40. Pet Shop Boys ‘Very’
One nice thing about CDs was that the hard plastic format allowed designers to experiment with molds and textures, like this studded, hazmat-like case from the always image conscious Pet Shop Boys.
The advent of Photoshop, the rise of indie labels and massive influxes of cash meant that records in the 1990s started to come with more creative art and packaging. Unfortunately, with the CD being the dominant format, most of saw these great albums covers at palm-sized five inches wide, unlike the wide vinyl sleeves of the 1970s and those 12-inch '80s song singles. Still, graphic design in the '90s was the new rock & roll, with art collectives like Stylorouge, the Designers Republic, and Pen & Pixel considered as cool and popular as music acts.
These best album covers of the '90s paid homage to classic rock and jazz, pushed hip-hop music into high art, and looked to the future.
