An album cover claims "I'm a painting with words".

The cover might be symbolic, an outline of stage performances, propaganda-like, the design of a band member or just engineered to grab more sales.

Some are so simplistic in nature that 2 colours can say everything there is to be announced. When music first became available in a home listening format, it was engraved on big wax disks. Black and white printing was the sole kind available. At first , classical works of art were sketched and then broadcast on the covers. For instance, the Venus de Milo was printed for Korsakov's musical styling. As the technology of photography developed, some select albums had photos of classical art made public on them. Folk from that time would've been surprised at how the album cover would develop. In the 1940's, some album covers were both photographic and released in color. The recognition of these impressionistic photos quickly declined, as the album cover gave way to color pictures. Lots of the new covers outlined the feel-good sounds of the albums, with folks frolicking on the beaches or in fields.

Other covers featured footage of the artist or band itself, with the person or band performing on stage or in front of a microphone. In the 1960's and 1970's, album covers inclined toward conceptual protests of prior concepts of good cover design. Abstract psychedelic patterns were popularly tied in to this new idea.

The "hippie" times were a period of mind growth and discovery, distinguished by demands for social and political reform. This was voiced thru the channel of the album cover, with photos of war contrasting with portrayals of classy wealth.

On a lighter note, "flower children", nature, and Eastern faith were mixed with psychedelic mind-blowing color-infused patterns. Album covers of the 1980's and 1990's saw a pointy decline in inventive designs, changing gears, leaning towards rebellious youth looking to damage away from their parents' pacifist natures. With the advent of KISS, the heavy metal sound was rising. Scaring and annoying folk was regarded as a revolutionary idea. Ideas and art work from genres and milieus throughout history are used. Everything from the first Venus de Milo to completely PC developed graphics could be found on today's album covers.