The album cover for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a masterpiece of design. The cover manages to capture a measure of whimsy in the vibrant colored suits that the band is wearing and the living floral typography, juxtaposed with layers of social and political significance in the array of figures (Bob Dylan, Marilyn Monroe, Aldous Huxley, Karl Marx, Oscar Wild, and Carl Jung, among others). The dozens of symbols are arranged in to a pleasing balance, creating an aesthetic attractive before even considering the symbolism; it just looks great, even as it invites the viewer to investigate it further. Such an execution is not just aesthetically pleasing, but perfectly matches the music of the album, similarly whimsical with layers of significance the deeper one digs. Thus, it’s not only visually effective, but conceptually effective as well.
