Top 10 Hall & Oates Album Covers

Hall & Oates Album Covers

Feature Photo: Ben Houdijk / Shutterstock.com

Our Top 10 Hall & Oates Album Covers list will look at one of the most successful music duos in music history. Hall & Oates have been in the music industry since 1970. Most of their singles reached the Top 40 on Hot 100. They have at least six number one singles. Seven of their albums have gone platinum while six of them have gone gold. Hall & Oates have sold over 40 million albums worldwide. They have been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The duo has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If you are a fan of 70s and 80s music, chances are you are familiar with Hall & Oates and their music.

Hall & Oates are known for their pop rock and blue-eyed soul sound. They have been named as one of the greatest acts of all time. Hall & Oates have a unique style and it shows on their album covers. They like to have album covers that match the theme of their albums. Hall & Oates aren’t interested in looking like fashion models on their album covers. They want their album covers to mean something. The photographers didn’t just take headshots of the duo. They took pictures of a variety of things to represent the album. Hall & Oates’ album covers are just as memorable as their music. You will see how Hall & Oates’ album covers have changed over the years on our Top 10 Hall & Oates Album Covers list.

# 10 – Ooh Yeah!

The first pick on our Top 10 Hall & Oates Album Covers list is Ooh Yeah! Ooh Yeah! is Hall & Oates’ 13th studio album. They proved they still had the talent to release music after the height of their career. This album cover represents the 80s. It features a picture of Hall & Oates taken from the shoulders up. They are standing side by side with a split in between them. Daryl Hall is on the left side of the picture. He has his hand near his mouth. He is looking to his left as if he is looking at John Oates. He looks as if he is thinking about something. He is wearing a black jacket. John Oates is on the right side. He is looking straight ahead. He is wearing a black jacket and shirt. Hall & Oates are strategically placed under their names on the album cover. The background is blue while the border is pink.

Laura Levine took a vibrant picture of the duo. She used color and black and white for the picture. The background and border are colorful while Hall & Oates are in black and white. The only color featured on the duo is Daryl Hall’s hair. Laura Levine took two separate photos of the duo and made them look as if they were together on the cover. She didn’t rely on special effects or scenery to sell the picture. She let the duo be the stars of the photo. Laura Levine is a photographer. Her signature style is taking portraits of artists. She has worked with Hall & Oates, James Brown, Bjork, Madonna, Michael Stipe, Chrissie Hynde, James White, The Raybeats, Men at Work, Bad Brains, The Graphic, John Cougar Mellencamp, Joe Jackson, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Lou Reed and John Cale, The B-52s, Louie Armstrong, Sarah Vaughn, as well as others. Ooh Yeah! was released in April 1988. The album peaked at number 24 on Billboard 200. Ooh Yeah! features the singles “Everything Your Heart Desires,” “Missed Opportunity” and “Downtown Life.” The album sold over one million copies.

# 9 – H2O

The next pick on our Top 10 Hall & Oates Album Covers list is H2O. H2O is Hall & Oates’ 11th studio album. The title of the album is a reference to chemical formula for water. The “H” is for Hall while the “O” is for Oates. The album cover features the artists in profile pictures. Daryl Hall is on the left while John Oates is on the right. They are sweaty in the picture. The album cover is reminiscent of a boxer’s photo. They look as if they are about to fight each other in the picture. They are standing in front of a red background.

Hiro focuses on the sweat on Hall & Oates’ faces. Hiro captured an intense look on their faces. It is hard to tell if they are in the picture together or if they were photoshopped to look as if they are together. Their hair is touching so they could be in the picture together. Hiro used a great color for the background. It makes the picture stand out more. Hiro took a simple photo of Hall & Oates, but it gives you something to think about while you are looking at the cover. It makes you question what is going on in their minds at the time of the picture.

Hiro was a photographer who was known for his fashion and still life photos. He has worked with Hall & Oates, Jefferson Airplane, Miles Davis, Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Robert Palmer, Patti LaBelle, Bryan Adams, Liza Minelli, as well as others. H2O was released in October 1982. The album peaked at number three on Billboard 200. H2O features the singles “Maneater,” “One on One,” “Family Man” and “Italian Girls.” The album sold over two million copies.

# 8 – Voices

The eighth pick on our Top 10 Hall & Oates Album Covers list is Voices. Voices is Hall & Oates’ ninth studio album. This album was a big hit for the duo. It was considered one of the greatest albums of 1980. The album cover is a black and white picture. It features Hall & Oates on the cover. Daryl Hall is on the left side. He is wearing a white jacket with a black shirt. John Oates is on the right side. He is wearing a black jacket with a white shirt. Hall & Oates are wearing the opposite color from each other. The picture looks like two pictures juxtaposed together. There is a Wi-Fi signal in the middle of the picture. It symbolizes sound. Hall & Oates appear to be listening out for something.

Ebet Roberts took a unique picture of Hall & Oates. Hall & Oates came up with the concept of the album cover. They wanted the album cover to look sharp and cool to match the sound of the music. Ebet Roberts took a picture that went with what Hall & Oates wanted. They look sharp and cool. Ebet Roberts creatively made two pictures look as if they were one. John Oates appears as if he is hiding behind a door when he is most likely in his own picture. Ebet Roberts is an art photographer. She has worked with Hall & Oates, Sylvain Sylvain, Bob Marley, Simon and Garfunkel, Talking Heads, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ronnie and the Jitters, Frank Zappa, Johnny Winter, Ramones, The Who, Dead Boys, Neil Young, James Brown, The Rolling Stones, 10,000 Maniacs, Roseanne Cash, The Cars, Guns N’ Roses, as well as others. Voices was released in July 1980. The album peaked at number 17 on Billboard 200. Voices features the singles “How Does It Feel to Be Back,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” “Kiss on My List” and “You Make My Dreams.” Voices sold more than one million copies.

# 7 – Whole Oats

The seventh pick on our list is Whole Oats. Whole Oats is Hall & Oates’ first studio album. This is the album that helped introduce Hall & Oates to the world. They recorded demos prior to this album being released. This album cover is different. It is a picture of a container of oatmeal. The container is open, and you can see the oatmeal in it. The background is orange. This album cover features their full names. The album title is written on the oatmeal container. This is the first album cover on our list that doesn’t feature the duo on the cover. Hall & Oates wanted to do a pun on their album title with this album cover.

John Paul Endress had a different mindset when it concerned the direction of the album cover. Artists don’t usually use food as their album cover. They use scenery and special effects for their covers. They don’t usually use a container of oatmeal to represent their work. Hall & Oates didn’t want to feature their faces on the album cover. They took a risk doing this since it is their debut album. They ran the risk of fans not knowing who they were. John Paul Endress found a creative way to let the fans know who they were. He used a good color to make the oatmeal container stand out. It is an original cover and will most likely never be copied. John Paul Endress is a photographer. He has worked with Hall & Oates, The J. Geils Band, Ian Matthews, The Brecker Brothers, Taj Mahal, Mark Colby, Brownsville, Bob James, Richard Tee, Ray, Goodman & Brown, Frank Mills, The O’Jays, David Essex, as well as others. Whole Oats was released in September 1972. The album features the singles “I’m Sorry,” “All Our Love,” “Waterwheel” and “They Needed Each Other.”

# 6 – Abandoned Luncheonette

Abandoned Luncheonette is Hall & Oates’ second studio album. This album was more soulful than their debut album. They didn’t want this album to be too commercial. This is another album cover on our list that doesn’t feature a picture of Hall & Oates. This time they used a picture of a diner. The diner was in Philadelphia. The diner is in the middle of the woods. It is a double wide trailer. The border of the album cover is close shots of the diner. Their name is on the top of the cover while the album title is on the bottom. The shot was taken during the day because the sky is blue. Anyone who is a fan of the diner will feel nostalgic looking at the picture.

Barbara Wilson took a nostalgic picture for the cover. The diner was abandoned but she made it come alive. She took a great shot of the scenery. Anyone who is a fan of woodsy areas would love this shot. It looks like a good place to go camping. The album cover looks like a location shot instead of an album cover. The picture was originally in black and white. Barbara Wilson edited the picture to give it a colorized look. She designed the lettering by hand. She used the right colors needed to make this picture stand out. Barbara Wilson is a fine art photographer. She is best known for working with Hall & Oates. Abandoned Luncheonette was released in November 1973. The album peaked at number 33 on Billboard 200. Abandoned Luncheonette features the singles “She’s Gone,” “Had I Known You Better,” “Lady Rain”’ and “Abandoned Luncheonette.”

# 5 – X-Static

The next pick on our Top 10 Hall & Oates Album Covers list is X-Static. X-Static is Hall & Oates’ eighth studio album. This is another album cover that doesn’t feature Hall & Oates on it. The eye-catching cover is a picture of a boom box wrapped in a plastic bag. The boom box is sitting in a pool of water. The water is on the floor because it was raining in the shot. The boom box is on the floor. There is a bright light shining on top of the plastic bag as well as the floor. The lettering is written in blue letters.

George Nakano made the boom box the star of the picture. The light on the plastic bag makes it stand out. He used a breathtaking blue for the album cover. He created an image that will make you curious about what happened in the picture. George Nakano captured the picture of the aftermath of Hall & Oates goofing off in the rain. If you have never seen a boom box inside of a plastic bag, this will be a different shot for you. The picture doesn’t match the title of the album, but the album features a song called “Portable Radio.” As you may or may not know, a boom box is a portable radio. George Nakano is a photographer who is best known for working with Hall & Oates. X-Static was released in September 1979. The album features the singles “Wait for Me,” “Running from Paradise,” “Portable Radio” and “Number One.”

# 4 – War Babies

War Babies is Hall & Oates’ third studio album. Hall & Oates changed their musical style for this album. The songs on the album are more rock-oriented. The album cover is a collage of things from the war during the time. The picture depicts a child being born during the war. The child’s father was in the service. The picture tells a story about what was happening during the war. The cover features an election button of the presidential election at the time. There is a picture of someone in the service as well as a girl at a carnival. There is a shot of a sandwich and crackers. There is a picture of a baby bottle.

Peter Palombi created an impressive album cover about what was going on at the time. He didn’t take a picture of Hall & Oates, but he did include interesting things to look at on the album cover. The picture is serious, but it had a bit of comedy. He included a picture of a half-eaten sandwich and broken crackers. You might find yourself wondering how these fit in with the picture. We were wondering about that too. Peter Palombi used a variety of colors to tell the story. He used an excellent blend of dark and light colors. Peter Palombi is a designer and illustrator. He is known for taking realistic pictures. He has worked with Hall & Oates, The Commodores, Willie Nelson, Curtis Mayfield, Del Shannon, Ace Spectrum, Freddie King, Four Tops, Blue Magic, Eddie Harris, John Denver, George Benson, The Four Seasons, as well as others. War Babies was released in October 1974. It features the singles “Can’t Stop the Music (He Played It Much too Long),” “You’re Much Too Soon” and “Better Watch Your Back.”

# 3 – Bigger Than Both of Us

Coming in at number three on our list is Bigger Than Both of Us. Bigger Than Both of Us is Hall & Oates’ fifth studio album. The album cover features a futuristic look. It features a picture of Hall & Oates. They are sitting in a room working on music. John Oates is on the left side playing the guitar. Daryl Hall is on the right side writing in a book. There is a shot of food and drinks in the picture. The title of the album is written on a marquee. The background features radio signals and dials. There are three spotlights on their names. The lettering is done in 3-D. Hall & Oates aren’t sitting by their names. John Oates is sitting under Daryl Hall’s name while Daryl Hall is sitting under John Oates’ name.

Ron Barry did a wonderful job combining photography and artwork. It looks like a candid photo of the duo working on a song. Daryl Hall came up with the concept for the album cover. He showed that he was more than just a singer/songwriter. He came up with an imaginative idea for the cover. Ron Barry took a mostly dark shot with a few traces of light. The light colors bring out some of the darkness in the picture. The picture will grab your attention while you listen to the album. Ron Barry is an illustrator who is best known for working with Hall & Oates. Bigger Than Both of Us was released in September 1976. The album features the singles “Do What You Want, Be What You Are,” “Rich Girl” and “Back Together Again.”

# 2 – Private Eyes

Private Eyes is Hall & Oates’ 10th studio album. Critics believed this was their most creative album. The creative album cover features Daryl Hall and John Oates like you have never seen them before. The picture is reminiscent of a Rorschach test. There are a lot of dots connected together to create their faces. Daryl Hall is on the left while John Oates is on the right. Half of their faces are shown in the picture. The shot is taken from the right side of Daryl Hall’s face and the left side of John Oates’ face. There is a black shadow between their faces. Their names are written in pink letters while the album title is written in yellow letters. Other than the lettering, there is no color in the picture.

Ed Caraeff created an amazing cover. He set the picture up in a way where Hall & Oates’ faces were split in half. If the black space weren’t between their faces, it could have been combined into one face. Your eyes will be drawn to their eyes. Ed Caraeff took a shot that focuses your attention on Hall & Oates’ eyes. It coincides with the album title. This doesn’t look like an average photo. Ed Caraeff made it look like graphic art. Ed Caraeff is a photographer and graphic arts designer. He has worked with Hall & Oates, Bee Gees, Dolly Parton, Elton John, Steely Dan, Carly Simon, Tom Waits, Jimmy Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Little Richard, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Marvin Gaye, Jose Feliciano, as well as others. Private Eyes was released in September 1981. The album peaked at number five on Billboard 200. Private Eyes features the singles “Private Eyes,” “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do),” “Did It in a Minute” and “You’re Imagination.” The album sold over one million copies.

# 1 – Daryl Hall & John Oates

The number one pick on our Top 10 Hall & Oates Album Covers list is Daryl Hall & John Oates. Daryl Hall & John Oates is their fourth studio album. Hall & Oates went back to the musical sound of pop rock. The album cover features a picture of Hall & Oates. This is a headshot of the duo taken from the shoulders up. It is a black and white photo with a silver background. Hall & Oates have an androgynous look. They are both wearing makeup in the picture so their features could stand out against the silver background. Daryl Hall is wearing a black shirt while John Oates is wearing a white shirt.

Pierre LaRoche and Bill King created a masterpiece with this shot. Pierre LaRoche wanted to give Hall & Oates a look that was popular at the time. He wanted to do an album cover that people would remember. His mission was accomplished because this is the only cover that features Hall & Oates in this way. The fans were confused because the look had nothing to do with their music, but they got to see Hall & Oates in a different light. This album cover is considered one of their most recognized album covers. Bill King took an excellent shot of Hall & Oates. He used the right color to make the duo stand out. Pierre LaRoche promised them that people would remember the album cover and he was right. It is one of their most memorable album covers. Pierre LaRoche is a makeup artist. He has worked with Hall & Oates, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Donna Summer, Nona Hendryx, as well as others. Bill King is a photographer who is best known for working with Hall & Oates. Daryl Hall & John Oates was released in August 1975. The album features the singles “Camellia,” “Alone Too Long” and “Sara Smile.”

Top 10 Hall & Oates Album Covers article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023

Classicrockhistory.com claims ownership of all its original content and Intellectual property under United States Copyright laws and those of all other foreign countries. No one person, business, or organization is allowed to re-publish any of our original content anywhere on the web or in print without our permission. All photos used are either public domain creative commons photos or licensed officially from Shutterstock under license with ClassicRockHistory.com. All photo credits have been placed at the end of the article. Album Cover Photos are affiliate links and the property of Amazon and are stored on the Amazon server. Any theft of our content will be met with swift legal action against the infringing websites.

DMCA.com Protection Status

Add Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dashboard Confessional Songs
Top 10 Dashboard Confessional Songs
Fountains of Wayne Songs
Top 10 Fountains of Wayne Songs
10 Best Rock Songs With The Word 'Red' In The Title
10 Best Rock Songs With The Word ‘Red’ In The Title
Living Colour Songs
Top 10 Living Colour Songs
Eagles Albums
Picking Out Our Favorite Eagles Albums
George Harrison Albums
Our Favorite George Harrison Albums
Electric Light Orchestra Albums
10 Electric Light Orchestra Albums Everyone Should Own
Stevie Nicks Albums
Top 10 Stevie Nicks Albums
Monsters of Rock Cruise 2024: Day Five Review
Justin Hawkins of The Darkness Monsters Of Rock Cruise 2024: Day Four Review
Monsters Of Rock Cruise 2024: Day Four Review
M3 Rock Festival Is Back For 15th year! May 4 & 5 In Columbia, MD
Monsters of Rock Cruise 2024: Day Three Review
Russell Marsden Interview
An Interview With Russell Marsden of Band Of Skulls
Jeff Fabb of Black Label Society Interview
An Interview With Jeff Fabb of Black Label Society
Joey Vera of Armored Saint: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Mel Gaynor Interview
An Interview With Mel Gaynor, Formerly Of Simple Minds
Ace Frehley Albums
Complete List of Ace Frehley Albums And Discography
Status Quo Albums
Complete List Of Status Quo Studio Albums And Discography
Phantom, Rocker & Slick Albums
Complete List Of Phantom, Rocker & Slick Albums
Paul Young Albums
Complete List Of Paul Young Albums And Discography
Music CDs Comeback
Why Music CDs Have No Chance Of Making A Comeback
Classic Rock Bands Still Together But Overdue For A New Album
Classic Rock Bands Still Together But Overdue For A New Album
When Glam Bands Went Grunge In The 1990s
When Glam Bands Went Grunge In The 1990s
25 Most Famous Female American Singers Now!
25 Most Famous Female American Singers Now!
11 Tracks Of Whack Album Review
Walter Becker – 11 Tracks of Whack Album Review
Sammy Hagar Album Review
Why Sammy Hagar’s 1977 ‘Sammy Hagar’ LP Was One Of His Best
Grand Funk On Time Album Review
Looking Back At Grand Funk Railroad’s Debut Album ‘On Time’
Ghost Writer Album Review
How ‘Ghost Writer’ Turned Us On To The Music Of Garland Jeffreys