While some artists may opt for a commissioned painting or a carefully planned photograph of the band in the studio, others have used very real – and often very public — locations to grace the front covers of their albums. Occasionally these places are specifically sought out; other times it's a matter of chance and a photo is taken that will be remembered for decades.
These decisions are important, as photographer Joel Bernstein knows. His work has appeared on albums like Neil Young's After the Gold Rush, Tom Petty's Hard Promises, Bob Dylan's Bob Dylan at Budokan and Jackson Browne's Running on Empty, among many others. "If the cover is the icing on the cake," he explained in 2016. "And the cake, the substantial part of it is the actual music, and you're illustrating that, and you're codifying what are really 10 or 12 disparate songs, in the album age, you're putting together in a way that's supposed to unify them, which you're doing with the title and the image."
Some of the locations on the list of 50 Rock Album Covers You Can Visit in Real Life
places have changed. Buildings have gone up and down or have been modernized since their famous closeups. Some are not technically open to the public; others require a ticketed tour. Either way, be ready to recreate some of these famous LP covers when you pay a visit.
Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp
The Allman Brothers Band, 'At Fillmore East' (1971)
Capricorn
The Allman Brothers Band, 'At Fillmore East' (1971)
Even though At Fillmore East was recorded at the legendary New York City venue, the LP's front cover was shot in an alley located in the Allmans' headquarters in Macon, Georgia.
America, 'Hearts' (1975)
Warner Bros.
America, 'Hearts' (1975)
Stretching tall and proud across the San Francisco Bay on the cover of America's Hearts is the Golden Gate Bridge. To recreate this shot, you'll need to situate yourself on the southeastern side of the bridge.
The Beach Boys, 'Surfin' Safari' (1962)
Capitol
The Beach Boys, 'Surfin' Safari' (1962)
That's not just any beach on the cover of 1962's Surfin' Safari — it's Paradise Cove in California, famous for appearing in many movies and TV shows.
The Beach Boys, 'Pet Sounds' (1966)
Capitol
The Beach Boys, 'Pet Sounds' (1966)
The Beach Boys didn't settle on the title Pet Sounds until after they shot its cover at the San Diego Zoo, which draws millions of visitors every year.
The Beatles, 'Abbey Road' (1969)
Apple
The Beatles, 'Abbey Road' (1969)
All you have to do to recreate the Beatles' Abbey Road album cover is walk across the street. The famous crosswalk is located outside Abbey Road Studios, a short journey from the heart of London. Just be sure to look both ways; Abbey Road is a busy intersection.
Billy Joel, 'Turnstiles' (1976)
Family Productions, Columbia
Billy Joel, 'Turnstiles' (1976)
There are hundreds of subway turnstiles in New York City, but if you're looking for the one on the cover of Billy Joel's Turnstiles, it's on the uptown side of the Astor Place station.
Billy Joel, '52nd Street' (1978)
Family Productions, Columbia
Billy Joel, '52nd Street' (1978)
The spot Billy Joel stood on the cover of 1978's 52nd Street — it's on 52nd Street, just east of 7th Avenue in the northern part of Times Square — looks different now. In 2023, the block includes a FedEx shipping store and a COVID-19 testing site.
Billy Joel, 'An Innocent Man' (1983)
Family Productions, Columbia
Billy Joel, 'An Innocent Man' (1983)
The steps Billy Joel sat on for the cover of An Innocent Man still look like they did in 1983. You'll find them at 142 Mercer St. in Manhattan, now a seafood restaurant.
Black Sabbath, 'Black Sabbath' (1970)
Vertigo
Black Sabbath, 'Black Sabbath' (1970)
The decrepit-looking house on the cover of Black Sabbath's debut album looks pretty much the same as it did in 1970, though vandals have tarnished it a bit. The building, Mapledurham Watermill, is located on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. You can tour the grounds and book a wedding there.
Black Sabbath, 'The Best of Black Sabbath' (2000)
Sanctuary Records
Black Sabbath, 'The Best of Black Sabbath' (2000)
You may assume that the creepy-looking stone graves on the cover of The Best of Black Sabbath were made for the cover, but they're the real deal. The graves date to the 11th century and are located at Saint Peter's Church in Lancashire, England.
Bob Dylan, 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' (1963)
Columbia
Bob Dylan, 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' (1963)
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan's cover photo was taken on Jones and West 4th Street in New York City, not far from where Dylan lived at the time. It looks pretty much the same today, though the rent's much higher.
Bob Dylan, 'Highway 61 Revisited' (1965)
Columbia
Bob Dylan, 'Highway 61 Revisited' (1965)
There's something timeless about a front-stoop album cover. Bob Dylan sat in front of manager Albert Grossman's New York City apartment at 4 Gramercy Park West for the cover of Highway 61 Revisited.
Boz Scaggs, 'Silk Degrees' (1976)
Columbia
Boz Scaggs, 'Silk Degrees' (1976)
Whether or not the exact bench seen on the cover of Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees is still located there is unclear, but the general location - Casino Point, Avalon, California - is.
Carly Simon, 'Anticipation' (1971)
Elektra
Carly Simon, 'Anticipation' (1971)
Carly Simon's brother Peter took the photograph that appears on the cover of 1971's Anticipation. It was shot at the gates of Queen Mary's Garden in London's Regent's Park, which is open to the public.
Creedence Clearwater Revival, 'Willy and the Poor Boys' (1969)
Fantasy
Creedence Clearwater Revival, 'Willy and the Poor Boys' (1969)
Duck Kee Market on the corner of Hollis and Peralta in Oakland, where Creedence Clearwater Revival posed for the cover of Willy and the Poor Boys, isn't there anymore. Today the location looks like pretty much any other intersection.
The Clash, 'The Clash' (1977)
CBS
The Clash, 'The Clash' (1977)
The cover of the Clash's debut album was shot just outside their creatively named rehearsal and recording building, "Rehearsal Rehearsals," in Camden Market. You're not allowed to sit on the steps, but you can stand on them just like the Clash did.
The Clash, 'Combat Rock' (1982)
CBS
The Clash, 'Combat Rock' (1982)
If you feel the urge to sit on some train tracks, consider the Petchaburi Road railway line in Thailand, where the Clash posed for the cover of 1982's Combat Rock. It's still a working railroad line, so take caution.
David Bowie, 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars' (1972)
RCA
David Bowie, 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars' (1972)
The "K.West" sign visible on the cover of David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars is no longer there. But the building, 23 Heddon St. in London and the alleyway are. There's even a plaque there to mark the famous spot.
The Doors, 'Strange Days' (1967)
Elektra
The Doors, 'Strange Days' (1967)
The cover of the Doors' Strange Days was shot in an unassuming part of New York City: East 36th Street between Lexington and Third Avenue in Manhattan. The block is mostly residential, as it was in 1967.
Eagles, 'Hotel California' (1976)
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Asylum
Eagles, 'Hotel California' (1976)
Eagles warned that you can check out of the Hotel California but never leave. But the building on Hotel California's cover is the five-star Beverly Hills Hotel, which requires guests to check out at noon and make their way elsewhere.
Eric Clapton, '461 Ocean Boulevard' (1974)
RSO
Eric Clapton, '461 Ocean Boulevard' (1974)
It's no secret where the house on the cover of 461 Ocean Boulevard is located, seeing that the address is right there on the cover. Today, the house, located just steps from the waterfront in Golden Beach, Florida, is privately owned, but you can still take a look at the exterior.
Foghat, 'Fool for the City' (1975)
Bearsville
Foghat, 'Fool for the City' (1975)
You may get into trouble if you try fishing in a manhole on East 11th Street between Second and Third Avenues in New York, as Foghat drummer Roger Earl did on the cover of Fool for the City. But you could give it a shot. Never tell what you'd catch.
Jackson Browne, 'Late for the Sky' (1974)
Asylum
Jackson Browne, 'Late for the Sky' (1974)
If you travel to Windsor Square in Los Angeles - more specifically, South Lucerne Avenue - you'll find the house on the cover of Jackson Browne's Late for the Sky. You probably won't find the singer-songwriter's Chevy BelAir parked out front, though.
John Denver, 'Rocky Mountain High' (1972)
RCA
John Denver, 'Rocky Mountain High' (1972)
Feeling adventurous? Try standing in the same spot John Denver did for the cover of 1972's Rocky Mountain High: Slaughterhouse Falls, Rio Grande Trail, Aspen, Colorado.
Kiss, 'Dressed to Kill' (1975)
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Casablanca
Kiss, 'Dressed to Kill' (1975)
It's hard to tell from the front cover of Kiss' Dressed to Kill, but the band is standing in New York City on the southeast corner of West 23rd Street and 8th Avenue.
Led Zeppelin, 'Houses of the Holy' (1973)
Atlantic
Led Zeppelin, 'Houses of the Holy' (1973)
You won't find the strange-looking children from the cover of Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy in the real world. The electric orange sky isn't there either. But you can see the rock steps at Giant's Causeway in Ireland.
Led Zeppelin, 'Physical Graffiti' (1975)
Swan Song
Led Zeppelin, 'Physical Graffiti' (1975)
Take a walk down St. Marks Place in New York City and you'll see the building that graced the cover of 1975's Physical Graffiti. It's also the building seen in the Rolling Stones' "Waiting on a Friend" video.
Lynyrd Skynyrd, '(Pronounced 'Leh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd)' (1973)
MCA
Lynyrd Skynyrd, '(Pronounced 'Leh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd)' (1973)
Lynyrd Skynyrd posed for the cover of their first album at 106 Main St. in Jonesboro, Georgia. It was the last photograph taken that day.
Neil Young, 'After the Gold Rush' (1970)
Reprise
Neil Young, 'After the Gold Rush' (1970)
The photo of Neil Young passing an old woman on the street found on the cover of 1970's After the Gold Rush was taken outside the New York University School of Law campus in Greenwich Village.
Oasis, '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' (1995)
_Morning_Glory_album_cover.jpg)
Creation
Oasis, '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' (1995)
That isn't Noel and Liam Gallagher on the cover of (What's the Story) Morning Glory? It's DJ Sean Rowley and album sleeve designer Brian Cannon walking down Berwick Street in London, which looks pretty much the same today.
Pink Floyd, 'Wish You Were Here' (1975)
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Harvest, Columbia
Pink Floyd, 'Wish You Were Here' (1975)
You can't just walk into Warner Bros. Studios in California, where the cover of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here was shot. But you can take a tour of the grounds and go behind the movie-making scenes.
Pink Floyd, 'Animals' (1977)
Harvest, Columbia
Pink Floyd, 'Animals' (1977)
The enormous building on the cover of Pink Floyd's Animals is the Battersea Power Station. If you want to see the decommissioned coal-fired power station in person, it's located on the south bank of the River Thames in the London borough of Wandsworth.
Queen, 'Made in Heaven' (1995)
Parlophone, Hollywood
Queen, 'Made in Heaven' (1995)
Queen's final album, Made in Heaven, was released four years after Freddie Mercury died. So it's fitting that the cover depicts a statue of the singer that sits on Lake Geneva in Montreux, Switzerland.
Ramones, 'Rocket to Russia' (1977)
Sire
Ramones, 'Rocket to Russia' (1977)
CBGB, the New York City club famous for helping launch many influential punk and new wave bands, closed in 2006. But its history still haunts the neighborhood. Ramones shot the cover of Rocket to Russia on Extra Place, a small alley between Bowery and Second Avenue, just outside where the club used to sit.
Ringo Starr, 'Sentimental Journey' (1970)
Apple
Ringo Starr, 'Sentimental Journey' (1970)
The real-life building seen on the cover of Ringo Starr's Sentimental Journey doesn't actually have his name and album title printed on it. But it still looks similar. It's called the Empress pub, and it's located in Liverpool near where Starr grew up.
The Rolling Stones, 'Between the Buttons' (1967)
Decca
The Rolling Stones, 'Between the Buttons' (1967)
Unless you're a morning person, you probably won't want to visit Primrose Hill in North London at 5:30 a.m. like the Rolling Stones did for the cover of their 1967 album, Between the Buttons. The park, open to the public, offers spectacular views of London's skyline.
Rush, 'Moving Pictures' (1981)
Anthem
Rush, 'Moving Pictures' (1981)
The aptly titled Moving Pictures, Rush's eighth album, features the exterior of the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park in Toronto. You can take a tour.
Simon & Garfunkel, 'Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.' (1964)
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Columbia
Simon & Garfunkel, 'Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.' (1964)
Simon & Garfunkel once sang about the words of the prophets being written on the subway walls, so it's fitting that the cover of Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. was shot in the 5th Avenue and 53rd Street subway station in New York City.
Sly & the Family Stone, 'Dance to the Music' (1968)
Epic
Sly & the Family Stone, 'Dance to the Music' (1968)
The cover of Sly & the Family Stone's Dance to the Music was shot on top of a sculpture titled "Mid-Century Monster" that's located on the shore of Oakland's Lake Merritt. It was placed there in 1952 and is still there today.
Steely Dan, 'Pretzel Logic' (1974)
ABC
Steely Dan, 'Pretzel Logic' (1974)
The identity of the man behind the food cart on the cover of Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic isn't known. What is known: The photo was taken on the west side of 5th Avenue and 79th Street, just outside Central Park.
Sting, 'Ten Summoner's Tales' (1993)
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A&M
Sting, 'Ten Summoner's Tales' (1993)
Even if you don't own an Icelandic horse named Hrimnir - who belonged to Sting and who can be seen on the cover of his fourth solo album, Ten Summoner's Tales - you can still visit and tour the Wardour Old Castle in Wiltshire, where the cover photo was taken.
U2, 'The Unforgettable Fire' (1984)
Island
U2, 'The Unforgettable Fire' (1984)
U2 reportedly spent several days driving around Ireland with photographer Anton Corbijn looking for an appropriate spot to shoot an album cover when they eventually discovered Moydrum Castle, a privately owned ruin that was built in 1812.
U2, 'The Joshua Tree' (1987)
Island
U2, 'The Joshua Tree' (1987)
Even though U2's album is titled The Joshua Tree, the cover photo was taken closer to Death Valley National Park — the hottest, driest and lowest of all national parks in the U.S. Fans from all over the world still flock to the site and leave mementos.
U2, 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' (2000)
Island, Interscope
U2, 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' (2000)
The cover of U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind looks like it could be the interior of a spaceship, but it's actually Roissy Hall 2F of the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. The video for the album's lead single "Beautiful Day" was also shot here.
Van Morrison, 'Too Long in Exile' (1993)
Polydor
Van Morrison, 'Too Long in Exile' (1993)
It doesn't look the same now, but the location depicted on the cover of Van Morrison's Too Long in Exile is 246 Pearl St. in New York City, located between Fulton Street and John Street. The photo was taken by Berenice Abbott, who photographed the city in the 1930s.
The Velvet Underground, 'Live at Max's Kansas City' (1972)
Cotillion
The Velvet Underground, 'Live at Max's Kansas City' (1972)
Max's Kansas City, a New York City hotspot for artists, closed in 1981. The Velvet Underground recorded a live album there in 1970 and put the venue on the cover. There's a five-floor apartment building located there today.
The Who, 'The Kids Are Alright' (1979)
Polydor
The Who, 'The Kids Are Alright' (1979)
The soundtrack album for the Who's 1979 documentary The Kids Are Alright features a cover photo of the band asleep against the Carl Schurz Monument in New York City, located on 116th Street and Morningside Drive.
Wilco, 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' (2002)
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Nonesuch
Wilco, 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' (2002)
The buildings on the front of 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot have become synonymous with Wilco, but they're not hotels. They're the Marina City complex towers in Chicago, part of an apartment complex that opened in 1963.
Wings, 'London Town' (1978)
Parlophone, Capitol
Wings, 'London Town' (1978)
Nothing symbolizes London more than its iconic Tower Bridge, which stretches across the River Thames and can be seen on the cover of Wings' sixth album, London Town.
Yes, 'Going for the One' (1977)
Atlantic
Yes, 'Going for the One' (1977)
At first glance, it's easy to mistake the towering buildings on the cover of Yes' Going for the One as an illustration. But they're quite real: the Century Plaza Towers in Century City, California — the tallest buildings in California outside of downtown Los Angeles and San Francisco.