Vaughan Oliver has designed and created most of the striking album covers we remember from 4ADartists between 1981 and 1998, most notably the entire discography for The Pixies. Some of his art was released as recently as 2019. He passed away on December 29, 2019.
So I remember going record shopping almost incessantly when I was younger. I always would be influenced by the cover artwork to just check it out. I loved how I picked things to try, by the sheer outward appearance of the LP. Then after you start to like some of these bands, that you picked up because of it's first appearance, not the sound itself, you buy because you knew the visual artist and artwork. Vaughan Oliver's work made me try new music, and found SO much to change my perception of music itself. Then, take that well known artwork and when you saw it, you bought it. Some of my deepest influences have been directly due to this man's vision. I thank you and honor you as well as I can. You taught me a good lessen about visual arts and music that we seem to have lost today. We still know we have this need, and in his footsteps may a new vision for a label or genre of music be defined once again for it's visual artistic appearance.
Check out this list of albums he made artwork for (from Wikipedia)
Album art discography
Modern English – Mesh & Lace (1981)[19]
Modern English – After the Snow (1982)[20]
Cocteau Twins – Head Over Heels (1983)[21]
This Mortal Coil – It'll End in Tears (1984)[20]
Clan of Xymox – Clan of Xymox (1985)[23]
This Mortal Coil – Filigree & Shadow (1986)[20]
Cocteau Twins – Victorialand (1986)[24]
Pixies – Come on Pilgrim (1987)[13]
David Sylvian – Secrets of the Beehive (1987)[20]
Pieter Nooten and Michael Brook – Sleeps with the Fishes (1987)[20]
Pixies – Surfer Rosa (1988)[13]
Throwing Muses – House Tornado (1988)[20]
Ultra Vivid Scene – Ultra Vivid Scene (1988)[23]
Xymox – Twist of Shadows (1989)[20]
Pale Saints – The Comforts of Madness (1990)[20]
The Breeders – Pod (1990)[23]
Lush – Mad Love (1990)
Lush – Sweetness and Light (1990)
Ultra Vivid Scene – Joy 1967–1990 (1990)[20]
His Name Is Alive – Livonia (1990)[20]
The Psychedelic Furs – World Outside (1991)[20]
Pixies – Trompe le Monde (1991)[20]
Lush – Black Spring (1991)[20]
Pale Saints – In Ribbons (1992)[20]
Red House Painters – Down Colorful Hill (1992)[23]
The Breeders – Last Splash (1993)[13]
Kirsty MacColl – Titanic Days (1993)[20]
David Sylvian and Robert Fripp – The First Day (1993)[20]
His Name Is Alive – Mouth by Mouth (1993)[20]
Lisa Germano – Happiness (1993)[20]
Frank Black – Frank Black (1993)[20]
Kristin Hersh – Hips and Makers (1994)
Throwing Muses – University (1995)[20]
Mojave 3 – Ask Me Tomorrow (1995)[20]
Bush – Razorblade Suitcase (1996)[13]
His Name Is Alive – Stars on E.S.P. (1996)[23]
Kristin Hersh – Strange Angels (1998)[20]
His Name Is Alive – Someday My Blues Will Cover the Earth (2001)
The Mountain Goats – Tallahassee (2002)[20]
Throwing Muses – Throwing Muses (2003)[20]
Kristin Hersh – The Grotto (2003)[20]
The Mountain Goats – The Sunset Tree (2005)[20]
Scott Walker – The Drift (2006)[20]
The Mountain Goats – Get Lonely (2006)[20]
Emma Pollock – Watch the Fireworks (2007)[20]
M. Ward – To Go Home (2007)[20]
Scott Walker – And Who Shall Go to the Ball? And What Shall Go to the Ball?(2007)[20]
The Breeders – Mountain Battles (2008)[23]
Jóhann Jóhannsson – Fordlandia (2008)
The Mountain Goats – Heretic Pride (2008)[20]
The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come (2009)[20]
The Breeders – Fate to Fatal (2009)
Modern English – Soundtrack (2010)[20]
David Lynch – Crazy Clown Time (2011)[13]
I Break Horses – Hearts (2011)[20]
Asobi Seksu – Fluorescence (2011)[20]
Pixies – Indie Cindy (2014)[20]
Pixies – Head Carrier (2016)[20]
Pixies – Beneath the Eyrie (2019)[13]