Many a music enthusiast and basically any record collector will argue that album-cover art is an integral part of the music appreciation experience. Or at least it used to be, back in the crucial chunks of rock history when album cover art did indeed mean an actual album cover.

In recognition of album art’s place in history, Taschen’s aptly named Rock Covers has gathered the greats in rock album-cover art, the book standing as a compilation totalling 750-rock covers in all —including The Clash, Quiet Riot, Sonic Youth, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Sex Pistols, Pink Floyd, The Cure and Iron Maiden. Included with each cover is a related list of facts pertaining to the artists, musicians, photographers and illustrators who contributed to the work and related genre in question. The book’s content, which also includes interviews and lists from the world’s prominent record collectors, was put together by Robbie Busch and Jonathon Kirby, two big-time record collectors, DJs and music writers. Get your copy of the 552-page hardcover book that chronicles covers from everything AC/DC to ZZ Top for $70.

More of the best album “Rock Covers” in the history of Rock ‘n Roll after the Jump…