9. Led Zeppelin Presence
Led Zeppelin were arguably at the height of their fame when the released Presence in 1976. The album cover and inside sleeve featured various images of people interacting with a strange black obelisk-shaped object. The mysterious cover art reflected how Zeppelin had come to be viewed by their fans a kind of occult force, a distinctive presence that couldnt be defined. Jimmy Page described the mysterious black object that adorned the cover as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the monolith from Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey. Like his iconic work for Pink Floyd, Thorgersons Presence cover both represented the essence of Led Zeppelin while at the same time defying simple explanation.
8. Pink Floyd Animals
What do Danny Boyle, Alfonso Cuaron and The Simpsons have in common? Answer: they have all paid homage to the image of an inflatable pink pig floating above Battersea power station. Cuaron did it in Children of Men, Boyle in his opening ceremony for the London Olympics and the Simpsons did it in that episode where Homer goes on tour with the Smashing Pumpkins (Homerpalooza). It may have been a simple design, but there is something completely unforgettable about the cover of Animals. Inflatable pigs would go on to become a part of Pink Floyd live shows for years after the release of Animals, further cementing the connection between Thorgersons work and the band.