. The Spoiled Girl album was released in June of 1985. Duane Michaels did the photography for the album. The cover design was completed by Allen Weinberg.

# 7 – No Secrets

Carly Simon’s early album covers were just so outstanding that we picked her first five album covers to be represented on this list. The legendary album cover for No Secrets was released on November 28, 1972. No Secrets was Carly Simon’s third studio album. The title and the cover can be interpreted in many different ways. In the end, it’s simply a magnificent work of art. Carly Simon looks ravishing on the cover. The renowned Ed Caraeff’s photography is stunning. Robert L. Heimal’s cover design just took it all home in such perfect fashion. This was a great one!

# 6 – Torch

Landing in the number six spot on our Top 10 Carly Simon Album Covers list we present the stirring album cover for Carly Simon’s Torch album. The brilliant album was filled with torch standards that defined the pain of love, lost love, break ups and all that goes with it. Carly Simon is grabbing onto the arms of a man showing her pain. That man was actor Al Corley. The photo was shot by the legendary rock photographer Lynn Goldsmith. Art design was done by Bill Gerber and Simon Levy. The Torch album was released on August 1, 1981.

# 5 – Playing Possum

At the halfway point on our Top 10 Carly Simon Album Covers list is the controversial and provocative album cover for Carly Simon’s Playing Possum album. The album was released on April 21, 1975. Playing Possum was Carly Simon’s fifth studio album. The controversial photograph was taken by Norman Seeff. The album cover’s artwork and design were completed by Norman Seeff and Glen Christensen. As provocative as the album cover was, it did get nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Album Package.

# 4 –Film Noir

At the number four spot on our Top 10 Carly Simon Album Covers list, we present the bewitching album cover for Carly Simon’s Film Noir album. Shot in black and white, the album cover captured perfectly the essence of the music on the album. Film Noir was Carly Simon’s third entry into the world of jazz standards. The great songwriter Jimmy Webb played a key role in co-producing the album. Greg Gorman was responsible for the album’s photography. The art design was completed by Mark Burdett, Rita Karidis and Marlo Viscel.

# 3 – Hotcakes

As a teenager, I always wondered where the pancakes were on this album cover. I was too young to understand that the term Hotcakes was representing a happy family life which Carly Simon was enjoying at the time. Nonetheless, for her Hotcakes album cover, Carly Simon and her design team once again delivered another stunning album design. The Hotcakes album was released on January 11, 1974. It was Carly Simon’s fourth studio album.

# 2 – Anticipation

Just one spot away from the end of our Top 10 Carly Simon Album Covers list we showcase the very popular cover for the Anticipation album. The green-colored photograph was taken in London, England at the gates of Queen Mary’s Garden in Regent’s Park. That pose became one of the most popular photographs of the early 1970s. Peter Simon was responsible for taking the photograph. The album cover was designed by Robert Heimall. The Anticipation album was Carly Simon’s second studio album release. It was issued in November of 1971.

# 1 – Boys in the Trees

We close out our Top 10 Carly Simon Album Covers list with the album entitled Boys In The Trees. The album was released in August of 1978. This is one of those album covers that you could just stare at for hours. That’s exactly what we used to do in the 70s as we listened to the music on these records just staring at the front and back covers and gatefold. There is something haunting, yet also intoxicating, and of course very sexy about this album cover. The music industry agreed as the album won a Grammy Award for Best Album Package. The cover art was designed by Tony Lane and Johnny Lee who received the Grammy Award. Photography was done by Deborah Turbeville