Photo: By Clausgroi (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Since the release of their debut album in 1969, they have captivated audiences with their innovative soundscapes, complex compositions, and striking visuals. Over the years, Yes has released twenty-one studio albums, including Heaven & Earth in 2014, as well as a wealth of live recordings and compilations. Yet, their music has always been more than just something to hear; it’s been something to see and experience.
For many fans who grew up in the sixties and seventies, Yes albums were more than just records—they were visual journeys. Most of the band’s iconic album covers were crafted by the legendary artist Roger Dean, whose surreal, otherworldly landscapes became synonymous with the band’s sound. His art invited listeners to step into dreamlike realms, perfectly complementing Yes’s exploratory music. Whether you were laying on the floor of your bedroom, black light glowing, or gathered with friends, these covers demanded attention, allowing your imagination to drift into the worlds Dean created.
While many of the most famous Yes album covers came from Dean’s genius, a few notable exceptions like Big Generator and Going for the One added variety to the visual catalog of the band. This list showcases some of the greatest Yes album covers, each a testament to the band’s artistic vision and Dean’s unparalleled talent.
Yes Top 10 Album Covers
# 10 – Big Generator
(Released September 17 1987)
We open up our top 10 Yes Album Covers list with the album Big Generator. A great textual graphic that is not always easy to accomplish.
Released in 1987, the album followed their commercially successful 90125. Produced by Trevor Horn, Trevor Rabin, and Yes, Big Generator saw Yes continuing their journey into a more mainstream sound while still retaining some of their progressive rock roots. Songs like “Love Will Find a Way” and “Rhythm of Love” are among the notable tracks on the album.
Unlike the elaborate, surreal designs of their previous albums by Roger Dean, Big Generator features bold, modernist artwork. The cover was designed by Garry Mouat of Assorted Images. The design reflects the technological, streamlined feel of the 1980s, moving away from the organic and ethereal landscapes of Yes’s 70s artwork, matching the band’s pivot towards a more polished and radio-friendly sound during this era.
The cover of Big Generator presents a stark contrast to Yes’s earlier album visuals, signaling a shift into the digital age. The artwork’s focus is a huge, blocky font that spells out “BIG” in large, imposing letters, emphasizing the album’s title with a punch of raw simplicity. The colors—a bright, almost industrial yellow background and vibrant red lettering—clash in a way that grabs your attention immediately. It’s unapologetically bold, mechanical, and streamlined, much like the music on the album itself.
In the center, a mysterious abstract symbol, rendered in deep blue, adds a touch of intrigue. It appears both technological and organic, resembling some sort of futuristic device or emblem of an unknown system. Above it, the band’s name, “YES,” appears in a sleek, black rectangle, much more subdued than the bright and daring typography below it.
The artwork screams energy, modernism, and power, making it clear that this album is a departure from the dreamlike, cosmic imagery of their past. The minimalistic yet impactful design mirrors the era’s shift towards synthetic sounds and high-energy pop, while still maintaining an underlying sense of depth and innovation. It’s a visual statement that Yes had entered a new phase—embracing the present while staying true to their core creative spirit.
# 9 – YesSongs
(Released July 1973 )
Yessongs was an amazing album package that opened up as a trifold. You never get that hands on experience with a download. Fans spent hours immersed in the experience of holding open this fabulous tri-fold package.
The album cover for Yessongs by Yes, designed by Roger Dean, is a gateway into a surreal, otherworldly dimension. At first glance, it feels like a scene from a forgotten dream or a place conjured by a far-off mythology. A towering tree-like formation emerges from the ground, not rooted in the earth we know, but in a land seemingly suspended between reality and fantasy. The colors are cool and tranquil, dominated by deep blues and greens, giving the sense that this place exists in a serene, timeless world, where nature is not bound by the laws we recognize.
Floating islands hover in the sky, suggesting that gravity has lost its hold in this strange environment. The organic curves of the landscape swirl and twist in a fluid, almost alive, manner, as if the land itself could breathe or shift at any moment. The vast tree or rock formation in the center is like a monument to some ancient wisdom, watching over a peaceful, yet mysterious world.
# 8 – Going For The One
(Released July 7, 1977 )
This Yes album cover was unique as it featured a nude man on the cover. The first time Yes did that. Interesting concept that worked well and probably turned some female heads in the record stores.
Going for the One was released in 1977 and marks a shift in Yes’s musical approach, offering a return to shorter compositions after the band’s previous explorations of more complex, extended pieces. The album topped the UK charts, becoming a commercial success, and included the hit “Wonderous Stories.” The artwork, designed by Hipgnosis, moves away from the fantasy landscapes previously created by Roger Dean and embraces a modern, minimalist aesthetic.
The cover features mirrored skyscrapers reflecting the stark, cold geometry of modern architecture. A lone figure, shown from behind and completely nude, walks towards these massive structures, embodying vulnerability in the face of impersonal progress. The contrast between the human form and the overwhelming, towering buildings creates a sense of isolation and existential reflection.
Abstract red and yellow lines cut across the image, adding a dynamic tension that disrupts the clean symmetry of the skyscrapers. These lines suggest disruption, perhaps symbolic of the clash between humanity and the mechanical, sterile environment of modernity. This juxtaposition between the natural and the artificial provides a visual counterpart to the album’s thematic exploration of personal and collective growth amid changing times.
# 7 – Drama
(Released August 1980 )
The striking cover for Drama brings an air of surrealism to the forefront. Painted by Roger Dean, it presents a frozen, alien landscape that feels both fantastical and barren, fitting perfectly with the tension and transformation the band was undergoing during this era. A massive icy terrain looms in the background, suggesting a world that feels both mystical and threatening. The composition is stark, with jagged peaks dominating the skyline, while dark, sleek black panther-like creatures slink through the foreground, perhaps representing something elusive and predatory lurking beneath the surface.
This album came at a pivotal moment for Yes, with significant lineup changes that drastically altered their sound. The cover art reflects that drama and change in the form of this strange and evocative landscape—alien yet familiar, barren yet filled with movement and life. It’s as though the band’s transition is being played out visually in these icebergs and animals. There’s a sharp contrast between the cold, lifeless peaks and the mysterious creatures moving through the foreground, hinting at the internal struggles and evolution Yes was undergoing in this period.
The color palette is haunting, dominated by cool tones of blues and purples, with sharp lines and surreal forms, lending it a dream-like quality. Dean’s work, as usual, is visionary, and this cover perfectly complements the mood of Drama, an album of change and reflection for the band. The landscape and the lurking animals create a tension between stillness and motion, peace and chaos—much like the music within the record itself.
# 6 – Yesterdays
(Released February 28, 1975)
Yesterdays is a compilation album by the progressive rock band Yes, released on February 28, 1975. This collection serves as a retrospective of their earlier work, featuring songs from their first two albums as well as rare singles that helped define their sound before the band reached their commercial peak in the 1970s.
This cover art offers an ethereal, almost otherworldly vision that encapsulates a sense of wonder and timelessness. The sky, bathed in gradients of soft blues and golden hues, feels expansive and invites contemplation, as though it stretches out into infinity. On either side of the cover, towering formations of twisted, gnarled tree trunks rise like sentinels over a surreal, dreamlike landscape. The forms are organic, yet they seem to defy the laws of nature—bending, curving, and stretching in impossible directions, giving the impression of a place where natural laws have been suspended.
In the center, the presence of a delicate, wispy figure, possibly a bird or a spirit-like entity, hovers in the air, soaring effortlessly against the backdrop of an endless sky. The light in the scene is warm and inviting, suggesting a new dawn or perhaps a spiritual awakening. The entire scene feels like a visual interpretation of progressive rock itself—constantly evolving, unbound by conventional rules, and deeply imaginative.
This image not only reflects the band’s musical journey but also serves as a timeless piece of art in itself. The fantastical setting, teeming with elements of mystery and serenity, perfectly complements the exploratory and transcendent themes often found in Yes’s music. It creates a sense of being transported to another dimension—one where art and sound merge into a singular, immersive experience.
# 5 – Heaven & Earth
(Released July 2014 )
A 2010s Yes album without Jon Anderson did not make Yes fans happy. But we liked the cover! Heaven & Earth was released in July 2014, and it marked Yes’ twenty-first studio album. This release is notable for being the first Yes album without Jon Anderson, the band’s iconic frontman, which did not sit well with many long-time fans. Instead, Jon Davison took on the vocal duties for this record, contributing a lighter, more ethereal style to the mix. The album’s sound leans towards more atmospheric and softer rock than their earlier work, making it a divisive release among Yes’ fanbase.
Despite the mixed reaction to the music, the album cover is a stunning visual achievement, continuing the tradition of Roger Dean’s distinctive artwork that has been synonymous with Yes for decades. The cover of Heaven & Earth is an intricate fusion of lush natural imagery and cosmic expansiveness, which perfectly aligns with the album’s title. The viewer’s eye is drawn to a magnificent tree rooted on a mountain-like structure, with branches stretching into the sky. The contrast between the earthly trees and the sweeping celestial backdrop, including what appears to be a distant planet or moon, suggests a balance between the grounded and the infinite.
Dean’s ability to combine natural and cosmic elements in his design beautifully captures the band’s long-standing themes of transcendence, spirituality, and exploration. Even if the music didn’t fully connect with all fans, the cover art stands as a powerful reminder of Yes’ legacy and their enduring connection to the imaginative and otherworldly.
# 4 – Close To The Edge
(Released September 1972)
Close to the Edge was released in September 1972 and is often regarded as one of Yes’ greatest achievements, both musically and artistically. This album showcases the band’s prog rock mastery, blending complex arrangements, intricate musicianship, and deeply philosophical lyrics. The musical landscape on Close to the Edge is vast and immersive, and it has become a defining work in the progressive rock genre.
The album cover, designed once again by the legendary Roger Dean, stands in stark contrast to some of his more elaborate works. Its simplicity—a gradient of green and brown with the Yes logo and album title hovering at the top—captures a sense of minimalism while still maintaining a mysterious, otherworldly aura. While it lacks the detailed landscapes that Dean is often known for, this cover commands attention through its bold use of color and space, giving listeners a sense that they’re on the brink of something profound—much like the music within.
For many fans, the cover’s understated nature allowed the music itself to take center stage. It’s an album that drew listeners in, not only through its complex compositions but through the meditative experience of gazing at the subtle artwork as the record played. The blend of tones on the cover can even evoke imagery of natural horizons or distant, mystical landscapes, aligning perfectly with the transcendent qualities of the music. It’s a prime example of how minimal design can be just as powerful as the grandest visual art.
# 3 -Tales from Topographic Oceans
(Released January 1974)
Released in January 1974, Tales from Topographic Oceans represents Yes at their most ambitious, both musically and conceptually. The album consists of four sprawling tracks, each representing a side of the double LP, and is a quintessential example of the progressive rock genre. Inspired by Eastern religious scriptures and philosophies, the album aimed to transcend musical boundaries, taking listeners on an esoteric journey through complex musical landscapes.
The album cover, designed by Roger Dean, encapsulates this spiritual and mystical odyssey. Dean’s artwork, as always, is the perfect companion to Yes’s music. In this cover, he presents an expansive, otherworldly landscape bathed in the soft glow of a distant setting (or rising) sun. Jagged rock formations, flowing streams, and a vast desert plain lead to a solitary pyramid in the distance, all under a vast star-filled sky. The image evokes a sense of cosmic tranquility and timelessness, complementing the album’s deeper themes of exploration and enlightenment.
The natural elements of the cover suggest a unity between Earth and the cosmos, a connection to ancient wisdom, and an invitation to look beyond the material world. Dean’s ability to create a fantastical, serene setting invites the listener to journey alongside the music, deep into the mystical and topographic realms that the album explores. This cover remains one of Dean’s most celebrated works and continues to resonate with fans as a perfect visual embodiment of the ambitious and exploratory music within the album.
# 2 – Relayer
(Released December 1974 )
Relayer, released in December 1974, is a distinctive entry in Yes’s discography, both in terms of music and visual presentation. With the departure from their previous albums’ softer tones and introspective feel, Relayer ventured into more aggressive, complex, and avant-garde musical territories, most notably influenced by jazz fusion. The album’s intricate composition, including the three-part epic “The Gates of Delirium,” pushes boundaries in ways that stand out even among Yes’s most experimental work.
Roger Dean’s cover art for Relayer is a stark departure from his usual lush landscapes filled with blues and greens. Instead, the artwork here embraces a cold, otherworldly palette of whites and grays. The cavernous environment feels as if it’s carved out of ancient stone, evoking a sense of isolation and grandeur. The towering rock formations, swirling with surreal detail, appear almost skeletal, adding to the album’s sense of chaos and transformation. The figures etched into the landscape, almost ghost-like, add a mysterious and eerie quality, making the cover both stark and profound.
What makes this album cover so striking is its ability to match the tension and intensity of the music itself. Unlike the dream-like serenity of previous works, Relayer gives off a feeling of unease and dynamic energy. This break from Dean’s traditional earth tones perfectly captures the turbulent and ever-evolving nature of the music within, marking Relayer as one of Yes’s most daring artistic statements.
# 1- Fragile
(Released January 1972 )
Fragile, released in 1971, remains not only one of Yes’s most celebrated albums but also one of the most iconic album covers in rock history. Designed by Roger Dean, this cover art encapsulates both the environmental awareness of the time and the imaginative, otherworldly feel of progressive rock. The cover depicts a small, fragile planet, cracking at the seams and floating in the vast expanse of the cosmos, a reflection on the delicate nature of our world.
Dean’s artwork is masterful in its simplicity. The spherical earth, with green continents set against a deep, dark space, immediately draws the eye. The central image of the planet feels like a fragile ecosystem, small in the grand universe but significant in its intricacy. The spaceship-like object hovering over the globe adds a fantastical element, inviting listeners to view the album’s music as an exploratory journey into new, unknown worlds.
The cover’s genius lies in how perfectly it complements the music. Fragile was a bold step for Yes, pushing boundaries in both sound and structure. The music, much like the art, feels expansive and full of intricate layers. The album artwork encapsulates this sense of exploration and fragility, making it a true visual representation of the experimental and daring spirit of the band during this era. It’s no wonder Fragile is considered a product of its time, perfectly capturing the cultural and artistic sentiments of the early 1970s.
