Prince’s Album Art: From Nattily Clothed to Naked, His Greatest Covers

Dig if you will, the picture… When it came to his album covers, Prince emphatically wanted them to convey majesty and mystery, not the exuberance of his live performances. “The mystery works,” said the late Herb Ritts, whose photographs adorned Prince’s Hits packages. “I think he likes to have his power come out onstage. He doesn’t want the camera to capture him.” That calculated intrigue made for some of the most indelible cover artwork of the 1980s, in particular. A look back at his most memorable album sleeves.