To better understand how we’ve gotten to such an interactive place with album rollouts, we need to go back in history and look at how American popular music first started innovating to engage with their publics.
Consumer interaction in music made big strides in the early twentieth century. Although promotion was not centered around physical events or community building like it is today, there was a big focus on the artwork itself. In 1938, Alex Steinweiss was hired as Columbia Record’s first art director. Up until that point, all cover art for singles and albums were plain. By the 1940’s, all major labels were following in the footsteps of Columbia and Steinweiss and using actual art on covers for releases.
What this innovation did is set the tone for visual association with music. Not only did it help the artists better portray their overall vision and theme for the music, but it helped the publics and consumers to understand it. This was a form of attachment. A big part of a mutual relationship, especially between companies and their publics, is the first impression. The innovation of incorporating real artwork with the music allowed for a true first impression. Making taste and sound visible is something that has increased the artist to fan relationship over the last century. It has led to some amazing collaborations between fine artists and musicians; it has helped to bridge culture and it continues to serve as a way for artists to push boundaries.
Eventually, in the 1960’s, bands and artists started to incorporate more in this art. They started included lyrics and full editorials in the physical copies. Including lyrics and pictures helped form even more of a personal connection and understanding. The Beatles are credited for starting the trend of putting lyrics in their album packaging, and with their album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” they were able to truly tap into a worldly audience through lyrics and art.
