10 Underrated Rock Music Album Covers Of The 1970s

The 1970s produced some of the most imaginative album artwork in rock history, but many remarkable covers remain overshadowed by the decade’s most famous designs.

Feature Photo: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

Our list of the 10 most underrated rock music album covers of the 1970s showcases album covers that span all genres of rock from the remarkable decade. The criteria we used to compile this list were essential in helping us pick only 10. First and foremost, the cover had to be uniquely original. There were many great album covers that were parodies of 60s album covers and, as entertaining as they were, we just felt that, based on our first criterion of originality, we would refrain from listing those.

The second criterion was that the covers had to be memorable. They could not be gimmicky; they had to have a lasting impact on music fans. Of course, the covers also had to be entertaining, interesting, exciting, and simply jaw-dropping. These were album covers you may never have heard of before, but the artwork was so striking when you saw them in a record store that you felt compelled to buy the albums.

That’s what you call a “Now” cover—a piece of art that forces you to buy the album before you had heard a single song, simply because the art convinces you that whatever is on the inside is going to be good. Surely they would not have invested so much time in making such a fabulous album cover if the music wasn’t worth it. Most of the time it was, but of course there were some album covers that totally blew away the music inside, and we have ignored those for this list. We don’t like to insult anyone. This one was fun to put together because it brings back a lot of memories. It is also not the typical list you see online.

#10 – Hasten Down the Wind – Linda Ronstadt

We open our “10 Underrated Rock Music Album Covers Of The 1970s” list with Linda Ronstadt’s striking cover for her album Hasten Down the Wind. This is one of those covers that depicts both adventure and romance. It’s dark, yet light enough to either represent sunrise or sundown. The shadow of the horse and rider in the background is open to interpretation, but one gets the sense they are leaving Linda behind, as the album title embodies and that expression on Ronstadt’s face defines. The Hasten Down the Wind album was released during the summer of 1976. It would become a Grammy Award-winning album for Linda Ronstadt.

Read More: Top 10 Linda Ronstadt Songs

# 9 – Plastic Letters – Blondie

Continuing with our “10 Underrated Rock Music Album Covers of the 1970s” list, we present an album from one of our favorite bands of the 1970s. About a year before the band released Parallel Lines, which would turn the group into household names with their smash hit “Heart of Glass,” Blondie released the album Plastic Letters. The band was featured on the album cover sitting on a New York City police car. The imagery of punk new-wave rebellion just drips all over the cover, with a big question mark. Debbie Harry looks stunning on the cover, as usual. This was the band’s second studio album. It was released in February of 1978.

Read More: Top 10 Blondie Songs

#8 – Ghost Writer – Garland Jeffreys

While Garland Jeffreys may not be a household name, most fans of classic rock music who like to delve beyond just the popular hits are probably aware of his work. This was one of those albums that caught my eye in the record store. There is something compelling about the album cover that made me buy it without ever hearing a note on it. He would become one of my favorite artists of all time. Jeffreys blends rock and roll, soul, and reggae like no one ever has. If you are not familiar with his music, I definitely recommend checking him out, starting with this album.

Read More: Top 10 Garland Jeffreys Songs

# 7 – Germfree Adolescents – X-Ray Spex

Now, you may look at this album cover and the band’s name and ask yourself, “Who?” That reaction is understandable. Well, this article focuses on underrated rock album covers. And in many definitions of the word “underrated,” it refers to album covers you have never heard of or seen before. There’s an entertainment aspect to this article as well as a historical one. X-Ray Spex was a punk band from the UK that released their first album in 1978. I always thought that this was a very interesting album cover. The whole idea of teens stuck in test tubes with very colorful clothing just seemed quite original and that was a very big part of the criteria for this list.

# 6 – Brain Salad Surgery – Emerson Lake & Palmer

Now this is an interesting one. In the early 70s, Emerson, Lake & Palmer were on the hunt for a striking album cover that could encapsulate the essence of their progressive rock sound. During a European tour stop in Zurich in April 1973, Keith Emerson and the band’s manager, Peter Zumsteg, dropped by the home of avant-garde artist H.R. Giger. Fresh off a concert, Emerson was introduced to Giger’s latest creation, a dark, skull-centric triptych titled Work 216: Landscape XIX. The timing was perfect because the artwork’s eerie vibe perfectly aligned with ELP’s intense style, leading Emerson to instantly select it for their upcoming album, initially titled “Whip Some Skull on Ya,” a slang for fellatio, later changed to “Brain Salad Surgery” after a lyric from Dr. John’s “Right Place, Wrong Time.”

Giger set to work, producing two new pieces, Work 217: ELP I and Work 218: ELP II, using his signature biomechanical style, a chilling blend of machine and man. The chosen piece for the front cover, ELP I, featured a human skull intermeshed with mechanical parts, crowned with a new ‘ELP’ logo, which Giger also designed. The artwork was housed in an innovative sleeve, designed by Fabio Nicoli, that opened up to reveal a second painting, depicting a human female face with biomechanical embellishments. Despite initial controversy over perceived pornographic elements, which led to modifications of the artwork, the design remains a hallmark of rock album art.

This album cover, with its phantasmagoric and mechanical elements, not only defined the album’s visuals but became a lasting symbol for the band. Years later, after Manticore Records folded, the original paintings, unfortunately, went missing, adding a layer of mystique to the already legendary album artwork. This emblematic cover was not just packaging for their music but a critical piece of ELP’s identity, perfectly mirroring the complexity and innovation of their sound.

#5 – Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd

At the halfway point on our “10 Underrated Rock Music Album Covers of the 1970s” list is a legendary Pink Floyd album cover. Most attention has always focused on Dark Side of the Moon. However, I always thought Wish You Were Here was a far more interesting album cover. The album was initially wrapped in a black shrink-wrap, making the artwork invisible to buyers and symbolizing the absence at the heart of the album’s songs. This idea was influenced by the packaging of Roxy Music’s Country Life.

The iconic cover image, shot by Aubrey “Po” Powell of Hipgnosis, depicted two businessmen, one engulfed in flames, shaking hands—an image inspired by the hazards of concealing one’s true feelings in a cutthroat industry. The phrase “getting burned” took on a literal and figurative significance, captured in the dramatic photograph of the stuntmen Ronnie Rondell and Danny Rogers at Warner Bros. Studios. The shoot was fraught with challenges, including a mishap where the wind blew flames into Rondell’s face, burning his mustache. The final image used for the album cover was a powerful visual metaphor for the themes woven throughout the album, emphasizing the personal and professional dangers of inauthenticity.

#4 – Quadrophenia – The Who

While The Who’s Who’s Next album cover often receives the most recognition and critical acclaim, I have always preferred the Quadrophenia cover. I thought it was way more interesting than any of the band’s other album covers, and they did release a whole lot of great ones. This album cover really captures the music inside, and I love how the man’s face appears in the rearview mirrors. Quadrophenia was the album that followed up Who’s Next. That was an extraordinary follow-up, Pete Townshend. Quadrophenia was released in 1973.

#3 – Goodnight Vienna – Ringo Starr

I am not entirely sure what the full intent behind the album cover was, but it certainly was effective. When I first saw this album cover, it looked like Ringo Starr was emerging from the Jupiter 2 from Lost in Space. That instantly grabbed my attention since I was a big fan of Lost in Space—even the new one on Netflix.  Of course, my age was showing as the album’s cover is a scene straight out of the 1950s film The Day the Earth Stood.

#2 – Nether Lands – Dan Fogelberg

A brilliant album cover does not have to be complex or colorful, nor does it need to contain multiple images or deep mysteries for us to decipher. Although we love that kind of intricacy and such album covers have appeared on this list, sometimes simplicity just works really well. That is exactly what Nether Lands by Dan Fogelberg is all about. The cover is predominantly one color: green. That’s all that’s needed because the photographic image of Fogelberg in deep thought resonates powerfully, reflecting the type of artist he was. The typeset and the placement of the fonts are also very effective. Nether Lands was released in 1977.

# 1 – Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy – Elton John

We close out our “10 Underrated Rock Music Album Covers of the 1970s” list with the classic Elton John album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. While many fans often cite Goodbye Yellow Brick Road as Elton John’s greatest album cover, I believe Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy deserves more recognition. This album cover, in stark contrast to the simplicity of Dan Fogelberg’s Nether Lands, is complex and filled with intricate details that directly reference the lyrics and stories behind the songs within the album.

The artwork for Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is not just a visual treat; it is a deep dive into the narrative of the album, enhancing the listener’s experience by visually depicting the themes and tales Elton John weaves through his music. Additionally, this album was released as an amazing package, complete with posters, booklets, and a beautifully executed gatefold. This level of detail not only enriches the physical experience of the album but also cements it as my all-time favorite Elton John album.

10 Underrated Rock Music Album Covers of the 1970s article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026

If you enjoyed this list, you’ll also want to check out our Best 1970s Album Covers of All Time for a broader look at the decade, or go back further with Favorite 1960s Rock Album Covers. And for more of our general album art coverage, check out 25 Cool Album Covers We Love.

 

Updated July 13, 2026.