Albums We Bought Purely Based on the Cover, and Then Loved the Music!

Join Pete Pardo & Martin Popoff as they discuss albums they bought purely based on the cover, had no prior history with the band, and instantly became a fan.
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[@thomaspallante9166]

I really miss those days browsing in record stores.

[@beachbum6460]

With the cardboard cut out window displays.

[@jazzpunk]

@@beachbum6460 I got friendly with one of the owners at certain Record Store. I would get some of those cardboard displays for framing. Now it's onto framing LPs.

[@paulwilson9281]

@@jazzpunk i would get the hanging displays if i bought a cd.

[@DFMusic811]

I mean, you can still do that. Those still exist 😅

[@jazzpunk]

@@DFMusic811 We have a terrific store called Birdland Music (used to be Birdland Records & Tapes)...every Saturday morning for me. Then I moved away. TBH, I am still close enough & I should go see those guys.

[@leonmarkrodziewicz279]

Rainbow Rising. Always loved Blackmore anyway, but that cover just screamed "buy me" so I did and never regretted it. To this day still my favourite album cover of all time.

[@joelutz4348]

Around 1983, an Army brat living in Panama, I was starved for hard rock. One day in the PX on base, I spotted an album cover in black, with an illustration of a black and white flying V, and the initials MSG in bold red. Michael Schenker has been my favorite guitar player ever since, and buying that record led me to discovering my favorite band ever, UFO.

[@paules0099]

Rush: Fly By Night. I was 15 and saved enough money to get the new Led Zeppelin Physical Graffete album. My mom dropped me off at the record store and was disappointed to find out it was sold out. Not wanting to leave without getting something, I rounded the corner and a big snow owl caught my eye. I picked it up and looked at the photo of the band and read the song titles and was intrigued by the song title, By-Tor and the Snow Dog. So, I purchased it. Thus, began the journey to Rush and they still remain, IMHO, the greatest band in the world!

[@jornfox3545]

That Boston album keeps moving up on my all time favorite album lists.

[@OnionBudgie]

Interesting fact! The artist who created the front cover of Bandolier by Budgie was the same who created the cover of Sad Wings of Destiny by Judas Priest -- Patrick Woodroffe.

[@DonHornsby]

Martin's stories about his family driving across the country for summer trips brought back great memories of my childhood. In the 1970s, my family drove to Florida from Ohio for family vacations - and I remember purchasing albums during these trips. I couldn't listen to them until I got home. Thanks, Martin Popoff, for sharing your memories with us.

[@johnkatsoudas4767]

I had bought Ratt's Invasion Of Your Privacy album on cassette tape back in 1987 at nine years old. I bought it just on the cover of the hot girl. All these years later it is still one of my all time favorite albums.

[@ronbo11]

Marianne Gravatte was AWESOME as was the album! Ratt's EP, Out of the Cellar and Invasion of Your Privacy were top quality glam metal recordings.

[@johnkatsoudas4767]

@@ronbo11 Absolutely!!!! Those three releases are all MASTERPIECES!! Yes Marianne was gorgeous on the cover of Invasion Of Your Privacy album cover. I did not know until a few years ago that she was also in the video for Lay It Down which she was also gorgeous in it.

[@rmcellig]

In 1975 I bought Nick drake's album just for the cover. I never heard of him before. Little did I know that his music would change my life forever. The album is five leaves left. A classic if there ever was one!!!😀

[@lonegroover]

Brilliant record.

[@user-rp6tm6wq4m]

Five leaves left is excellent album. Nick Drake is one of a kind. I once bought Bryter Layter because of its cover. Now is one of my favourite albums. Pink moon is very good too with a very interesting cover.

[@ukrocksounds3419]

Nicks three albums are classics.

[@rmcellig]

@@ukrocksounds3419 yes they are. Everytime I listen to him I discover something new. Amazing!!😀

[@slackblabbath8528]

Great artist!! Don't u love when u pick something ahead of anyone else that becomes timeless and just validates your taste??!! Lol

[@EastCoastDave]

I remember raiding my older sister's albums when she was overseas as an exchange student. I was 12 at the time. The first one I grabbed was "Some Enchanted Evening" by BOC, because of the cover. They became my 1st ever favorite rock band.

[@Maximillian200HP]

I'd like to see albums where you got "baited" by one song you heard then the rest of the album sucked! I'd love to see that whenever you get past this album art theme. Loving this series and these discussions with Martin.

[@toddfoster828]

Easy. Zager & Evans. In the Year 2525. Great song. Everything else they did sucked big time.

[@sabinoabdala5685]

Killers - Iron Maiden, what a Cover!!

[@ronbartkowiak3459]

Bought Marillions Script for a Jesters Tear for my girlfriend based on Mark Wilkinson cover art. Completely blew her away. Now she's my wife...lol

[@joelutz4348]

Me too! I didn't know what to think of it at first, as I was a metalhead. But that record grew to be one I still now love a lot.

[@hauskahirvi]

Great! :) I purchased Script' based on: 1) the cover. 2) the detailed listing of instrumentation such as; Moog, Rickenbacker, bass pedals, etc. 3) Only 6 songs (3 per side = relatively long, = it might be 'proggy') 4) "Fish" was credited with "voice", not vocals (typical from prog orientated albums). Anyway, I only 'heard of' Marillion at the time but never heard any of their music. When I stumbled across the LP in a record shop back in the late 80s (near Detroit), it caught my attention and interest. I still have that LP! :)

[@haitolawrence5986]

Same for me with Fugazi!

[@TheAgeOfAnalog]

That Cirith Ungol cover was done by fantasy artist Michael Whelan. I was a huge fan of his work when I was in high school in the early eighties, playing Dungeons and Dragons and the like. That artwork, as well as many others he did, were also used for the paperback versions of the Michael Moorcock series of Elric of Melnibone books. This art was on the cover of the Bane of the Black Sword.

[@joetaranto2690]

4 albums come to mind right away, my introduction to all of these bands Blue Oyster Cult, On Your Feet or on Your knees Judas Priest, Unleashed in the East Iron Maiden, Killers Marillion, Script For a Jesters Tears

[@tvepv6141]

For me, had to be the debut album from Angel. No idea what they were about, loved the cover art, and had to have it. And, wow, that worked out pretty well!

[@irishwolf8236]

1972 8 years old. Black Sabbath -1 Asked my Mother to buy it for me, just due to the cover......Changed my life Thanks MOM !!

[@linus98765]

19:50 ELO Out of the Blue 🥰

[@josephteixeira8481]

Grim Reaper's See You in Hell looked awesome back in the day!

[@71rcode72]

Haaaaaaa. 31:25 "looked at the back of the album... no red flags... no flutes, no keyboards..." Cracked me up and then I see Pete cracking up, too. Fun discussion.

[@ESUSAMEX]

Iron Maiden: I bought Iron Maiden, Killers and Number of the Beast all at once, with my birthday money. Best covers in music.

[@Nac017]

🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@robnykulaik7337]

Best Day ever huh!!??

[@Ianmackable]

It's always tremendously enjoyable for me to hear Martin's record-buying stories from his youth. I'm roughly the same age, and also from western Canada, so our experiences are often eerily similar. It would be a blast to hear him talk about some of the CanCon bands of the era, the ones that nobody outside of our Canuck age group has ever heard of, but who were regionally huge at the time: Harlequin, Fosterchild, Doucette, Streetheart, Prism, etc.

[@purpletemple1]

Prism! I found their first album some years ago in an antique store in Minnesota! Cool album! DIdn't have a clue who they were, just bought it based on the cover :-)

[@Ianmackable]

@@purpletemple1 I had a friend who said he heard their name and assumed they were a fusion band. They weren't.

[@purpletemple1]

@@Ianmackable Actually it wasn't their first album I got but their album "Armageddon", and yes, I guess by the cover it could have been anything from Pink Floyd-ish to Reo Speedwagon or maybe something heavier judging by the title. And why not fusion, there's only 3 tracks on Side 2...but no, they're not! :-)

[@Ianmackable]

@@purpletemple1 I think my friend's misconception was based purely on the band's name. It does sound kind of fusion-esque. Btw, Prism's main claim to posterity is that a very young Bryan Adams had some songwriting credits on their early albums.

[@747jono]

Remember the days when you went to a record store and music was playing and you asked the guy wow what is this and ended up going out with the album 😐

[@dancranford5391]

I definitely did that exact thing with at least two albums. Was in the record store, browsing, when I hear this kick ass tune they were playing. It was Face The Fire off of Dan Fogelbergs album Phoenix. Went home with that one. The other was when I hear the tune Oneness off of Carlos Santana’s album, Oneness, Silver Dreams Golden Reality. Another one I went home with.

[@scottingram7634]

That was my introduction to Pat Travers. Makin' Magic was playing at the local record store/head shop.

[@volsboy672]

yep. Many times.

[@thomasbeck2934]

Friday night. Teenager without a date. Friends not around. Go to the local record stores. Wander thru the racks. Listen to what the store was playing. Look up, two or three friends walk in. Talk music, buy a new record, or tape. Head out with friends. Friday night resurrected!!

[@toddfoster828]

I remember going to the record store and the owner said to me, "I got a new Moraz Bruford album in...you'd love it." And I did. They knew you, they knew what you liked.

[@GMHG777]

Marillion - Script for a Jesters Tear is the one that comes most prominently to mind

[@ronbartkowiak3459]

Absolutely!

[@haitolawrence5986]

It was Fugazi for me. Took a chance and have been a fan ever since.

[@colinrgage]

First album I bought on CD

[@glennpowell3444]

A bit of a Marmite band for me but their album covers superb.

[@joelutz4348]

Me too!

[@DonHornsby]

When Martin and Pete are together and talking music, I know that it's going to be pure gold. This was a great topic. Here are albums that I bought without hearing the music - and I ended up enjoying the music! 1. Crack The Sky - Animal Notes - The quirky cover caught my eye and I knew nothing of the band. But what a great album. 2. Boston - Debut - I saw that cover at a local Big Bear in Columbus, OH, and knew that I wanted to buy it. I was not disappointed! 3. Klaatu - Debut - I came upon the album in the records area of the Lazarus store at the Eastland Mall in Columbus, OH. and was intrigued by the cover It was before the "Beatles" hype - and I knew nothing about the music. But fell in love with the album.

[@mannyruiz1954]

Never gotten into Savatage. I bookmarked Sirens. I'm two songs in. Wow. Heavy, metallic. Dig it.

[@richard1966groovy]

Mercyful Fate "Melissa" and Venom "Black Metal" come to mind, immediately drawn to those sinister covers in the metal imports section.

[@TassosFragou]

The Damned - Phantasmagoria. The only album back in the day I bought based SOLELY on the cover, without knowing anything about the music. Even today is one of my favorite goth albums.

[@paulwilson9281]

It mustve inspired dead or alive mad, b a d and dangerous to know.

[@alanansara2190]

Loved that album. Extra credit for having a drummer named "Rat Scabies".

[@adamsmashups4839]

@@paulwilson9281 Both are really good albums.

[@sidefish8362]

10 years old, getting into Roger Dean artwork, bought Relayer by Yes and loved it. It's still my favourite album of theirs.

[@jornfox3545]

I bought the relayer poster when the album came out, wish I had kept that one. Love the album.

[@jazzpunk]

Fragile for me...as I am older than you. ;-)

[@DonHornsby]

After many years of listening to YES, I have come to the point where I recognize RELAYER as their finest work. Not a majority opinion, I know. But it has risen in my eyes (and ears) over the years.

[@paulkazakoff9231]

@@DonHornsby Very good album is Relayer.In the top 4 albums of Yes for me.

[@DetVen]

No lie, me at 15 y/o and my friend Mario at 16 y/o circa 1981, he just got his drivers license and his dad gave him the keys to his Lincoln Continental, which had a cassette player…here we are driving around, picked up some weed…well, we need some jams to jam to when we smoke this weed, so we go to the record store and they just put in a “Heavy Metal” section, so we go right there and start looking and come across Iron Maiden Killers on cassette…we never heard of them as we had no connection to NWOBHM, which the new Heavy Metal section at the record store provided that connection, but we were all about Sabbath, Ozzy, Rush, Rainbow, etc, but we have to buy it solely based on the cover…so we get in the car, drive down to the park, pop the Killers cassette in, light up weed and then The Ides of March starts playing and were like, this fantastic, heavy awesome guitar harmonies we’re totally diggin’ it…then the bass intro to Wrathchild and then the guitars and that was it, we were totally blown away, it was the amalgamation of everything would loved about heavy hard rock, it was perfect.

[@haferstenproductions3515]

Danger Danger's debut album. While I didn't buy this album, KZbin recommended it to me and I took a chance based off the thumbnail. The cover is like an homage of The Shadow and I thought, "Woah, what is this?" And it turned out to be a very solid late 80s glam metal album and a new band for me to enjoy.

[@braydenh.9210]

Thats a great choice! I remember hearing Bang Bang on the radio for the first time. I had to pick listen to some more after that. No doubt. And the album cover is great too. One of my favorites

[@beachbum6460]

That video was really cool.

[@paulwilson9281]

Love the 2nd lp cover

[@gypsyroad4299]

MOLLYHATCET ALBUMS covers..got me in to them.

[@slackblabbath8528]

Their covers scared me as a kid. I thought they were some sort of heavy metal satanic band seeing the 8 tracks at the local KMart

[@gypsyroad4299]

wow hearing about a 8 track's..scared me. Haha.

[@brianallen8091]

Yep. Blackfoot Strikes too💪🏽😎🐍

[@mahogany174]

Those covers really misrepresent the music on the record.

[@kingbayman]

For me it was the album Elf by Elf. Mom had been reading me The Lord of the Rings and when I saw Dio looking like an evil Elf I had to have it. It wasn't particularly heavy but real good blues rock. And of course that band basically became the first iteration of Rainbow

[@purpletemple1]

So much fun to go through record store and pick up unknown records! I actually do that more nowadays than ever, going to antique stores and flea markets and such...Although I often know a bit about the bands/ artists, but there's still a good element of surprise. Great show!

[@sspbrazil]

The one that comes to mind for me is Genesis “Live”. The cover with Gabriel in his triangle head piece dressed in black under black light, then the story of the woman on the tube on the back of the album. I found it in a discount bin and said I gotta have this.

[@wardka]

Yes, this^. Especially the weird story printed on the back.

[@preving]

Overkill and Bomber by Motorhead. how cool are those covers but the music was fantastic as well

[@MrMaideniac]

Some album covers that mesmerized me: - AC/DC - If You Want Blood - Iron Maiden - Killers & Number of the Beast - Ozzy Osborne - Diary of a Madman - KISS - Alive II - Black Sabbath - Mob Rules

[@keithhanisek2465]

Mob Rules screams metal. All great covers

[@robnykulaik7337]

Top 5 records I bought just from the album cover and never hearing the band yet!! 1) Melissa Mercyful Fate 2) Kill'em All Metallica 3) Friends of Hell Witchfinder General 4) Metal Church debut 5) Kiss Destroyer

[@hellojimmypage]

I'd suggest a Pardo-Popoff top 10 favorite obscurities from the 70s show and another for the 80s. Would love to see these experts' picks on such topic.

[@melwilson9531]

I'd love to see Pardo and Popoff do a couple of shows on their favorite music-related documentaries. Which docs would they consider a "must see" for metal and prog fans?

[@peterhaeberle4091]

I'd be in there immediatly!

[@mr.jamesvincent3519]

Great Idea!

[@wardka]

Going back a bit farther than you guys, the Robin Trower covers were irresistible back in the day. I think I bought Bridge of Sighs for the cover alone -- and wow! Not a let down.

[@kylekirchhevel9097]

Savatage: Gutter Ballet. Was browsing used cassettes in 1990 and saw this cover of ghosts in a decayed mansion with a guitar jammed neck-first into a piano :) Got all their following albums and finally got to see them live on the Poets and Madmen tour.

[@747jono]

What a fantastic show guys

[@planetbarrett6055]

Great Albums, Great Album Cover. The Who - Who's Next Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath/Mob Rules/Born Again Pink Floyd - Saucerful of Secrets Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny/Sin After Sin/Stained Class/Screaming For Vengeance/Defenders of the Faith/Painkiller/Jugulator Journey - Journey/Infinity/Evolution/Departure/Escape Iron Maiden - (Too Many) Boston - Boston Yes - Fragile/Close To The Edge/Topographic Oceans/Relayer Uriah Heep - Very Eavy/Salisbury/Look At Yourself/Demons and Wizards/High And Mighty/Firefly/Innocent Victim/Abominog Styx - Serpent is Rising/Equinox/Crystal Ball/Grand Illusion/Cornerstone Genesis - Trespass/Foxtrot Rush - Rush/Fly By Night/2112 King Crimson - Wake Of Poseidon/Islands/Larks' Tongues in Aspic/Bible Black ELO - ELO II/Face The Music/New World Record/Out of the Blue/Discovery Thin Lizzy - Vagabonds of the Western World/Nightlife/Johnny the Fox/Thunder and Lightning Metallica - Kill Em All/Ride The Lightning/Master Of Puppets Blue Oyster Cult - Blue Oyster Cult/Cultosaurus Erectus/Fire Of Unknown Origin Def Leppard - On Through the Night Megadeth - Rust In Peace Slayer - Show No Mercy/Hell Awaits/Reign In Blood/South Of Heaven/Seasons in the Abyss Alice Cooper - Killer Scorpions - Lonesome Crow/Taken By Force Grateful Dead - Anthem of the Sun Kansas - Song For America/Point of Know Return Kiss - Kiss/Rock And Roll Over/Creatures of the Night Overkill - Feel the Fire Queen - Queen Iron Butterfly - Heavy Deep Purple - Fireball/Who Do We Think We Are/Burn/Come Taste The Band R.E.O Speedwagon - Live: You Get What You Play For Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed Saxon - Saxon/Wheels of Steel There's My List.

[@briansf7012]

Dream Theater (Images and Words). I didn't know what to expect. Heard Metropolis part 1. WOW I was blown away.

[@SciFiNut2]

Rush Chronicles and Journey Greatest Hits are the only risk purchases I remember taking. Didn't know either band because it wasn't the type of music I was listening to at the time. Loved their music immediately and quickly started buying their albums. Journey remains my second favourite band and Rush is my third favourite.

[@russellgentile4719]

First albums that totally intrigued me as a Kid baffled on cover art were Queen "News of the World" and Blue Oyster Cult "Cultosaurus Erectus" (which I was blown away Pete didn't mention) Ended up become the biggest BOC fan later due to Fire of Unknown Origin. Another incredible album cover'

[@rdmeenach]

My cousin gave me Highway 61 Revisited for Christmas as a joke, and I love it, it changed my life.

[@alpeshsrivastava]

Didn't buy but borrowed from a nearby public library... "Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack", vinyl. And later bought it from Amazon lol. That artwork is simply iconic in its own right!!! It was my first ever introduction to Graham Bonnet and I'm so glad I did! And then ended up buying more of MSG/Bonnet/Alcatrazz albums...

[@hellojimmypage]

Cool! Back when libraries had CDs to borrow, found out about many bands that way im the mid-00s! Had no internet at home as a kid, so it was a nice way to discover new stuff.

[@alpeshsrivastava]

@@hellojimmypage Oh we still have them here in Montreal, keeping the old school tradition alive ahahah...

[@lightanddreamsphotography7140]

The Greenslade album covers did it for me. I had no idea what sort of music they played, but Greenslade had those amazing Roger Dean album covers. And luckily it turned out that the music was amazing too :)

[@lonegroover]

There's a classic example for me. One day in 1976 I saw an album called 'Opener' in the racks at a record shop in my home town, Hartlepool. This was a compilation of recordings by the German band Can, whom I'd never heard of at that time. The cover art featured a can of tomato soup, and a can opener. The photos of the band on the back were enigmatic and appealing, as was the spiel about the band. I took a copy home with me and 45 years later, I still love that band - and indeed that record. It was never released on CD, but I burned my own CD copy by compiling tracks from the original CD albums in the '90s.

[@keithf_]

Pallas debut album 'The Sentinel' Bought because of the lovely cover artwork, listened to it and turned out to be quality prog

[@davidburns6284]

Going to record stores and looking for heavy metal albums was just about my favorite thing to do when I was a teenager. Miss those days. Going to the record store to get a brand new album was like my Christmas morning.

[@keithf_]

Pendragon album 'The Window Of Life' I'd heard of this band, but had only ever heard one song by them. Saw this album in the record store. Totally fantastic artwork on the album cover, so bought the album ... and ... WOW loved the style of neo-prog. I've since become a big Pendragon fan, but this first album of theirs I purchased remains my favourite

[@billnole2188]

At a deal going on at the local theater in St. Pete., FL, they had unknown albums stacked against the wall and I had already been a Mott the Hoople fan but thought they broke up. Saw British Lions lion face slashing through the union jack and said "let's take a chance." It's still one of my favorites from the late 70s.

[@attichatchsound-bobkowal5328]

Another great episode! Have you ever done an episode about "Cut-out Bin" or Bargain Bin Records? I discovered Genesis with getting "And Then There Where Three" from the cut-out bin!

[@slackblabbath8528]

VOIVOD cutouts Roooaaar! Many others.

[@caramanico1]

Pete, I agree with your "MORE INFO!" quest. Elton and Macca were great at that - photos, booklets, stickers, posters, etc... Remember what was included in Captain Fantastic? That had to be the apex.

[@kevmonster1]

A cool feature of the ELO "Out of the Blue" album was it came with a cardboard model of the space ship that you put together, I was sold! Still one of my top five favorite albums of all time.

[@kevmonster1]

This would actually be a great topic for a show ... "Favorite SWAG that came with an album".

[@uhfch2358]

Just one album cover I can think of: Triumph - Rock and Roll Machine (the original cover with the flames). I bet that one cover brought more fans to the band than anything else they’ve ever done.

[@ronaldsmith1484]

I got that Triumph album rock and roll machine live shot with the flames based solely on that cover..... had it on my bedroom wall believe it or not it worked real well with a black light!

[@chaddubois8164]

I'm 33 and Triumph is one of those bands that I don't understand how they weren't bigger.

[@Fixxer315]

In 2000, I picked up Iced Earth's Alive in Athens at an independent record store in Champaign, IL. I knew nothing about this band, but saw the cover, which was reminiscient of Iron Maiden. And boy did I call it right. Not only was the album awesome, it helped get me back into traditional heavy metal (in a way I had not really been into since the early 90's. In effect, it did the same thing for metal that Live after Death helped do in the mid 80's.

[@themusicbehindthegirl2335]

Cirith Ungol....the guitar solo on 'Master Of The Pit' is amazing. Great tone too

[@williamgainford9332]

I bought highway song live by blackfoot strictly on the cover - id never heard of them - they seemed to be having such a good time - i wasnt dissapointed - underrated 80s live record - women and children first too - i bought killers because of the live shot on the back - denim and leather too - i rode an xj 650 yamaha at the time - and all the big hondas on the back - sold - especially biff on the cbx - everyones dream bike in the early 80s

[@Baz63]

Re Bandolier...i was at a friends b/day party and his older sister had the album at the front of their gramophone player. Like Martin i never heard of the band but asked her if i could have a listen. Ended up i ignored the party and we played the album twice. 46 years later it is till my all time favourite rock album and i managed to see the band over 20 times.

[@jeffswanson3740]

Jeff Beck-Wired. Loved the cover. Didn’t know a song. Now one of my all time favorites.

[@jornfox3545]

Awesome album and cover.

[@cloudedthoughts909]

Right on 🤜🤛. I have Robin Trower Live!, Jeff Beck Wired, and Hendrix Band of Gypsys, albums front and center, and on display: all three jammin' together in my living room 🎸🎸🎸

[@blaisebarshaw2534]

Great old record store stories! I love old records stores.

[@darkswan80]

I bought IMAGES AND WORDS by Dream Theater because I fell in love with the cover art the very moment I saw it. I felt like that image was talking to me, I couldn't stop watching it. I was 15 years old, back in 1995, and I had no idea who they were. No need to say that I loved the music too and they've been one of my favourite bands ever since 🥰

[@slackblabbath8528]

Great pick. I was a few years older but recall how great that band was after purchasing that "cassette"

[@MartyMurray]

I'm about ten years older than you guys, so I was a teenager in the late 60's, early 70's. My sister was a big influence on my musical tastes, and she is ten years older than me, so when she was in high school, it was the height of Beatlemania. Then later she went to McMaster University in Hamilton and started to get into music more seriously and buying a lot more rock albums. I honestly grew up listening to all her Gordon Lightfoot and Beatles albums when I was younger. Back in the late 60's, the radio station to listen to was the original CHUM-FM in Toronto. It was a very experimental type of station. The DJ's picked a lot of their own music, and there were these two guys, David Marsden and David Pritchard, who played the coolest stuff. Martin will probably know who I'm talking about. A bit later there was a similar station in Buffalo called WPHD-FM, and I listened to that a lot too. Late at night, CHUM-FM would play whole album sides, long tracks, that sort of thing, and they were playing this band called Quicksilver Messenger Service, who were what would later come to be called a "jam band," from San Francisco. They would play the entire album side of one of their records, where they covered the Bo Diddley song "Who Do You Love." I would stay up late to hear it, and they played it fairly often. This was 1969. So when I had my own money, that was the very first record I bought - "Happy Trails" by Quicksilver Messenger Service. The cover has a cowboy riding away on his horse, waving at a lady, but the art didn't matter because I already knew the music. I think the second album I bought was "To Our Children's Children's Children" by the Moody Blues, and they always had excellent cover art by the guy who did their covers for many years. Really cool paintings. I'm trying to think of albums I bought because of the covers without knowing the music? Pink Floyd's "Meddle" was one. Everybody at school was talking about "Umma Gumma," and I liked the photo on the back where they displayed all their equipment spread out, but when I saw "Meddle," I really liked the cover art, and I bought that instead. To this day it's my favourite Floyd album. Not long afterwards "Dark Side Of The Moon" came out, and I bought that right away, after only hearing "Money" on the radio, I think. A beautifully designed record. A lot of times I would read about an album, or hear some songs on the radio, and being pleasantly surprised when I saw the covers. "Argus" by Wishbone Ash was one of those, as well as their debut. Up here in Canada the original cover for Roxy Music's "Country Life" featured a picture of some bushes, rather than the two sexy models. That pissed me off enough to spend the extra money for the import, and that's in my top Roxy albums too. I have bought some records just based on the cover art, but honestly not many. I was already familiar with a lot of them, and was just even more happy when the cover was a really good piece of artwork to go along with it.

[@steelerfreak1977]

Great call on the Cirith Ungol. They had great album covers. I always mentally paired them with Manila Road. Weird but awesome bands with amazing album covers.

[@mikeruppert6762]

Dio - Last In Line. Was 13 when I bought it and had not heard Dio before. Became an RJD fan after the first listen, and I got all the records he had participated in soon after that.

[@liquidvizionsmadferit]

Chapterhouse - Whirlpool I love cats. And that was the best cover I had ever seen. What little did I know that this album would be my introduction to Shoegaze. I was 13 at the time. Thanks to that album I discovered one of my favorite genres of music to this day. So yes, thank you Chapterhouse. That album is in my top 5 gaze albums to this day.

[@treffbennett6534]

Chapterhouse-Whirlpool is stone cold classic and belongs in any list of greatest shoegaze albums! NICE!

[@robgoldberg3401]

Bought Paladin Charge Album (1971)only for the Roger Dean art cover . Turned out I'd stumbled across a fabulous early 70s progressive Rock band . glad Roger Dean's fantastic artwork lasted much much longer than the band did...

[@johnmichaelwilliams6694]

Popoff and Pardo are at it again with another interesting album cover show and Martin finally shows he may be a more obsessive collector than Pete. Really enjoyed the tales of how each of you remember buying the albums. Great choices by both. Mine would include the eponymous Blue Oyster Cult debut. Was really starting to study the art of M.C. Escher at the time and the album cover reminded me a bit of his art. Another choice would be Selling England By The Pound by Genesis. Here in north central Florida in the US at the time, there were no 'deep' album stores even though we were a college town. This is the first Genesis album I had seen and the artistic setting of this album really caught my eye as being "something different." Thanks, gents, for the entertainment and stories.

[@reptiled7761]

I bought "Unleashed In The East" without knowing who it was. Life changing! Great trip down memory lane.

[@ronaldbresselsmith1957]

Nazareth-Hair Of The Dog Tarkus-Emerson Lake and Palmer Magician's Birthday-Uriah Heep Didn't know the bands yet. Drawn to the covers. Great decisions.

[@jacksonjones563]

You guys discussing album art straight up makes my Friday whether it has been a good or bad day! :)

[@fredrikkhoffman]

1984, "Ride the lightning" And the music, can you belive, outshined the coolest cover ever.

[@RonTalksRock]

Great stories with each choice guys! I have a few obscure Metal ones I certainly didn't know but still have them to this day... Kick Axe 'Vices', Virgin Steele and two from Tokyo Blade 'Midnight Rendez-Vous' and 'Night of The Blade'

[@davidsummer8631]

Based on the cover I bought Space Ritual by Hawkwind and its still my favorite live album

[@russellgentile4719]

Great album! Great band!

[@davidsummer8631]

@@russellgentile4719 Space Ritual took my mind to the four corners of the cosmos

[@russellgentile4719]

@@davidsummer8631 yes. Why I love them so much. Same with Pink Floyd. Same with Blue Oyster Cult. Another Moorcock collaborated band!

[@katesjanice]

I bought Kansas' eponymous first album in 1974 when I was 15 because I loved the cool painting of John Brown on the cover (which I later found out is on the wall of the Topeka capitol state house). It hadn't hit the prog stations quite yet. Talk about a home run! I fell in love with Kansas & have never stopped.

[@katesjanice]

Also bought Tull's A Passion Play because of the ballerina on the cover looking as though she'd been crucified. Loved the album & was the first show I went to when I was 14. Wow! I was blown away and Tull slipped into my #2 favorite slot.

[@baseballsmarty291]

Martin is awesome .. you guys, as a team are just great , when i watch these videos of you guys , its like me any my Boys talking about music.. its great thanks !!!

[@herrdwabash]

Pete, if you are able to get the 2009 remastered version of Seconds Out, they brought back all of those excellent photos of the band from the original LP.

[@MsKalachakra]

Just came back from the record store today, got this album from Rob Welch band from Fleetwood Mac, band is called Paris but doesn't sound like FMac at all. Real heavy, a power trio and there's not one mellow songs on it, date 1976.

[@paulswass3754]

Selling England by the pound always makes me feel comfy and cozy. Bought it based on cover alone. Don’t even know the band before but the song ‘more fool me’ turned me on for many years.

[@WhizzRichardThompson]

I've still got the first Motorhead album on white vinyl and Bomber on blue vinyl. Treasured possessions.

[@pvdguitars2951]

This brings back so many great memories. I remember buying the other Teaze album (One night stands) on sight. Great surprise, strong record. Same goes for Moxy II, Starz (Coliseum Rock), Rapid Tears (Honestly), Randy Hansen and lots more. Rarely a bad surprise.

[@terrybailey4478]

Sea Shanties by High Tide. Found in the cutout bin for $0.69 around 1972. Never heard anything like them before. Very nice surprise to see the cool artwork inside the gatefold and the front/back cover illustrations were pretty creepy.

[@moefeaux1442]

Being the oldest of 3 kids of a single mom, I couldn't afford the luxury of buying on looks, but looking back here is the 5 most mesmerizing for me: 1- King Crimson - "Court of the Crimson King", 2- ELP - "Brain Salad Surgery", 3- Jimi Hendrix - "Are You Experienced", 4- Tull - "Aqualung", 5-Robin Trower - "Bridge of Sighs"

[@stephenmccue2793]

When I was a lot younger than I am today I used to take a trip to Wembley Stadium market every Sunday. They had a good few record stalls there. I used to buy 5 or 6 albums a week based on the look and feel of the album art. Nursery Cryme was one I got in 1972 / 3. Made me a Genesis fan for life.

[@daveben3573]

Abominog... awesome cover and really rocks.

[@zeelias_zezito65]

Suggestions to new shows: - Bottom-10 or bottom-5 songs from a band we like a lot. - Good songs from bands we usually don't like.

[@parishofrock2963]

Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy (Brilliant cover, I didn’t know they were the same band that had done Whiskey In The Jar until later). Dynasty - Kiss (unknown in the UK, but I loved glam rock & marvel comics) Bat out of Hell - Meatloaf (our art teacher had painted a 6 foot version of the cover & it was displayed in the school hall). AC/DC - If You Want Blood (At the time I didn’t like live albums so I bought the album purely because i loved the realistically gruesome cover. It also changed my view on live albums forever).

[@robcressey7228]

For me it was 1988's Masters of Reality. Saw that awesome cover and bought it and it's a great hard blues rock album!

[@glennpowell3444]

Hawkwind?

[@robcressey7228]

Well, it's produced by Rick Rubin so nice heavy sound, clear vocals. Ginger Baker on drums. I'm sure Hawkwind was an influence.

[@glennpowell3444]

@@robcressey7228 OK thanks.I was getting mixed up with Hawkwind and Sabbath. I am familiar with Ginger Baker . Not heard of Rick Rubin but hands up never studied who was who on the back of album covers to be fair.Thanks for your response though.

[@xavierlluch702]

Judas Priest "British Steel" nailed it! No one can go wrong with this cover!

[@johnmedland3399]

Im the same age as Martin and when I was 16 my buddies turned me on to Sabbath and Van Halen, so I was into hard rock/metal - and came across Blue Oyster Cult's Spectres. Some cool looking dudes on the cover and I thought they were metal. Played it once and was like 'yikes this isnt what I expected'. Parked it for a decade at least but pulled it out eventually and I adore the album to this day 😊 so delayed appreciation lol. Great show guys, thanks!

[@747jono]

Love the fact you guys looked out for Uk imports and in the Uk we looked for US 🇺🇸 bands

[@mikecamilli1047]

I did that with the first Rush album. New band, never heard of them, but that first album just popped. And to me, not being a big prog fan, I think that first album was Rush’s best.

[@daniellothgren157]

Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle-Earth. All I was reading back then was Tolkien, and I thought that an album based on The Silmarillion was worth the risk. That said, I didn't like it at first! I had a hard time dealing with Hansi's vocals, but after a while, the album began to grow on me. In the end, it had grown far beyond my expectations and is today one of my all-time favourites.

[@gwts1171]

One that comes to mind right away is "Know Your Enemy" by Laaz Rockit. There are many more, of course, but I still love that cover. Thanks for the video, duders!

[@slackblabbath8528]

I know the band not the covers but great badass band Noone knows about!

[@whitey7998]

Really great show. For me - Woolworths U.K. 1981, saw Spellbound Tygers Of Pan Tang in the racks. Never heard of them. Bought it. Wow, still one of my favourite go to Lps.

[@michaelbenz8092]

Camper Van Beethoven-Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart I usually buy based on what I've heard or read about, or even a connection to a band I like. This was an exception and a good choice.