10 Best Rock Music Album Covers Of The 2010s
These recent editions to the rock covers canon are on their way to classic status.
The 2010s were an interesting time for music in general.
Streaming culture and the decline of physical album sales fundamentally changed the way in which people experienced music and how those who produced it earned a living.
New names were breaking through not on the live circuits or talent shows, but rather via the internet and social media. It was a strange new world, and rock music was caught right in the middle of it.
Whereas the 90s had had britpop and grunge and the 2000s pop punk and nu metal, the 2010s didn't struggled to innovate a new branch of rock. Guitar-based indie was all the rage at the start of the decade, but even those groups began to go more pop over time.
One thing that didn't change was the incredible amount of amazing album covers available. Even though most people were now viewing artwork on their phones, a strong cover image was still vitally important in establishing an album's presence.
The 2010s might have been a weird old time, but at least these pretty pictures were around to distract people from all the chaos.
10. Capacity - Big Thief
The guitarist in American indie rock band Big Thief is called Buck Meek.
That's got nothing to do with this album, it's just a name worth mentioning.
Mr. Meek and co. have only been around since 2015, but have already built up a strong following thanks to their melancholy-drenched sound and the piercing vocal style of lead singer Adrianne Lenker.
Their second album, Capacity, came out in 2017 and featured on plenty of publication's year-end "Best of" lists, including NPR, Pitchfork, and something called BrooklynVegan.
Doesn't get much more indie than that.
Lenker is featured on the front cover of capacity, although you wouldn't recognise her at first. She is the baby being held by a very bored looking young man, who it turns out is her Uncle Adam.
This continues a familial theme, as Lenker's mother was the cover star of the band's previous release. What gives this picture the nod is the utter disdain Uncle Adam has on his face.
He looks thoroughly disinterested in this new life that he's been given to hold, which is just far too funny.
Instantly attention-grabbing and thoroughly entertaining, Capacity's cover is far more enjoyable than holding your newborn niece.