October is the month when artists like Ray Parker Jr. and Bobby (Boris) Picket make their yearly income in royalties for their spooky hit singles “Ghostbusters” and “Monster Mash”, respectively. From those kid-friendly classics, to the many renditions of “I Put A Spell On You”, originally by Screamin' Jay Hawkins', rockabilly’s The Cramps, and most recently the moody ethereal Ethel Cain, the cannon of mysteriously eery music for the spookiest day of the year, Halloween, is large and vast.
But when taking a step closer, the album covers that accompany these holiday classics don’t always match up in scariness (most likely due to the uninviting and sometimes controversial nature of grotesque imagery, see the original “Butcher” cover, for The Beatles’ Yesterday and Today). Thankfully, that hasn’t scared creative artists away from pushing the envelope with the dark and bizarre.
See below for a collection of spooky imagery that reaches beyond the scary holiday soundtrack.
Funkadelic, Maggot Brain released 1971 on Westbound Records. Art Direction by David Krieger, photography by Joel Brodsky, design by The Graffiteria/ Paula Bisacca.
AC DC, Highway to Hell released 1979 on Atlantic. Art Direction by Bob Defrin, photography by Jim Houghton.
Metallica, Kill ‘Em All released 1983 on Roadrunner Records. Photography by Gary L. Heard, design by Shari and Harold Risch.
The Beatles, Yesterday and Today released 1966 on Capitol Records. Known as “The Butcher” cover, this image was swiftly replaced by the label after its controversial reveal. Photography by Robert Whitaker.
Ozzy Osbourne, No Rest for The Wicked released 1988 on Epic. Art direction and design by The Leisure Process, photography by Bob Carlos Clarke.
Phil Ochs, Rehearsals for Retirement released 1969 on A&M Records. Art direction & photography by Tom Wilkes.
Uriah Heep, ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble released 1970 on Vertigo. Photography by Pete Smith.
Stray, Stand Up And Be Counted released 1975 on Pye Records. Design by Martin Cropper, illustration by Alun Hood.
Screamin' Jay Hawkins, ...What That Is! released 1969 on Philips. Photography by Dunstan Pereira, graphics by Greg Irons.
Grateful Dead eponymous album released 1971 on Warner. Artwork by Kelly.
Bobby (Boris) Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers, “Monster Mash” released 1962 on Garpax Records. Artist credit unknown.
The Cramps, “I Aint Nuthin But A Gorehound” released 1983 on New Rose Records. Cover by L. Thévenon, P. Huart.
Crystal Castles eponymous album released 2010 on Polydor. Photography by Todd Tamanend Clark.
Phoebe Bridgers, Stranger in the Alps released 2017 on Dead Oceans. Artwork by Angela Deane.
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