Millions of people adore their albums and CDs, not just for the music, but for the sleeve artwork which becomes by association the vidual representation of everything the album represents for the listener. This visual history of the style and image in design of album and CD covers stretches from the 1940s to the present day. Structured chronologically, it focuses on individuals, music scenes and subcultures, including: punk, surfers, pyschedelia in London, Tamla Motown, disco divas and DJ culture. It is an account of the extensive creative cross-fertilization between designers, art directors, photographers, musicians and record labels.

Nick de Ville is a designer, artist, critic, curator, and academic. He first came to prominence in the 1970s when he collaborated with Bryan Ferry on many of Roxy Music's album covers, including the notorious Country Life album that was banned in the United States. Since then he has lectured at many art schools on contemporary art and its wider context, and is now Professor of Visual Arts at Goldsmiths' College, London. He has published numerous essays on contemporary art and design and is the co-author of Lenar.