What Makes an Effective Album Cover?

An effective album cover reflects the the genre and individual brand identity of an artist. For example the White Stripes album "The Hardest Button to Button":

The layout for the White Stripes album is very simple; the black and white layout makes the red typeface stand out and therefore highlighting it's importance. The contast of black and white also draws your attention to the centre of the album cover where most of the detail is focussed.
This cover holds a clear connection between the music video and promotional material, house colours are seen across all their products for example. The button created in the O's in "Button" could be an image motif as it also appears in their music video.
The album cover also represents the the rock genre of the artist, through the uneven lines, sharp edges, and harsh, in-your-face style colours.

The designer has therefore made this album cover effective through:

• The clear relationship between the video and album artwork - through colours, images and themes.
• The choice of image, font and colour.
• Making it interesting/desirable overall.
• Developing the artists star image and brand identity.
  
• Reinforcing the genre of the brand.