A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words: Stories Behind Iconic Album Covers

The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

Andy, who was rumored to have been inspired by a banana printed on a cheap ashtray, created the image with silkscreen made from black-and-white acetate film. Andy took the image one step further by turning the banana into a sticker that could be peeled off, revealing a pink banana underneath.

Andy Warhol’s designs

Photo by Ibl / Shutterstock

Although the idea was great in theory, it was a production nightmare for Verve Records. Workers had to peel off the printed, yellow banana sticker and manually place it on each album, one by one. This delayed the album’s release by a year and creating tension between the band and Andy. By 1968, the sticker was dropped, and the band found a new manager. You can still find an original album today, but for a hefty $800 apiece.