I think I’m a good person, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t pick up the book with the most interesting cover first in a bookstore. As much as I try to resist it, I can’t get over the urge to walk past every “classic” book to look at that spicy new paperback (I don’t like hardbacks) on display in the middle of the store. More than half of the time, it’s a book I’ve already read that just got re-released with a new cover to trick people into buying the same book again (it works). The point is, that lesson we’re all taught as kids to not judge a book by its cover has genuinely never worked for me. Sure, the lesson does its job for not judging people based on their appearances, but who cares about wholesome stuff like that?
Anyways, I feel like this habit carried on into other pieces of my life, especially my collection of vinyl records. Some artists offer different versions of their albums that are pressed onto fancy colored vinyl in order to increase the price because it’s “limited edition” and there aren’t many of them made. There is literally ZERO difference in audio between the normal black vinyl and the fancy shmancy one, but they sell, and they sell fast. I have absolutely spent more money than I should have on different vinyls because I like colors, but now they finally have a separate use! Today, they have a stage, and today, I’m going to unleash my inner “book cover judge ” to rank my favorites.
Horizons by Surfaces is the epitome of summer vibes. Every year, as soon as it starts to warm up, I open my windows and blast this from my stereo system so the neighborhood can hear. Would they rather have a quiet neighbor? Probably. Not my problem. What makes this vinyl stand out to me though is how much it fits into the Surfaces theme. To me, it looks like a sun, almost like the one on the album cover, which is VERY on brand for the artist and the album. 
Pink Sweat$’ Pink Planet was one of my favorite albums from 2021, so I was super excited to see it available on vinyl. This is a perfect R&B album dealing with love and calling a place home. It feels cozy to me, which the presentation of the vinyl adds to. I think the choice of this shade of pink works really well because it’s a very calm color. It’s not too bright or over the top, just calm, like the album. Oh yeah, his name is Pink Sweat$ and the album is called Pink Planet and everything he does is pink themed. Maybe that played a role. 
Frank Ocean’s Blonde is one of the greatest albums of all time. I will live and die on that hill. Every single track on the album is nothing short of perfection, and it will go down as an undeniable classic for years and years to come. But how does this translate into a fancy yellow/translucent hybrid colored vinyl? Well, I don’t really know. However, I personally feel like Blonde is so unique in its production that it feels “high-tech” at times. The vinyl color mixed with the erratic pattern makes it look like some cartoony electricity thing, allowing the listener to “power” their way into the Blonde experience. I don’t know, it looks cool. 
Jon Bellion delivers a masterpiece full of introspection with The Human Condition. So many of these songs are both unique in production and thoughtfulness. The level of care that Bellion leaves in his work leads me to believe that the vinyl would be no different. Could it be clear to represent the human experience being “see-through” by him telling his own truths and stories from his life? Maybe. Could it be clear because it looks cool? Also maybe. 
Surprise surprise, here’s my favorite looking vinyl in my collection. Is there a Mac Miller bias? Yes! If you have a problem with it, you can go find someone else’s list. K.I.D.S. is a feel-good album that never ceases to make me smile and feel nostalgic. It will always stand out as one of the fan favorites from Mac Miller’s legendary discography. But why random colors on the vinyl? This one is my favorite because it personally reminds me of those homemade tie dye kits from when I was a kid. You’d push the button a bunch of times to get the canvas spinning, and then spray some paint on it and it would always come out looking something like tie dye. I think this vinyl looks like everything I always tried to create in my tie dying days, and that gives me a massive feeling of nostalgia. Of course, that is the goal of the album, so I think this vinyl accomplishes so much just in its appearance.
These are all wild and stupid explanations as to why a vinyl looks the way it does. At the end of the day, I bought them because they looked cool, and this entire piece was just an attempt to validate myself. I hope you had as much fun with these theories as I did and maybe found some new music to listen to in the process. For anyone interested, there is a Spotify playlist below that contains all the albums in this list. Enjoy!
Featured image credited to Erik Mclean via Unsplash.
