Our Top 10 Heart Album Covers list will looks at a legendary rock band formed in the 1970s. They are a hard rock and heavy metal band. The band went through multiple member changes throughout the years. Ann and Nancy Wilson were the only consistent members of the band. They are Heart. They have had numerous hits, which include “Crazy on You,” “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” “What About Love,” “Never,” “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You,” “These Dreams,” and “Alone.” Heart has sold over 35 million records worldwide. Their albums have made it to the Top 10 on Billboard 200 from the 70s to 2010s. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Heart made an impression on fans by being a female-fronted heavy metal and rock band. There aren’t too many heavy metal bands with female singers as the lead.
Album covers are the first impression for music buyers. Heart used headshots for most of their album covers, allowing fans to know who they were buying. It also allowed fans to see what the members looked like when they were not on stage. Most of the album covers have a heart or something red on them, so you will know it is the band. The photographers took great pictures of the band for fans to admire. There are also covers with imagery and illustration for fans to admire. There is something for everyone. Heart has a lot of good album covers to choose from, so narrowing it down was a challenge. Our Top 10 Heart Album Covers list will celebrate the album covers from the legendary band.
# 10 – Private Audition
The 10th pick on our Top 10 Heart Albums Covers list is Private Audition. Private Audition is Heart’s sixth studio album. The album spent 14 weeks on the charts. The band wasn’t in their right frame of mind during the recording sessions. Ann Wilson was partying a lot during this time. She didn’t think she gave the album her all. She was battling her demons during this time. The album cover features polaroids of the band members. The pictures are sitting on a desk. There is a chair behind the desk. The sisters are on the left while the rest of the band is on the right. Their pictures are spread on the desk as if someone is looking at them. The pictures are black and white. There is a lit cigar in an ashtray. The background is dark. The band’s name and album title are in a blue banner on top of the album cover.
Dale Windham took an interesting picture for the album cover. He has the band’s pictures arranged as if they are auditioning for something. The pictures look like headshots people use when they audition for shows or movies. The band is in individual pictures. Dale Windham gave fans a chance to see the band members.
Some of the covers feature Ann and Nancy Wilson, but this album cover features the rest of the band. Their pictures look as if they belong in a portfolio. The pictures on the album cover matched the title of the album. Dale Windham is a photographer. He has worked with Heart, Queensryche and the Barry Sisters. Private Audition was released in May 1982. The album peaked at number 25 on Billboard 200. Private Audition features the singles “This Man Is Mine,” “Bright Light Girl,” “City’s Burning” and “Private Audition.”
# 9 – Red Velvet Car
The ninth pick on our Top 10 Heart Album Covers list is Red Velvet Car. Red Velvet Car is Heart’s 14th studio album. Heart mixed things up with this album. They use acoustic and rock music on this album. They wanted the songs to simmer on the album. The songs allowed Ann and Nancy Wilson to get strong vocal workouts. The album cover features a picture of the front end of a car. There is a heart with wings on the side of it. The heart is placed in the middle of the car. The car is red. The chrome is silver. The car is against a black background that resembles fabric. The band’s name is written in silver on top of the car. The album title is written in red letters on the bottom of the album cover.
This album cover didn’t feature the band members. It is a picture of a red car. Amber McDonald and Randee St. Nicholas took a picture that fits with the album. The band has a couple of songs on the album that refers to the picture. Amber McDonald and Randee St. Nicholas used a background that looks like it could be fabric from a leather jacket or a pocket. It was a different choice but it works. It makes the background stand out. The cover is attention grabbing.
You will notice the red if you are looking to buy the album. The silver is also eye catching. The bold letters of their name will grab your attention. Fans will know this is Heart’s album because the band’s logo is featured on the cover. Amber McDonald is a graphic artist who is best known for working with Heart. Randee St. Nicholas is a photographer. She has worked with Heart, Barry White, Billy Thorpe, The Knack, American Noise, Shoes, Del Shannon, Jackson Browne, Klymaxx, Clocks, Stanley Clarke, Karla Bonoff, Eddie Money, Merle Haggard, The Hollies, Shalamar, The Oak Ridge Boys, Ray Charles, Philip Bailey, Champaign, REO Speedwagon, as well as others. Red Velvet Car was released in August 2010. The album peaked at number 10 on Billboard 200. Red Velvet Car features the singles “WTF,” “There You Go,” “Wheels” and “Red Velvet Car.”
# 8 – Jupiters Darling
The eighth pick on our Top 10 Heart Album Covers list is Jupiters Darling. The album Jupiters Darling is Heart’s 13th studio album. The band went back to the basics with this album. They incorporated hard rock and folk in their music. The album cover features an image like a Mandelbrot set. It looks like a heart. The image has a glowing light around it. Ann and Nancy Wilson are in the background. Nancy Wilson’s picture is on the left side of the album cover. The picture is taken from her right side.
Nancy Wilson is smiling in the picture. Ann Wilson is on the right side of the album cover. Her picture is taken from the right side. She is smiling in the picture. Their pictures are headshots. There is a light hue over the ladies’ faces. The band’s name is on top of the album cover in pink letters. There is a yellow border around the letters. The album title is on the bottom left.
Klaus Whitley and Nancy Wilson came up with an imaginative cover. There aren’t too many people who would use a formula for an album cover. They managed to find an image that was like a heart. It is in the center of the album cover but it doesn’t take away from the ladies’ pictures. It was a different choice that he put them behind the Mandelbrot set instead of in front of it or in between them.
He used a light hue over their faces. The different colors make the picture stand out. The cover is a conversation piece because you might find yourself wondering why the photographer chose this route for the picture. The theme doesn’t match the album. Klaus Whitley is best known for working with Heart. Jupiters Darling was released in June 2004. The album peaked at number 94 on Billboard 200. Jupiters Darling features the singles “Make Me,” “Oldest Story in the World,” “The Perfect Goodbye” and “I Need the Rain.”
# 7 – Magazine
The seventh pick on our list is Magazine. The album Magazine is Heart’s second studio album. The band was having issues with their label when they recorded this album. They were trying to renegotiate their contract. They believed they were hitmakers and wanted the label to raise their royalty rate. The producer refused to give them what they wanted. They had to fulfill their contract with this album. The album cover features a picture of a heart sitting on a seesaw. The seesaw is in the middle of the grass.
The heart is weighing down its end of the seesaw. There is a waterfall on the side of the cover. There is a pool of water under the waterfall. There are hills in the background. You can see the clouds in the sky. There is a musical note in the sky. It appears in the sky like a shooting star. The picture is inside of a circle. The background is black. The band’s name is written in red bold letters. The album title is written underneath the band’s name in yellow letters.
We want to start off by saying there is a lot going on in the picture. We wonder if they were going with symbolism with the cover. Does the seesaw represent the issues they were going through with their label? Was the arguing going back and forth like a seesaw? Loren Salazar came up with an intriguing concept for the album cover. Loren Salazar may have captured the issues the band was going through with their label. Loren Salazar created a picturesque view. Not only is it visually attractive it is also peaceful looking.
Loren Salazar used a variety of colors to create the picture. It doesn’t feature the band’s picture, but their logo is represented so there is no mistaking this is an album by Heart. Loren Salazar has worked with Heart, Child, Striker, Blue Oyster Cult, Rail, The Cowboys, Paul Horn, Carlos Fregtman, as well as others. Magazine was released in April 1977. The album peaked at number 17 on Billboard 200. Magazine features the singles “Heartless,” “Without You,” “Magazine” and “Here Song.” The album sold over one million copies.
# 6 – Brigade
The next pick on our Top 10 Heart Album Covers list is Brigade. Brigade is Heart’s 10th studio album. This album is best known for having six singles in the Top 25 on the rock album charts. Ann and Nancy Wilson didn’t write as many songs on this album as they have done in the past. The album cover features an ‘H.’ The ‘H’ is on an angle. The letter is half blue and red. It is in a black box. The letter is against a black background. There is a blue strip on the top right of the album cover. There is a red strip on the bottom left. The band’s name is in a yellow border. This album cover didn’t feature the band’s name in its signature logo. Their name is written in black letters. The album title is written in yellow letters at the bottom right of the cover.
This album cover isn’t like the other album covers on our list. It doesn’t feature their signature logo. It doesn’t feature a picture of a heart. The band isn’t on the cover. Michael Miller took a chance with this album cover because fans may not have recognized this without the band’s signature logo. With that said, it is a very good cover. He used solid colors for the cover. The colors are easy on the eyes. It is a simple picture that doesn’t require imagery or illustration. There is no picture that could do the album title justice so he came up with the best image possible.
Michael Miller is a photographer who has worked with Heart, Cypress Hill, Brad Miller, The Graces, Lynch, Skipper Wise, Patrick O’Hearn, Michael Jeffries, Taylor Dayne, Dianne Reeves, King of the Sun, Skatemaster, Jump with Joey, House of Pain, Young M.C., Sybil, Pantera, Chris Isaak, Kriss Kross, Winger, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Brandy, Warren G, as well as others. Brigade was released in March 1990. The album peaked at number three on Billboard 200. Brigade features the singles “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You,” “I Didn’t Want to Need You,” “Stranded,” “Secret,” “The Night” and “Cruel Nights.” The album sold over two million copies.
# 5 – Dog & Butterfly
Dog & Butterfly is Heart’s fourth studio album. The album was divided into different types of songs. The dog side was the rock side while the butterfly side was the ballads. The album cover features an illustration of a dog chasing after a butterfly. The butterfly is in the air while the dog is chasing after it. There is a shadow of the butterfly behind it. It looks as if the dog is chasing the butterfly’s shadow. There is a white line to imply where the butterfly has been. The black line indicates the areas where the dog has been.
There is a picture of a tree in the bottom right corner of the cover. There is a blue bird flying near the tree. The background is multi-colored with soft pastel colors. There is a blue border around the cover. The band’s name is written in red letters on the top left side of the cover. The album title is written in two borders. Dog & is written on one border while Butterfly is written on the other. They are written vertically in blue letters.
Fu-Ding Cheng created a cartoon illustration for the album cover. This is another cover that doesn’t look as if it would be linked to the band. It doesn’t feature the band’s signature logo. It doesn’t have a picture of a heart. He did include their name in red letters. The album cover is a unique picture. The cover matches the title of the album. It doesn’t look like a typical album cover. It looks like something that would be on a greeting card. The album cover is playful because it looks as if the dog is having fun chasing the butterfly. The light colors create a calming effect. Fu-Ding Cheng has worked with Heart, Chicago, Yanni and Frank Zappa. Dog & Butterfly was released in October 1978. The album peaked at number 17 on Billboard 200. Dog & Butterfly features the singles “Straight On,” “Dog & Butterfly,” “Cook with Fire” and “High Time.” The album sold over two million copies.
# 4 – Heart
The number two pick on our Top 10 Heart Album Covers list is Heart. Heart is the band’s eighth studio album. Heart continued to do mainstream rock music. The album features the band’s first number-one song. Four of their singles peaked in the Top 10. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award. The album cover features a picture of the band on a black and white checkered floor. Mark Andes is standing on the left. He is wearing a red jacket, white shirt, and black pants.
Ann Wilson is wearing a black and red outfit. Howard Leese is wearing a purple jacket and pants. Denny Carmassi is wearing a black and blue outfit. Nancy Wilson is sitting on the floor. She is wearing a black and white dress. She is wearing lace gloves. The band is standing in front of a stonewall image. There is a blue and red border around the album cover. The band’s name is featured in the center of the picture. It is written in red letters.
This album cover is the perfect image of 80s rock bands. They have big hair and 80s rock fashion. Rebecca Blake took a picture of the band and not just the sisters. They all get equal representation on the cover. On most of the band’s album covers, the rest of the band isn’t featured or they are in the background of the pictures. This album cover allows fans to see the entire band up close. It is a good contrast of light and dark colors. The band looks good in the picture. Rebecca Blake did a fantastic job with this album cover. The chemistry among the band is alive and well.
Rebecca Blake has worked with Heart, Patti LaBelle, Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Sheila E, Thompson Twins, John Taylor, Vanessa Williams, Corey Hart, Michael Bolton, Angel Grant, Daniel Rodriguez, and others. Heart was released in June 1985. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. Heart features the singles “What About Love,” “Never,” “These Dreams,” “Nothin’ at All” and “If Looks Could Kill.” The album sold over five million copies.
Read More: 11 Best Heart Songs Sung By Nancy Wilson
# 3 – Dreamboat Annie
Dreamboat Annie is Heart’s debut studio album. Heart wanted the music to be the focus. They didn’t want their music coming second to the advertising. Their producer wanted to sensationalize their music, but the band was against the idea. The album is mystical and riff driven. The album cover features a picture of Ann and Nancy Wilson. The picture is taken from the shoulders up.
They are standing back-to-back. It is a profile picture of the legendary musicians. Ann Wilson is on the left side of the album cover. The picture is taken from her left side. Her head is tilted to the left side. Her mouth is partially open. Nancy Wilson is on the right side of the cover. She looks as if she is staring at someone or something. Her picture is taken from her right side. There is a heart between the sisters. It features the title of the album in it. They are standing in front of a light background. The band’s name is written in pink bold letters.
Toby Rankin took a captivating photo of the Wilson sisters. They appear to be upset about something in the picture. He captured a natural look of the ladies. They were going through issues while they were recording the album so it was the right look for the cover. The picture was considered controversial in 1975 because their shoulders were shown. The picture is tastefully done because everything is left to the imagination. You can only see their shoulders.
Toby Rankin didn’t wait for the ladies to force smiles on their faces. He took pictures based on how they were feeling. It made the picture look more authentic. Toby Rankin worked with Heart and The Guess Who. Dreamboat Annie was released in September 1975. The album peaked at number seven on Billboard 200. Dreamboat Annie features the singles “How Deep It Goes,” “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You” and “Dreamboat Annie.” The album sold over one million copies.
Read More: Complete List Of Heart Albums And Discography
# 2 – Bébé le Strange
Right off the top spot is the beautiful cover to Heart’s album Bébé le Strange. This one stands as one of our favorite Heart albums of all time. It was the band’s fifth studio album, released on February 14, 1980. There’s not a lot to say about this cover—it’s pretty much just Ann and Nancy Wilson head-to-head, filling up the entire front cover.
In many ways, it’s a transitional album for the look the sisters would embrace a few years later when they changed record companies and went all out with big-hair, pop-rock commercial sounds, featuring songs written by outside writers for the first time. Nonetheless, on Bébé le Strange, the band was still writing its own material, and on this album, they wrote some of the best songs of their career, including the title track, “Even It Up,” “Strange Night,” and our favorite Nancy Wilson song, “Raised on You.”
There were some changes on this record, as longtime lead guitarist Roger Fisher had left the band before the recording of this album. Additionally, Heart used the Tower of Power, which featured Mic Gillette, Greg Adams, Emilio Castillo, Steve Cropper, and Mick Gillette on the big-time hit “Even It Up.” This fun album peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200.
Read More: 10 Essential Heart Songs
# 1 – Little Queen
Coming in at number one on our list is Little Queen. Little Queen is Heart’s third studio album. Heart took unfinished songs from their album Magazine, used B-sides, and made two live recordings to make this album. One of the songs on the album (“Barracuda”) was written because rumors were spread about the sisters and their relationship. The album features a picture of the band in the woods.
The ladies are dressed in prairie dresses, while the men are dressed like pioneers. Ann and Nancy Wilson are featured in the front, while the rest of the band members are in the back. There is a horse and buggy in the background. There is a goat in the picture. There are trees in the background. The sun is reflecting in the background. The band’s name is written on top of the album cover. There are hearts featured in each letter. The album title is written on the ‘A’ in Heart. The lettering is black.
This album cover gives you a chance to see the members of the band. The band came up with the concept of the album. The album cover is a period piece. It allows the band to dress up in costumes and have fun. Bob Seidemann took a fabulous picture of the band. It is very colorful. They look like they are having a good time posing for the pictures. The band doesn’t get a chance to take photos like this often, and it seems as if they enjoyed it. The album cover looks like a picture hanging on your wall. It is a breathtaking picture you can’t help staring at while listening to the album.
Bob Seidemann was a photographer. He was known for taking pictures of musicians. He worked with Heart, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, Jack Bonus, Stoneground, Jerry Garcia, David Rea, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Gino Vannelli, Leo Kottke, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Cheap Trick, Starcastle, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, Stanley Clarke, Sylvia St. James, Tommy Tutone, Airplay, Herbie Hancock, Gary Wright, Bangles, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Janis Joplin, as well as others. Little Queen was released in May 1977. The album peaked at number nine on Billboard 200. Little Queen features the singles “Barracuda,” “Little Queen,” and “Kick It Out.” The album sold over three million copies.
Read More: 10 Most Underrated Heart Songs
Updated August 22, 2024
Top 10 Heart Album Covers article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024
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