3 Iconic Locations Made Famous Thanks To Legendary Album Covers

Album covers can really be anything an artist wants them to be. Some choose close-up shots of their face for instant recognizability, while others prefer abstract art to keep the audience guessing. There are many methods, but some of the most iconic album covers see musicians out in their natural habitat. Whether that be their city, their studio, or a landmark that helped make an album what it is. The three legendary album covers below are so beloved that the shooting locations have become icons in and of themselves.

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Abbey Road

We have to start, fairly obviously, with Abbey Road. The famous “zebra crossing” is now a London landmark. But before The Beatles posed alongside it, it was run-of-the-mill. This unremarkable pedestrian activity became iconic behavior thanks to The Beatles’ once-in-a-generation influence.

The crossing sits outside the Abbey Road studio, which played host to some of The Beatles’ most iconic works, as well as many of their peers’. Fans line up along this famous crossway, vying to recreate this Beatles moment. The band completely changed the trajectory of this street corner with one album cover.

96 and 98 St. Mark’s Place

The apartment buildings at 96 and 98 St. Mark’s Place in the East Village, New York City, were made famous by Led Zeppelin and their album, Physical Graffiti. Though the album photo is altered slightly, the real-life buildings earned their fair share of fame. Any Zeppelin fan walking around NYC is bound to take a detour to see these iconic buildings.

These apartments made rock history twice over, also housing a music video from The Rolling Stones, “Waiting On A Friend.” Mick Jagger and Keith Richards sit outside on the stoop of 96 and 98 St. Mark’s Place, adding even more iconography to its facade.

Heddon Street

Heading back to London, we have Heddon Street, famous for being featured on the cover of David Bowie’s The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders from Mars. The album cover shows Bowie leaning out of a doorway on the titular street, adding ambiance before anyone even hits play.

Nowadays, this street is a bustling hidden gem of Mayfair, but Bowie fans can’t help but be drawn to the iconography that has gathered down this particular corner of London. It might serve different purposes now, but to fans of the iconic musicians, this street will always be home to rock history.

(Photo by Robert Landau/Corbis via Getty Images)