Janet Jackson, ‘Rhythm Nation 1814’ (1989)Įschewing a friendly, fun image more conducive to ’80s pop chart success, Janet Jackson adopted a militaristic tone for her instantly iconic black-and-white Rhythm Nation 1814 cover art. For the re-release of her debut The Fame, Mother Monster - framed by a white wig - went black and white, rocking a shiny, angular coat that shrouded the lower half of her face. Portrait shots can be iconic when done just right, and if there’s one artist who knows about iconic imagery, it’s Lady Gaga. So no surprise that his best-remembered album cover was this Garfield Lamond-photographed shot of a face-covered Thug in a long, flowing dress designed by Alessandro Trincone for his Jeffery project - an image that would’ve been unthinkable in hip-hop decades earlier, and unforgettable for decades after.

The cover was instantly replicated all over the Internet, with thousands of fans putting their own spin on various homages to what will likely become one of the most identifiable works of her career.įew rappers played more convincingly or compellingly with either identity or gender over the course of the 2010s as Young Thug. Shaped as a Polaroid photo from the era, Swift’s face is cut off, highlighting an ’80s sweatshirt while evoking memories of a different time.

I get on an emotional rollercoaster every time I hear it.Taylor Swift’s fifth studio album 1989 was a departure for the singer, so it only makes sense that the cover broke with tradition as well. “It was at a time when all Metallica fans were waiting for something new from them and then they drop this amazing song. “‘No Leaf Clover’ is such a hidden diamond,” Poulsen says of the deep cut from the 1999 orchestral live album S&M. Also included are “Spiritual Healing” by Florida metal legends Death (“Chuck Schuldiner is the king of death metal”) and, of course, Metallica.

Like Elvis Presley’s “I Believe.” “It is such a beautiful song, and it’s almost scary to hear an only 21-year-old Presley sing it with such deep tone and heartfelt voice,” Poulsen tells Apple Music. Frontman Michael Poulsen also curated a playlist of his favourite and most influential heavy songs, allowing for his own interpretation of what fits that description. For veteran Danish metal band Volbeat, contributing a faithful cover of “Don’t Tread on Me” to the Metallica Blacklist project-a genre-spanning collection of Black Album covers in honour of the landmark album’s 30th anniversary-was only the start of their tribute.

Volbeat album covers