Corinne Jones 

The best punk singles record covers – in pictures

Jon Savage talks to Corinne Jones about some of his favourite seven-inch sleeves from the punk era
  
  


Punk record covers: Punk Record covers x ray spex
X-Ray Spex: The Day the World Turned Day-Glo
Jon Savage: “A perfect fusion of music and image.”
Photograph: Soul Jazz Books
Punk record covers: Punk record covers Ramones
Ramones: Blitzkreig Bop
Design by John Holmstrom of Punk magazine. “A very good example of their cartoon format.”
Photograph: Soul Jazz Books
Punk record covers: Punk record covers sex pistols
Sex Pistols: God Save the Queen
Design by Jamie Reid. “An archetypal image for an archetypal single.”
Photograph: Soul Jazz Books
Punk record covers: Punk record covers crass
Crass: Nagasaki Nightmare
Art and design by Crass. “Crass record sleeves were a mine of information, illustration and agit-prop design”
Photograph: Soul Jazz Books
Punk record covers: Punk record covers scritti politti
Scritti Politti: Work in Progress 2nd Peel Session
“A fantastically influential sleeve, which includes a detailed breakdown of the cost of production.”
Photograph: Soul Jazz Books
Punk record covers: Punk record covers the panik
The Panik: It Won't Sell
Design by Steve McGarry. “The image of hustlers is from a 1964 Time magazine. The Panik were the first group to be managed by future Joy Division and New Order manager Rob Gretton.”
Photograph: Soul Jazz Books
Punk record covers: Punk record covers the middle class
The Middle Class: Out of Vogue
“A great illustration of the suburban nightmare.”
Photograph: Soul Jazz Books
Punk record covers: punk record covers buzzcocks
Buzzcocks: Orgasm Addict
Montage by Linder Sterling, design by Malcolm Garrett. “I worked with Linder Sterling when we produced a magazine called The Secret Public. From the first moment I saw her work, I was a huge fan, and very pleased to work with her. I also love the colour that Malcolm Garrett put behind the central image, which is so striking. It's a feminist image on a pop record sleeve for a song about sexual excess, which manages to be at once extremely true and also very funny.”
Photograph: Soul Jazz Books
Punk record covers: punk record covers subway sect
Subway Sect: Nobody's Scared
“Their first single, a good example of the underground imagery prevalent in punk.”
Photograph: Soul Jazz Books
Punk record covers: Punk record covers punk 45 book cover
Punk 45: The Singles Cover Art of Punk 1976-80, edited by Jon Savage and Stuart Baker, is published by Soul Jazz Books, rrp £25, distributed by Thames and Hudson Photograph: Soul Jazz Books
 

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