Feature Photo: Brandon Nagy / Shutterstock.com
Our Top 10 Styx Album Covers list will look at a legendary rock band who has been around for decades. This talented band has sold over 54 million albums worldwide. Styx was one of the first bands to have four consecutive multi-platinum albums. They have evolved over the years just like their album covers. Styx did progressive rock in the 70s and transitioned into pop and soft rock music. The band has eight songs in the Top 10 on the Hot 100 charts. They also have 16 Top 40 hit singles. Their album covers had people talking. They have a variety of album covers.
Styx’s album covers are original. The artists behind the album covers are geniuses. They know how to surprise you with each album cover. The covers aren’t ordinary photos. Their covers feature more than just the artists posing. Their pictures make a statement. The album covers talk about the themes of the album. Some of them feature a song title, a crystal ball, a serpent, a theatre as well as other pictures to describe the album. You will never feel as if you are looking at the same picture twice because there is always something different on the album covers. Not only will you get a treat with Styx’s music, you will get a treat looking at the album covers.
Fans are amazed by the artwork on Styx’s album covers. The pictures are so colorful. The pictures practically leap off the cover. The images may leave you guessing what is going on in some of the pictures. Styx has several albums to choose from for our Top 10 Styx Album Covers list. They are all so creative that it was a challenge to narrow down which ones to pick. We were up for the challenge. Come find out which album covers made our Top 10 Styx Album Covers list.
# 10 – Crash of the Crown
The first pick on our Top 10 Styx Album Covers list is Crash of the Crown. This is Styx’s 17th studio album. Styx changed their writing style for this album. They wanted to cover more emotional topics. They wanted to talk about their triumphs. They felt like people could relate to the songs on the album. The album cover showcases their thought process. This awe-inspiring album cover is symbolic of their union as brothers. Their union is an endless cycle of their ups and downs. The picture looks like different illusions. It looks like a crop circle on the ground. You can see the shape of the sky in the circle. There is a shot of people standing around the circle. The picture is light with the sky being the only color in it.
There is another picture for the album. It is the opposite of the previous picture. This picture looks as if people are looking down a hole with a shot of the sky behind them. If you relax your eyes, The sky looks like a shot of the world. The album cover is like an optical illusion. It will leave fans guessing on what is going on in the picture. Crash of the Crown was released in June 2021. The album peaked at number 114 on Billboard 200. Crash of the Crown features the singles “Crash of the Crown,” “Reveries” and “Hold Back the Darkness.”
# 9 – The Serpent Is Rising
The next pick on our Top 10 Styx Album Covers list is The Serpent Is Rising. This is Styx’s third studio album. This album cover is very creative. There is a lot going on in the picture. The album cover represents the metaphoric theme of the album. The cover leaves very little to the imagination. The main setting of the album cover is a desert. You can see mountains in the background. There are cacti within the picture. There are beautiful flowers in front of the cover. You can see different shots of water throughout the picture. There is a boat in the back of the picture. There is a serpent on the cover. It looks as if the artist created a collage of different things and put it together to create the look of the album.
The artist did a great job balancing out the colors on the cover. It looks like every color of the rainbow is represented. It would be hard to think of a color that wasn’t used on the cover. The sky gives the picture a calming look. The serpent makes the picture look scary. The cover gives you a lot to think about while you are looking at. It is possible that the band was going for shock value with the album cover. The Serpent Is Rising was released in October 1973. The album peaked at number 192 on Billboard 200. The album’s singles are “As Bad as This,” “Winner Take All” and “Witch Wolf.” The album sold over 100,000 copies.
# 8 – Brave New World
Brave New World is Styx’s 13th album. The album combines Styx’s classic sound with a modern sound. The band was looking for something to visually describe their album. They wanted an image that would help promote their work. The album cover has a futuristic look. It is a breathtaking shot of a woman looking out of her window. She is kneeling on the floor. She is looking at buildings that appear to be in the sky. The buildings are surrounded by clouds. The woman is kneeling in front of an indoor garden. The artist used creative license because most people have gardens outdoors, bur this one is inside.
The color of the album is a beautiful dark blue or purple. It depends on how you look at it. The rest of the colors are vibrant and pop out at you. This looks like a painting that could be hanging in an art gallery. The artist wanted to dominate this picture with darkness. The shot of the light outside of the window keeps the picture from being completely dark. Brave New World was released in June 1999. It peaked at number 110 on Billboard 200. Brave New World features the singles “Everything Is Cool,” “While There’s Still Time,” “Number One” and “Brave New World.”
# 7 – Cyclorama
Cyclorama is Styx’s 14th album. This album was an experimental project. They wanted to know where they were as a band. They felt like they were going through a lot of growth and change for this project. The vibrant album cover is intriguing. It mainly features a big carrot being suspended in the air. There are people on the ground looking up at the carrot. The carrot may represent the sun since it is in the sky. It may also represent the change the band was going through on this album. The shot of the sky is very relaxing. It appears to be a beautiful day because there aren’t too many clouds in the sky.
The people are looking in awe at the carrot. It’s not a surprise that they would feel that way since it’s not every day you see a carrot in the sky. This is mostly a light color picture. The blue in the sky and the orange of the carrot dominate the color. The guys are in dark clothing so it gives the picture some darkness. The band chose to keep their backs to the camera instead of showing their faces. Musicians don’t usually keep their faces away from the camera so it was a brave move. Cyclorama was released in February 2003. It peaked at number 127. The album features the singles “Waiting for Our Time,” “Fields of the Brave,” “These Are the Times” and “Yes I Can.”
# 6 – Crystal Ball
Crystal Ball is Styx’s sixth album. Styx transitioned to a pop and rock album with this project. The album cover has a calming effect. There is a shot of hands holding a crystal ball. It is not an ordinary crystal ball. There is a shot of a ballerina dancing inside of the crystal ball. Styx has a song on the album called “Ballerina” which explains why there is a shot of a ballerina in the crystal ball. The crystal ball represents the title of the album. The crystal ball has a combination of blue and purple colors inside of it. The name of the album is prominently written at the bottom in white letters. The name of the band is written on the crystal ball.
The color of the album cover has dark graphics. The light from the crystal ball adds brightness to the picture. It has a psychedelic vibe to it. You can look at the crystal ball the way fortune tellers look at them. There is not a lot going on in the picture. The cover didn’t need to be flashy in order to make a statement. It was a cool theme because it allows you to look into the future. Crystal Ball was released in October 1976. The album peaked at number 66 on Billboard 200. Crstal Ball features the singles “Mademoiselle,” “Jennifer” and “Crystal Ball.”
# 5 – Killroy Was Here
The next pick on our Top 10 Styx Album Covers list is Killroy Was Here. This is Styx’s 11th studio album. This is a concept album. It is also a rock opera about a world where music isn’t wanted. The album was named after a war. The album cover is Styx’s way of mocking religious groups who were against their music. This is a message to the conservatives who were against them. The album cover is unique. It features two people wearing Roboto masks. There are also flames in the background. There is a group of people gathering around the flame. The album cover represents the war the rock stars are having with the government. Styx was accused of satanism, and they wanted to prove they weren’t involved in it. This is a tongue-in-cheek type of photo to get people talking.
The album cover is dark to represent the dark place the band was in at the time. The flame gives the picture some light to take away from some of the darkness. The band’s name is in red letters prominently placed to the left of the cover. The title of the album is in small white letters. The album cover will give you a dystopian feeling because you can feel the pain they are suffering in the picture. Killroy Was Here peaked at number three on Billboard 200. The album features the singles “Mr. Roboto,” “Don’t Let it End,” “High Time” and “Heavy Metal Poisoning.” Killroy Was Here sold over one million copies.
# 4 – Pieces of Eight
Pieces of Eight is Styx’s eighth studio album. Styx wanted their listeners to know that they shouldn’t give up on what they believe in. Time shouldn’t be a factor when it comes to your dreams. They think you shouldn’t change your creativity for money. The album cover reflects how Styx feels about their creativity. The intriguing album cover features three older women in the desert. Two of the women have profile pictures. You can’t see their faces. You can only see part of their ear. The woman in the middle dominates the photo. She has a full-frontal picture. One of her eyes is covered by the woman in front of her. All the women are wearing a dangling earring.
This is a cover that Styx wasn’t fond of at first. They were a band in their 20s, but they had older women on the album cover. Styx wasn’t sure if the women were the best representation of the album. They changed their minds about the picture and realized it was one of the best covers they ever had. The background color is mesmerizing. You can get lost looking at the color of the sky. The woman in the middle has beautiful eyes. The color of her eyes is hypnotic. They don’t have many colors in the image, but the colors they do have are vibrant. Pieces of Eight was released in September 1978. The album peaked at number six on Billboard 200. Pieces of Eight features the singles “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” “Sing for the Day” and “Renegade.” Pieces of Eight sold over three million copies.
# 3 – Cornerstone
Cornerstone is Styx’s ninth studio album. This is the first album to earn the band a Grammy nomination. Styx changed their musical style on this album. They incorporated more of a pop sound into their music. This could have turned their rock fans off, but it didn’t. The album cover is tranquil. The album cover features someone standing on the beach or in the desert. The person is holding a flashlight. The person is looking at something shiny in the sand. The person is wearing white and shown from the legs down. It keeps you guessing the identity of the person standing in the sand.
The sun has set and looks as if darkness is about to come. The photo is mainly dark except for the flashlight shining off the object in the sand. It may appear as if there isn’t much going on in the picture, but there is more going on than you realize. It makes you wonder what the person is looking at in the picture. The back of the album cover is just as mysterious as the front. This is the opposite of the front cover. This one is dominated by light colors. There is a person standing by a statue. The floor by the statue is lit up. There is a long hallway featured in the picture. The hallway looks like a tunnel. If you look closely, you will see that the floor lights up until it disappears.
The artist chose soft colors for the back cover. The covers do have one thing in common. The people are staring at something that caught their eye. Both objects appear in bright light. Like some of the other album covers on the list, Styx does not appear on the cover. Cornerstone was released in October 1979. It peaked at number two on Billboard 200. The album features the singles “Babe,” “Why Me,” “Borrowed Time,” “Boat on the River” and “Lights.” Cornerstone sold over two million copies.
# 2 – Paradise Theatre
Paradise Theatre is Styx’s 10th studio album. This is one of the band’s most successful albums. The throwback album cover is a painting of a theater. The theater was famous back in the day. It is premiere night so there are a lot of people gathered outside of the theater. They are anxiously waiting to get inside of the theater. There are antique cars parked outside of the theater. The spotlights are shining above the theater. You can see the top of the building. This is a glamorous setting reminiscent of a red-carpet event. The album cover was designed to depict how big Styx were at the time the album was released.
Styx had a big budget to deliver on the perfect album cover so the illustrators wanted to go all out for it. The illustrators wanted to use the big theater to show how famous Styx was. The album cover was supposed to be simple, but it became larger than life. There is an excellent contrast of dark and light colors displayed on the album cover. The artwork on the cover will grab your attention immediately. It looks classy. Paradise Theatre was released in January 1981. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. Paradise Theatre features the singles “The Best of Times,” “Too Much Time on My Hands,” “Nothing Ever Goes as Planned,” “Rockin’ the Paradise” and “A.D. 1928.” The album sold over three million copies.
# 1 – The Grand Illusion
The number one pick on our Top 10 Styx Album Covers list is The Grand Illusion. This is Styx’s seventh album. This album is one of their biggest hit albums. This album helped them become more popular with fans. The album cover is an optical illusion. The album cover features something from each song. It is an homage to the painting “Le Blanc-Seing (The Blank Signature). When you first look at the picture, it looks like a person riding on a horse. If you keep looking, you will see different images. You can see a horse and a giraffe. It appears as if a woman’s face is in between trees. You can have fun picking out the different images in the picture.
The colors on the album cover are visually appealing. They aren’t too dark or light. It gives you a chance to look at nature. The picture is very engaging and easy on the eye. The album cover is just as memorable as the album itself. It is fitting that Styx would have a cover like this to represent the album. Optical illusions are popular now so the album cover was ahead of its time. The band isn’t featured on the cover, but you won’t forget the way it looks. You will never get bored looking at this cover because you will be entertained trying to figure out what is in the picture. The Grand Illusion was released in July 1977. It peaked at number six on Billboard 200. The album features the singles “Come Sail Away,” “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man},” “Superstars” and “The Grand Illusion.” The Grand Illusion sold over three million copies.
Top 10 Styx 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.