i actually like judging a book, movie, record by its cover

the cover can tell you a story in and of itself, draw you in to want to learn more

it's like a cold open to an artist's vision - im all for more of that 

what are some elite album covers, one's that tell you a story and would make you give a listen knowing nothing else

this one, for one

visual stories that invite you to explore the music

I really can't think of any album cover that can beat this tbh 🏆

But in the same vein, here is a favorite of mine:

This is a cool question. It made me realize that I am usually experiencing the music before I'm noticing the cover art. So I can't tell how many of my favorite covers are so bc of what I am projecting backwards.

One cover I remember seeing first, which made me feel a stirring sense of disturbance and intrigue:

I’ve always loved the cover of Music From Big Pink by the Band 

It looks like a kid made it but was actually painted by Bob Dylan

Somehow perfectly captures the essence of the album and the Band