Editing Picture disc

{{Short description|Gramophone record with an image on the playing surface}}
{{distinguish|Picture CD|Photo CD}}

{{Lead too short|date=October 2022}}
[[File:Walt_Disney_-_Steamboat_Willie_(vinyl_record)_02.jpg|thumb|[[Walt Disney]]'s [[Mickey Mouse]] ''[[Steamboat Willie]]'', released in 2018 on picture disc.]]
'''Picture discs''' are [[gramophone record|gramophone (phonograph) records]] that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or colored vinyl. Collectors traditionally reserve the term '''picture disc''' for records with graphics that extend at least partly into the actual playable grooved area,
distinguishing them from '''picture label discs''', which have a specially illustrated and sometimes very large label, and '''picture back discs''', which are illustrated on one unplayable side only.
[[File:AirCon.gif|thumb|[[Curved Air|Curved Air's]] ''[[Air Conditioning (album)|Air Conditioning]]'' ([[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] 1971) was one of the first modern picture discs. This second edition pressing of the disc differs from the very rare first edition in that the credits have been edited. The album which was designed by Mark Hanau won the ''[[NME]]''{{'s}} (UK) Special Award for Best Album Art in 1971. Only 2000 of both editions were ever pressed.]]

==The beginnings==
[[File:Layers of a picture disc.jpg|thumb|Layers of a picture disc: the [[Phonograph record|vinyl record]] puck is sandwiched between two pieces of [[Paper|printed paper]] and two pieces of thin {{nowrap|[[plastic]]{{hsp}}{{mdash}}{{hsp}}}}the pressing together of these layers results in the finished product]]
A few seven-inch black shellac records issued by the Canadian Berliner Gramophone Company around 1900 had the "[[His Master's Voice]]" dog-and-gramophone trademark lightly etched into the surface of the playing area as an anti-piracy measure, technically qualifying them as picture discs by some definitions.

Apart from those debatable claimants for the title of "first", the earliest picture records were not discs, strictly speaking, but rectangular [[postcard|picture postcards]] with small, round, transparent [[celluloid]] records glued onto the illustrated side. Such cards were in use by about 1909.<ref>{{cite web|first=Birgit |last=Lotz |url=http://www.lotz-verlag.de/Online-Disco-EPI.html |title=Our Wants |publisher=Lotz-verlag.de |date=1999-09-16 |access-date=2014-05-20}}</ref> Later, the recordings were pressed into a transparent coating that covered the entire picture side of the card.<ref>{{cite web|first=Birgit |last=Lotz |url=http://www.lotz-verlag.de/Online-Disco-Weco.html |title=Our Wants |publisher=Lotz-verlag.de |access-date=2014-05-20}}</ref> This novelty product idea proved to have a very long life. In the 1950s and throughout the rest of the vinyl era, picture postcard records, usually oversized and often featuring a garish color photograph of a tourist attraction or typical local scenery, were issued in several countries. These and similar small novelty picture records on laminated paper or thin cardboard, such as were occasionally bound into magazines or featured on the backs of boxes of breakfast cereal,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wfmu.org/MACrec/cb.html |title=Cereal Box Records |publisher=Wfmu.org |access-date=2014-05-20}}</ref> are usually not classed with the larger and sturdier discs that were sold in record stores or used as promotional gifts by record companies, but a few featured famous performers and are now eagerly sought by collectors of those artists' records.

The first picture discs of substantial size, sold as records meant only to be looked at and played, not put into a mailbox, appeared in the 1920s. Their first wave of significant popularity did not arrive until the start of the 1930s, when several companies in several countries began issuing them. Some were illustrated with photographs or artwork simply designed to be appropriate to the musical contents, but some graphics also promoted films in which the recorded songs had been introduced, and a few were blatant advertising that had little or no connection with the recording. Some politicians and demagogues explored the potential of the discs as a medium for propaganda. [[Adolf Hitler]] and British fascist [[Oswald Mosley]] were each featured on their own special picture discs.

Most of these records were made of a simple sheet of fairly thin printed cardboard with a very thin plastic coating and their audio quality was substandard. Some were more sturdy and well-made and they equaled or actually surpassed the audio quality of ordinary records, which were still made of a gritty shellac compound that introduced a lot of background noise. In 1933, [[RCA Victor]] in the U.S. issued a few typical cardboard-based picture records but was unhappy with their quality and soon began making an improved type. A rigid blank shellac core disc was sandwiched between two illustrated sheets and each side was then topped with a substantial layer of high-quality clear plastic into which the recording was [[record press|pressed]]. Like nearly all records being made for the general public, they were recorded at 78 rpm, but one issue was recorded at 33⅓ rpm, a speed already in use for special purposes which Victor was then unsuccessfully attempting to introduce into home use. It was the first 33⅓ rpm picture disc and the only one made until many years later. These were deluxe picture discs, priced much higher than ordinary records, and they sold in very small numbers. In the early 1930s the entire record industry was being devastated by a worldwide economic depression and the proliferation of the new medium of radio, which made a wide variety of music available free of charge. Picture discs of all kinds were among the casualties.

==1946 to 1969==
With the [[Great Depression]] and [[World War II]] no longer around to interfere with such modest luxuries, the picture disc reemerged in 1946, when Tom Saffardy's Sav-Way Industries began issuing [[Vogue Records]]. Vogues were a well-made product physically similar to RCA Victor's improved 1933 issues except that their core discs were aluminum instead of shellac. The Victor discs had been illustrated in high Art Deco style, often in sober but elegant black-and-white. Vogue's discs featured artwork done in the styles typical of 1940s commercial illustration and pin-up art, most of it gaudily colored, some dramatic, some humorous, some very cartoonish. The audio quality was excellent by contemporary standards and they featured professional talent, most with names known to the general public, but Vogue was handicapped by the lack of any big "hit" names. Top-tier talent was usually under exclusive contract to companies such as [[Mercury Records]], for whom Sav-Way manufactured special attention-grabbing, quiet-surfaced picture discs that Mercury distributed only to radio disc jockeys. Vogue records retailed for US$1.05, about fifty percent more than ordinary ten-inch 78 rpm records. The novelty of the colorful discs attracted interest and sales at first, but success proved elusive and Vogue went out of business in 1947 after fewer than 100 catalog items bearing the Vogue logo had been issued.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.voguepicturerecords.org |title=The Association of Vogue Picture Record Collectors |publisher=Voguepicturerecords.org |access-date=2014-05-20}}</ref>

More commercially successful and long-lived were some of the children's picture discs marketed by the Record Guild of America from the late 1940s through the 1950s. Their most popular and well-known issues resembled Vogue records in their general style of illustration and use of high-quality materials, but they were only 7 inches in diameter, had no reinforcing core disc, and sold for a much lower price. Other companies such as Voco also made picture discs for children.

Red Raven Movie Records, introduced in 1956, were a very unusual type of children's picture disc. They featured a sequence of sixteen interwoven animation frames arrayed around the center and were to be played at 78 rpm on a turntable with a short spindle, on which a small sixteen-mirrored device, a variety of the [[praxinoscope]], was placed. Gazing into this as the record played, the user saw an endlessly repeating high-quality animated cartoon scene appropriate to the song. Only the earliest Red Raven discs, which were of the coated cardboard type but reinforced with a metal rim and spindle hole grommet, were true picture discs. The more common later issues were larger "picture label discs" made of solid colored opaque, translucent or transparent plastic, with the recording in a band surrounding a very large label that carried the animation graphics. In the 1960s similar products were introduced in several countries under various brand names—Teddy in France and the Netherlands, Mamil Moviton in Italy, etc.

Picture discs of the large and solid Victor-Vogue type were very rarely issued in the U.S. between the demise of Vogue in 1947 and the end of the 1960s, but several lines of picture discs, such as the French Saturnes, were produced in Europe and Japan during these years.

==1970 and beyond==
A new generation of picture discs appeared in the 1970s. The first serious pictures discs, with acceptable but still inferior sound quality, were developed by Metronome Records GmbH, a subsidiary of [[Elektra Records]]. These new picture discs were made by creating a five-layer lamination consisting of a core of black vinyl with kiln-dried paper decals on either side and then outer skins of clear vinyl film, manufactured by [[3M]], on the outsides. In manufacture, one layer of the clear film was first placed on the bed of the press on top of the stamper, then a "puck" of hot black vinyl from the extruder was placed on top of that. Finally the top print and vinyl film layer was added (held by a retracting pin in the upper profile usually employed to retain the upper paper label) and the press closed. Problems with poor vinyl flow caused by the paper texture and air released from the paper (that had not been removed in the kiln drying process) plagued the process.

The first 'modern' rock picture disc was introduced as an assortment of artists such as the [[MC5]] and [[The Doors]]. It was released in 1969 by Metronome of Germany and entitled "[[Psychedelic Underground - Off 2, Hallucinations]]".<ref name="vu">{{cite web|url=http://vinylunderground.com/content/a-brief-history-of-the-picture-disc |title=The Vinyl Underground |publisher=vinylunderground.com |access-date=2016-06-25}}</ref> The second release was the British [[progressive rock]] band [[Curved Air]]'s first album, ''[[Air Conditioning (album)|Air Conditioning]]'', a UK issue (1970). One commercially issued American picture disc is ''To Elvis: Love Still Burning'', a collection of 11 [[Elvis Presley]] tribute songs by various artists, issued in May 1978. Both sides of the album (Fotoplay FSP-1001) picture Presley.

Initially picture discs were usually promotional items pressed in small quantities, but by the late 1970s they began to be produced as commercial products in large quantities. In the 1980s numerous commercial picture discs were released, but by the end of the decade, the interest in picture discs had declined as consumers began transitioning away from vinyl records towards newer formats such as cassette tapes and compact discs.<ref name="vu" />

==Types of picture discs==
[[File:7inch5inch ubt.jpeg|thumb|[[Culture Club]] "Move Away" picture disc in the unusual 5-inch format, resting on a 7-inch single for comparison]]

On some picture discs, the images used were meant to create an [[optical illusion]] while the record was rotating on the turntable (as in the B side of Curved Air's ''Airconditioning''), while others used the visual effect to add to the music&nbsp;— for example, the 1979 picture disc of [[Fischer-Z]]'s ''The Worker'' featured a train which endlessly commuted around the turntable, reinforcing the song's message.

Later picture discs included liquid light show style fluids between the vinyl, Rowlux 3D effect film, diffraction rainbow film, metal flake (''vide'' [[Bois-Clair|examples here]]), pressure-sensitive liquid crystals that changed color when the record was picked up, and a real holographic record.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}}

Shaped picture discs became common in the 1980s.<ref>Steve Binnie ''The Sound of the Crowd - A Discography of the 80s (Third edition)'', Lulu 2014</ref> These are mostly considered to be collecting items, rather than for listening as the sound quality is inferior to regular vinyl.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://coloredvinylrecords.com/blog/awesome-looking-shaped-picture-discs-showcase/ |title=Showcase of some cool looking shaped picture discs |publisher=coloredvinylrecords.com }}</ref> Shaped picture discs are manufactured at full 12 inch size and then cut in various shapes using a cutting tool. Shaped picture discs are always singles rather than albums and are usually limited to a few thousand copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rarerecords.net/record-info/picture-discs/#shaped |title=Shaped picture discs |publisher=rarerecords.net }}</ref>

[[Interview disc]]s are quite commonly pressed as picture discs as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rarerecords.net/record-info/picture-discs/#interview |title=Interview picture discs |publisher=rarerecords.net }}</ref>

In the 1950s, "movie" discs showing a repeating [[animation]] were produced, using the [[Praxinoscope]] technique, an example here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9-lzMAfG-Q]

==List of (selected) picture discs==

===First modern picture discs 1970 to 1979===
* ''Off II - Hallucinations'' featuring [[Various Artists]] (1969) The first modern picture disc pressed in Germany and released as a promotional disc.
* ''Air Conditioning'' by [[Curved Air]] ([[1970 in music|1970]]) One of the first modern picture disc conceived and designed by Mark Hanau.
* ''[[Tubular Bells]]'' by [[Mike Oldfield]] (1973) was released as a picture disc as well as its regular release
* ''[[Farewell Aunty Jack]]'' by [[Rory O'Donoghue]] and [[Grahame Bond]] (1973) was the first Australian picture disc
* ''Magical Love'' by [[Saturnalia (band)|Saturnalia]] c.1973. First non-compilation album to be advertised on television in Europe.
* ''Black Sabbath'' by [[Black Sabbath]] (''Rare - Shows the cover art of their first album'') 1974 (re-release of album as picture disc)
* ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]'' by [[Pink Floyd]] ([[1973 in music|1973]]) - picture disk edition 1974 or 1975.
* ''[[Boston (album)|Boston]]'' by [[Boston (band)|Boston]] 1976.
* ''[[Dreamboat Annie]]'' by [[Heart (band)|Heart]] 1976. Shows ''Dreamboat Annie'' cover on front and back with text indicating the side number.
* ''[[Magazine (Heart album)|Magazine]]'' by [[Heart (band)|Heart]] 1978. Same as Dreamboat Annie except with Magazine's cover. Both were under the [[Mushroom Records]] label.
* ''To Elvis: Love Still Burning'' by 11 various artists, including [[Ral Donner]]. Produced by Jerry Osborne's Fotoplay label, and distributed by [[Pickwick International]], has 11 songs of tribute to [[Elvis Presley]] ([[1978 in music|1978]]). Features a portrait of Elvis by Marge Nichols on both sides. The first of many Elvis picture discs, and North America's first commercially issued picture disc album by anyone — an event reported on the front page of ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine (''August 28, 1978 issue'').
* ''Elvis: A Legendary Performer, Vol. 3.'' [[Elvis Presley]] ([[1978 in music|1978]]). Issued by RCA about six months after the Fotoplay picture disc.
* ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' by [[The Beatles]] (1978) Released in conjunction with the [[Robert Stigwood]] film production by [[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film)|that name]].
* ''[[Question: Are We Not Men? Answer: We Are Devo!|Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo]]'' by [[Devo]] (1978) - [[Virgin Records]] LP - still frames from Devo's ''[[The Truth About De-Evolution]]'' film.
* "[[My Best Friend's Girl (song)|My Best Friend's Girl]]" by [[The Cars]] ([[1978 in music|1978]]) - graphic of old-style car on white background
* "[[Just What I Needed]]" by [[The Cars]] ([[1978 in music|1978]]) - graphic of old-style car on blue background
* ''[[Blondes Have More Fun]]'' by [[Rod Stewart]] (1978) - Artist is hugging a blonde woman with her back to the camera, and on the B side, the artist has the same pose, but with a brunette.
* ''[[Hemispheres (Rush album)|Hemispheres]]'' by [[Rush (band)|Rush]] (1978) - Contains album cover on both sides of the disc.
* "Hard Love" by [[Shaun Cassidy]] (1978) - 12" and 7" picture discs from ''[[Under Wraps (Shaun Cassidy album)|Under Wraps]]'' - Contains album cover on both sides of the disc.
* ''Translumadafractadisc'' (artists include [[Sid Vicious]])
* ''[[Pieces of Eight]]'' by [[Styx (band)|Styx]] 1978. Has album cover on front side with a picture of the band on the back.
* ''[[Who Are You (The Who song)|Who Are You]]'' by [[The Who]] (1978) - has the regular album cover with the band posed amid electrical cables and PA equipment
* ''[[Living in the USA]]'' by Linda Ronstadt (1978) Picture of inner sleeve roller skating pic on both sides.  Alison single from ''Living in the USA'' by Linda Ronstadt (1978) same picture both sides of 45.  Citation of fact Asylum Records.
* [[The Lord of the Rings (soundtrack)|''The Lord of the Rings'' soundtrack]] by [[Leonard Rosenman]] - limited edition double LP picture disc with four scenes from the [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|1978 movie]] by [[Ralph Bakshi]] (1978).
* [[Max Webster]] British single for their single [[Paradise Skies]] CLP 16079 from the album [[A Million Vacations]] Capitol Records UK Catalog number EST-1-11937 (1979)
* "[[Are 'Friends' Electric?]]" by [[Tubeway Army]] (1979). 7" picture disc, 20,000 issued.
* ''The Worker'' by [[Fischer-Z]] ([[1979 in music|1979]]) - cartoon image of a train arranged around the edge of the record
* ''Light My Fire'' by [[Amii Stewart]] (1979) - photographic image of the singer against a pink background
* ''[[Oceans of Fantasy]]'' by [[Boney M]] (1979) inner cover used as front cover back of disc as per standard cover . 
* ''[[Never Trust a Pretty Face]]'' by [[Amanda Lear]] (1979)Covers As per standard album front & Back cover issued in thick plastic cover with sticker with track list .
* ''[[Gold (Jefferson Starship album)|Gold]]'' by [[Jefferson Starship]] - a picture of the 1976-78 lineup of the band on both sides.
* "[[Driver's Seat]]" by [[Sniff 'n' the Tears]] (1979) - a leggy woman holding a gun startles a black cat
* ''[[Off the Wall (album)|Off the Wall]]'' by [[Michael Jackson]] (1979) - same image of original album front and back
* L.A (Light) Album, The Beach Boys (1979) - Logo from album cover on one side, band photos from inner sleeve on the other.

===1980s===
* ''[[Special Brew (song)|Special Brew]]'' by [[Bad Manners]] (1980): Photo of Buster Bloodvessel coveting a pint of the drink of the same name.
* ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (soundtrack to the [[Walt Disney]] film) (1980)
* "[[One of Us (ABBA song)|One of Us]]" b/w "Should I Laugh or Cry" by [[ABBA]] (1981): A-side with [[Agnetha Fältskog]] and [[Frida Lyngstad]] ("One of Us")/B-side with [[Benny Andersson]] and [[Björn Ulvaeus]]
* ''[[Dare (album)|Dare]]'' by [[the Human League]] (1981)
* ''Anthem'' by Toyah (1981)
* "Goblin Girl" b/w "Pink Napkins" [[12" single]] by [[Frank Zappa]] (1981)
* ''Turn Up the Night [[12" single]]'' by [[Black Sabbath]] (1982) (''Rare - Shows a Lucifer-like figure silhouetted against a cross'')
* ''[[Bat Out of Hell]]'' by [[Meat Loaf]] (1982) (reissue of the 1977 album, has album artwork on the disc)
* ''Planets'' by Eloy (1982)
* "That's Good" b/w "Speed Racer" by [[Devo]] (1982): 12" single.
* ''Got No Brains'' by [[Bad Manners]] (1982): Cartoon-like image of Buster Bloodvessel's brain flying out of his head.
* "[[House of Fun]]" by [[Madness (band)|Madness]] (1982): Still photo from the promo video.
* ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (soundtrack)|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' by [[John Williams]] (1982): Close up of title character's head on the front and with the bike over the moon shot on the back (both front and back are stills from movie).
* ''Driving In My Car'' by [[Madness (band)|Madness]] (1982): Close-up photo of a Morris Minor hubcap.
* ''[[Monkee Business (album)|Monkee Business]]'' by [[The Monkees]] (1982): A side color photo of band, B side b&w promotional photos and monkey shape.
* "[[Countdown (Rush song)|Countdown]]" b/w "[[New World Man]]" by [[Rush (band)|Rush]] (1982): 7-inch single shaped like a space shuttle.
* Freebird by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] (1982): A picture of a skeleton holding a gun.
* ''[[Baby Snakes]]'' soundtrack album by [[Frank Zappa]] (1982): Frank Zappa's face.
* ''[[Let's Dance (David Bowie album)|Let's Dance]]'' LP by [[David Bowie]] (1983): [[Serious Moonlight Tour]] concert photo and album cover photo.
* ''[[Thriller (Michael Jackson album)|Thriller]]'' by [[Michael Jackson]] (1983): Several different picture discs with artwork from the album photoshoot.
* ''[[War (U2 album)|War]]'' by [[U2]] (1983)
* ''[[Colour by Numbers]]'' by [[Culture Club]] (1983)
* ''[[Mushi (album)|Mushi]]'' by [[The Stalin]]  (1983)
* ''Just a Dream'' by [[Nena (band)|Nena]] (1984): 10" Band photo.
* ''[[Dreamtime]]'' by [[The Cult]] (1984): Band photo.
* [[Poland (album)|Poland]] (double LP) by [[Tangerine Dream]] (1984): Album photos.
* ''14 Greatest Hits'' (LP) by [[Michael Jackson]] and [[the Jackson 5]] (1984): Drawing of 3 Jackson brothers and old band photo.
* ''[[Victory (The Jacksons album)|Victory]]'' by [[The Jackson 5]] (1984)
* ''[[Legend (Bob Marley & The Wailers album)|Legend]]'' LP by [[Bob Marley]] (1984): Album photo. 
* ''[[Keep Moving (Madness album)|Keep Moving]]'' LP by [[Madness (band)|Madness]] (1984): Photo of the band on a running track.
* ''[[Make It Big]]'' by [[Wham!]] (1984) (picture disc edition)
* "[[Pride (In the Name of Love)]]" by [[U2]] (1984): 7-inch single with same track listing but different (color) photos of the band.
* ''[[Waking Up with the House on Fire]]'' by [[Culture Club]] (1984)
* ''[[Creeping Death]]'' by [[Metallica]] (1984)
* ''[[Ride the Lightning]]'' by [[Metallica]] (1984) 1985 release, limited edition only.
* ''[[Fugazi (album)|Fugazi]]'' by [[Marillion]] (1984)
* ''[[Slide It In]]'' by [[Whitesnake]] (1984): Special US Mix version available in the UK.
* ''[[The Second Time]]'' by [[Kim Wilde]] (1984)
* ''[[The Touch (Kim Wilde song)|The Touch]]'' by [[Kim Wilde]] (1984)
* ''[[Miami Vice Theme]]'' by [[Jan Hammer]] (1985)
* ''[[Loving the Alien]]'' by [[David Bowie]] (1985): 7 and 12 Inch versions.
* ''Walk This Way'' by [[Run D.M.C]] & [[Aerosmith]] (1986) 12"
* ''[[Master of Puppets]]'' by [[Metallica]] (1986)
* ''Electric'' by [[The Cult]] (1987): Gold vinyl with a band photo. 
* ''[[Hysteria (Def Leppard album)|Hysteria]]'' by [[Def Leppard]] (1987)
* ''Something Special'' by [[Sabrina Salerno|Sabrina]] (1988)
* ''[[So Far, So Good... So What!]]'' by [[Megadeth]] (1988): A skeleton dressed in combat gear holding a machine gun.
* "Wake Up!" a hit sampler (Bangles, REO Speedwagon, Earth, Wind and Fire...) issued by Honda (the motor people) (1988): Showing a comic style full continental breakfast on the one side, and the "H" logo on the reverse.
* Special Edition Live EP by [[Ozzy Osbourne]] (1988)
* "[[Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)]]" by [[W.A.S.P. (band)|W.A.S.P.]] (1988): Watercolor of a [[Dobermann]] mounting a woman's leg; photo of Lawless on the B side.
* [[Disintegration (The Cure album)|Disintegration]] by [[The Cure]] (1989)
* ''For Ladies Only'' by [[Killdozer (band)|Killdozer]] (1989): Painting of a young woman in a negligee with photos of band members on the reverse side.

===Post 1980s===
* ''[[Sweet Soul Sister]]'' by [[The Cult]] (1990): 12" single, different band photo on both sides.
* [[Zoo Station (song)|Zoo Station]] by [[U2]] (1992): US 12" promo featuring the Zoo TV and U2 logos from the tour.
* ''[[Nightswimming]]''  by [[R.E.M.]] (1993)
* ''The Hearts Filthy Lesson'' by [[David Bowie]] ([[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]] [[United Kingdom|UK]], 1995): Graphically manipulated images from the lyric pages of the 1995 album [[Outside (David Bowie album)|Outside]] for the A side and B side songs.
* ''The Best of Both Worlds'' by [[Marillion]] (1996)
* [[Pop (U2 album)|''POP'']] by [[U2]] (1997): Front side is the same four-paned portraits on the CD cover, but the back side is different, featuring a rainbow of colors and a picture of each band member taken from the [[Discothèque (song)|Discothèque]] video (looks official, some say this is a bootleg).
* "Im Dienste des Sozialismus" by [[IFA Wartburg]] (1998): Pictures of [[Queen Silvia of Sweden]] and [[Erich Honecker]].
* ''This Afternoon's Malady'' by [[Jejune]] (1998, Big Wheel Recreation): a-side has alternate cover art, b-side features photo of the members, includes the album in an abridged form.
* ''[[Californication (album)|Californication]]'' by [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] (1999)
* ''s/t 10"'' by [[Song of Zarathustra]] (2000 blood of the young)
* ''[[Exploiting Dysfunction]]'' by [[Cephalic Carnage]] (2000): Side A and B feature the original cover/back artwork by [[Wes Benscoter]].
* ''Heaven'' by [[Live (band)|Live]] (2003): European 7-inch single containing title track plus ''Forever May not be Long Enough (Egyptian Dreams Remix)'' as a [[B-side]]. An unknown quantity were mispressed with remixes of ''Let's Get Ill'' by [[Sean Combs|P. Diddy]].
* ''[[Inertiatic ESP]]'' by [[The Mars Volta]] (2003): Artwork by [[Storm Thorgerson]].
* ''[[Televators]]'' by [[The Mars Volta]] (2003): Artwork by [[Storm Thorgerson]].
* ''Puta'' by Khima France (2004) Limited Edition 7".
* ''[[I, Lucifer (Real Tuesday Weld album)|I, Lucifer]]'' by [[The Real Tuesday Weld]] (UK only, 2004)
* ''[[Hell Yeah! (HorrorPops album)|Hell Yeah!]]'' by [[HorrorPops]] (2004): Side A has an altered version of the cover artwork and side B contains the track listing.
* ''Split'' by [[Agalloch]]/[[Nest (band)|Nest]] (2004): 10" Picture Disc.
* ''Filthy Danceheng EP'' by [[Baron Mordant]] ([[Mordant Music]] UK, 2004): Image of creepy tutonic child on a side, track list and 1970s looking child on reverse.
* ''Blood Rushed to Head'' by [[Portion Control (band)|Portion Control]] (portion-control.net [[United Kingdom|UK]], 2005): 7" portion Control logo on both sides.
* ''[[Analord|Analord 10]]'' by [[Aphex Twin|AFX]] (re-release) (2005)
* ''[[The Trooper]]'' by [[Iron Maiden]] (1983) [[7-inch single]] was re-released in 2005 as a picture disc.
* ''[[Preaching the "End-Time" Message]]'' by [[Eyehategod]] (2005): Limited to 500 copies.
* ''[[Lateralus]]'' by [[Tool (band)|Tool]] (2005): Double picture disc album. Limited edition only.
* ''[[The Hand that Feeds]]'' by [[Nine Inch Nails]] (2005)
* ''[[Death on the Road]]'' by [[Iron Maiden]] (2005): Double picture disc album, disc 1 contains artwork and disc 2 has pictures from live shows.
* ''[[The Widow (song)|The Widow]]'' by [[The Mars Volta]] (2005): Artwork by [[Storm Thorgerson]].
* ''[[L'Via L'Viaquez]]'' by [[The Mars Volta]] (2005): 10" Picture Disc.
* ''[[Scab Dates]]'' by [[The Mars Volta]] (2005): Dbl 12" Picture Disc LP.
* ''[[Omar Rodriguez]]'' by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2005)
* ''[[Gold Digger (Kanye West song)|Gold Digger]]'' by [[Kanye West]] (2005): 12" single has a plain gold coloured picture disc.
* ''[[Mezmerize (album)|Mezmerize]]'' and ''[[Hypnotize (album)|Hypnotize]]'' by [[System of a Down]] (2005)
* "[[Feel Good Inc.]]" by [[Gorillaz]] (2005): Features a drawing of the windmill island from the video.
* The 12th record from the [[7" of the Month Club]] by [[NOFX]] (2006): Side A: Picture of band, Side B: Cartoon Hotdogs - limited to 3000.
* ''[[Sam's Town]]'' by [[The Killers]] (2006)
* ''[[Donuts (album)|Donuts]]'' by [[J Dilla]] (2006)
* ''[[The Shining (J Dilla album)|The Shining EP]]'' by [[J Dilla]] (2006)
* ''[[Age of Winters]]'' by [[The Sword (band)|The Sword]] (2006): limited to 500 copies. Side A features original CD Artwork, Side B a track listing and logo.
* ''[[The Pick of Destiny]]'' by [[Tenacious D]] (2006)
* ''[[Get Warmer]]'' by [[Bomb the Music Industry!]] (2006): Features a pictures of parks and track listings on the A and B sides.
* ''Fine as Fuck'' by [[Electrosexual]] and [[Scream Club]] featuring [[Peaches (musician)|Peaches]] (2006): Features a collage made by Electrosexual and a logo created by French graffiti artist Tilt. Limited to 500 copies, France [[Rock Machine Records]].
* ''[[Gold Lion]]'' by [[Yeah Yeah Yeahs]] (2006): 7" Features a drawing of a lion.
* ''Lycanthrope'' by [[+44 (band)|+44]] (2006): Features a picture of the band on one side of the single and the band logo on the other.
* ''[[Hip Hop Is Dead]]'' by [[Nas]] (2006): 12" single has a picture of Nas with title of the song on the A side and Nas's logo on the B side.
* ''[[Infinity on High]]'' by [[Fall Out Boy]] (2007)
* ''[[From Yesterday]]'' by [[Thirty Seconds to Mars]] (2007)
* ''[[Here Come the Waterworks]]'' by [[Big Business (band)|Big Business]] (2007)
* ''[[Catch You]]'' [[12-inch single]] by [[Sophie Ellis-Bextor]] (2007)
* ''[[Me and My Imagination]]'' [[12-inch single]] by Sophie Ellis-Bextor (2007)
* ''[[Festival Thyme]]'' by [[...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead]] (2008)
* ''Pedrophilia'' by [[Pedro Winter|Busy P]] on [[Ed Banger Records]] (2008)
* ''Pocket Piano'' by [[DJ Mehdi]] (2008)
* "[[God Has a Voice, She Speaks Through Me]]" by [[CocoRosie]] (2008)
* ''[[Aim and Ignite]]'' by [[Fun (band)|Fun]] (2009)
* ''Time Warp / Join the Dots'' by [[Sub Focus]] (2009)
* ''[[The Fame Monster]]'' by [[Lady Gaga]] (2009)
* "[[Ignorance (song)|Ignorance]]" by [[Paramore]] (2009)
* ''[[The Infection]]'' by [[Chimaira]] (2009)
* "[[Wonderful Life (Hurts song)|Wonderful Life (Arthur Baker Remixes)]]" by [[Hurts (duo)|Hurts]] (2010): Side A has a portrait picture of band member Theo Hutchcraft and side B contains a portrait picture of Adam Anderson.
* ''[[The Final Frontier]]'' by [[Iron Maiden]] (2010): Double picture disc. Disc 1 contains album cover on disc 1, side one and silhouette of band on disc 2, side 1.
* "[[Bittersweet (Sophie Ellis-Bextor song)|Bittersweet]]" [[7-inch single]] by Sophie Ellis-Bextor (2010)
* ''[[So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite]]'' by [[Dreamend]] (2010): Side A is designed to act as a [[phenakistoscope]] when used with the included die-cut sheet, along with a pint glass and light source.
* "[[Remedy (The Black Crowes song)|Remedy]]" by [[The Black Crowes]] (2011): Side A is a live acoustic version of the song while side B is a live electric version. Special release with the band's album "[[Croweology]]" for [[Record Store Day]].
* ''[[Thirteen (Megadeth album)|Th1rt3en]]'' by [[Megadeth]] (2011)
* ''[[Heritage (Opeth album)]]'' by [[Opeth]] (2011)
* ''We Are Young'' by [[Fun (band)|Fun]] (2011)
* ''[[Lady Luck (Jamie Woon song)|Lady Luck]]'' by [[Jamie Woon]] (2011)
* ''[[Trials of Imaginaerum]]'' by [[Nightwish]] (2012)
* ''[[National Anthem (Lana Del Rey song)|National Anthem]]'' by [[Lana Del Rey]] (UK only, 2012)
* ''[[We Don't Even Live Here]]'' by [[P.O.S (rapper)|P.O.S]] (2012)
* ''[[Kiss (Carly Rae Jepsen album)|Kiss]]'' by [[Carly Rae Jepsen]] (2012)
* ''[[13 (Suicidal Tendencies album)|13]]'' by [[Suicidal Tendencies]] (2013)
* ''[[Blue Ash and Other Suburbs]]'' by [[Trey Anastasio]] (2013): Features outtakes from the Traveler sessions that were co-produced by Trey and Peter Katis in Fall, 2011 and Original artwork by Micah Lidberg.
* ''[[The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here]]'' by [[Alice In Chains]] (2013)
* ''[[Life on Mars?]]'' by [[David Bowie]] (2013)
* ''[[Bangerz (album)|Bangerz]]'' by [[Miley Cyrus]]
* ''Art Support Machine'' by [[Electrosexual]] artwork by Dutch artist Lukas Julius Keijser and designed by Philip Marshall (2014)
* ''[[Pika Pika Fantajin]]'' by [[Kyary Pamyu Pamyu]] (2014)
* ''[[Vulnicura|Vulnicura Live]]'' by [[Björk]] (2015)
* ''[[The Incredible True Story]]'' by [[Logic (rapper)|Logic]] (2015)
* ''[[The Last Hero (album)|The Last Hero]]'' by [[Alter Bridge]] (2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alterbridge.com/store/last-hero-2lp-picture-disc|title=The Last Hero 2LP Picture Disc|website=Alter Bridge}}</ref>
* ''[[The Vengeful One]]'' by [[Disturbed (band)|Disturbed]] (2016)
* ''[[Hesitant Alien]]'' by [[Gerard Way]] (2017)
* ''[[Makes Me Sick]]'' by [[New Found Glory]] (2017)
* ''[[Reputation (Taylor Swift album)|Reputation]]'' by [[Taylor Swift]] (2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B077GT29HM/ref=tmm_vnl_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=|title=reputation|website=Amazon}}</ref>
* ''[[Yellow Submarine (album)|Yellow Submarine]]'' by [[The Beatles]] (2018)
* ''[[Post-Apocalypto (album)|Post-Apocalypto]]'' by [[Tenacious D]] (2018)
* ''[[Los Prisioneros (album)|Los Prisioneros]]'' by [[Los Prisioneros]] (2020)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=August 6, 2020|title=Los Prisioneros ajustan cuentas con los discos de su retorno|url=https://www.latercera.com/culto/2020/08/06/los-prisioneros-ajustan-cuentas-con-los-discos-de-su-retorno/|website=La Tercera|quote=Pero como una suerte de revancha, ambos son parte de un rescate del catálogo post 2000 que se viene desarrollando con el grupo; ya están disponibles en digital y CD, y este 17 de agosto aparecerán en vinilos y en el colorido formato picture disc (ver fotos), en un ejercicio inédito para un artista local. Mientras en el primer caso se venderán mil copias, en el segundo sólo habrá un tiraje limitado de 300 unidades numeradas.}}</ref>
* ''[[Manzana (album)|Manzana]]'' by [[Los Prisioneros]] (2020)<ref name=":0" />
* ''View-Monster'' by [[Lemon Demon]] (2020)
* ''[[Man on the Moon III: The Chosen]]'' by [[Kid Cudi]] (2020) <ref name=":0" />
* ''[[No One Sings Like You Anymore]]'' a posthumous [[cover song|covers]] album by [[Chris Cornell]] (2020)
* ''[[Spirit Phone]]'' by [[Lemon Demon]] (2021)
* ''[[Fortitude (Gojira album)|Fortitude]]'' official-store-only special edition by [[Gojira (band)|Gojira]] (2021) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://store.gojira-music.com/fortitude-picture-disc.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221225615/https://store.gojira-music.com/fortitude-picture-disc.html|archive-date = 2021-02-21|title = Fortitude Picture Disc}}</ref>
* ''[[Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (album)|Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum]]'' by [[Tally Hall (band)|Tally Hall]] (2021)
* [[Cracker Island]] by [[Gorillaz]] (2023) <ref>{{Cite web |title=Cracker Island Limited Edition Picture Disc |url=https://store.gorillaz.com/gb/gorillaz/cracker-island-limited-edition-picture-disc/5054197527418.html |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=Gorillaz - Official Store |language=en}}</ref> (Limited edition)

==Shaped Discs & 'special pressings'==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Band
! Disc/Song
! Released
! Disc Description
! Disk Size
! Image
|-
| [[ABBA]]
| [[Thank You For The Music]] b/w [[Our Last Summer]]
| 1983
| Shape of the band's logo
| 7"
|
|-
| [[Adolescents (band) | Adolescents]] & [[Circle Jerks]]
| [[Amoeba (song) | Amoeba]] b/w Wild In The Streets
| 1996
| In the shape of a saw blade, blue.
| 6"
|
|-
| [[Barnes & Barnes]]
| [[Fish Heads: Barnes & Barnes' Greatest Hits]]
| 1982
| Shaped as a fish head
| 12"
|
|-
| [[Broken English (band)|Broken English]] 
| Comin on Strong
| [[1987 in music|1987]]
| Shaped as the 3 band members wearing [[Ghostbusters]] outfits holding guitars.
|
|
|-
| [[Aphex Twin|Caustic Window]]
| ''[[Joyrex J9i]]''
| [[1993 in music|1993]]
| Shaped like a [[Roland TB-303]] on one side and a [[Roland TR-606]] on the other
| 10"
|
|-
| [[Danzig (band)|Danzig]] 
| ''[[Mother (Danzig song)|Mother]]''
| [[1994 in music|1994]] 
| Shaped like a skull.
|10"
|
|-
| [[Devo]] 
| ''[[New Traditionalists|Beautiful World]]'' b/w Nu-Tra 
| [[1981 in music|1981]] 
| Shaped like an astronaut head
|
|
|-
| [[Faith No More]]
| [[Epic (Faith No More song)|Epic]]
| [[1990 in music|1990]]
| Shape of a milk drop with a flame on it.
|7"
|
|-
| [[Gangrene (group)|Gangrene]]
| [[Sawblade EP (Gangrene)|Sawblade EP]]
| [[2010 in music|2010]]
| In the shape of a circular sawblade.
|
|
|-
| [[Gary Numan]] 
| Warriors
| [[1983 in music|1983]]
| Shaped like a Jet Fighter.
| 7"
|-
| [[Gary Numan]] 
| Berserker
| [[1984 in music|1984]]
| Shaped like Numan's head.
| 7"
|
|-
| [[Gefilte Joe and the Fish]]
| Hanukah Rocks
| [[1981 in music|1981]]
| Shaped like the [[Star of David]].
| 12"
|
|-
| [[Guns N' Roses]]
| [[Sweet Child o' Mine]]
| [[1988 in music|1988]]
| Shape of the classic logo of the cross and skulls of the five band members
| 7"
|
|-
| [[Guns N' Roses]]
| [[Paradise City]]
| [[1989 in music|1989]]
| Shape of a Colt "Peacemaker"
| 7"
|
|-
| [[Guns N' Roses]]
| [[Nightrain]]
| [[1989 in music|1989]]
| Shape of a suitcase
| 7"
|
|-
| [[Joe Strummer]] 
| Love Kills
| 
| Shaped like a gun
| 7"
|
|-
| [[Killing Joke]] 
| Loose Cannon 
| [[2003 in music|2003]]
| shaped yellow evil clown head image from the eponymous [[Killing Joke 2003 (album)|2003 album]] sleeve
|
|
|-
|[[King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard|King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard]]
|[[Nonagon Infinity]]
|[[2016 in music|2016]]
|[[Nonagon]] shaped.
|10"
|
|-
| [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] 
| [[Lick It Up]]
| [[1983 in music|1983]]
| Shaped like an armored tank
|
|
|-
| [[Less Than Jake]]
| Cheese
| [[1998 in music|1998]]
| Shaped like a piece of [[Swiss cheese (North America)|Swiss cheese]]. 1000 pressed in yellow. 500 pressed in green ("Moldy Version").
| 7"
|
|-
| [[Megadeth]]
| [[Wake Up Dead]]
| [[1987 in music|1987]]
| In the shape of the head of the band's mascot, [[Vic Rattlehead]].
| 7"
|
|-
| [[Men Without Hats]]
| [[The Safety Dance]]
| [[1982 in music|1982]]
| Oddly shaped picture disc of a man and a woman dancing
|
|
|-
| [[Men Without Hats]]
| I Got the Message
| [[1983 in music|1983]]
| 
|
|
|-
| [[Metallica]]
| [[Jump in the Fire]]
| [[1986 in music|1986]]
| Shaped picture disc of the monster from the single's cover.
|
|
|-
| [[Monster Magnet]] 
| Dopes to Infinity 
| [[1995 in music|1995]]
| Shaped like the lead singer [[Dave Wyndorf]]'s head. 
| 12"
|-
| [[Monster Magnet]]
| [[Negasonic Teenage Warhead (song)|Negasonic Teenage Warhead]]
| 
| Shaped like a [[mushroom cloud]]
| 12"
|
|-
| [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark|OMD]] 
| La Femme Accident
| [[1985 in music|1985]]
| 
|
|
|-
| [[Red Box (band)|Red Box]] 
| ''Lean On Me'' b/w ''Stinging Bee'' 
| [[1985 in music|1985]] 
| Hexagonal red vinyl. Looks like a red box in 2D; flipside is a band photo.
| 7"
|
|-
| [[Saxon (band)|Saxon]] 
| Back on the Streets Again
| 
| Shaped as an apple (as is printed on one side of the disk).
| 7"
|
|-
|[[Sparks (band)|Sparks]]
|You Earned The Right To Be A Dick
|2018
|Shaped like the hippo featured on the cover of [[Hippopotamus (album)|Hippopotamus]]. 
|7"
|
|-
| [[Tangerine Dream]]
| Warsaw in the Sun 
| [[1984 in music|1984]]
| The record is in the shape of [[Poland]] and has several images including [[Lech Wałęsa]] and [[Pope John Paul II]].
| 7"
|
|-
| The Coconuts (Side project of [[Kid Creole and the Coconuts]])
| Did You Have To Love Me Like You Did
| [[1983 in music|1983]]
| In the shape of a coconut.
| 7"
|
|-
| [[The Fat Boys]]
| Wipe Out
|
| Shaped like a [[Hamburger]]
| 7"
|
|-
| [[The Enemy (UK rock band)|The Enemy]] 
| You're Not Alone
| [[2007 in music|2007]]
| Square shaped. Has the single cover art on the A-side and a black-and-white picture of the band on the B-side with track listing.
|7"
|
|-
| [[The Mars Volta]]
| Mr. Muggs
| [[2008 in music|2008]]
| In the shape of a clear planchette.
| 7"
|
|-
| [[The Police]]
| [[Roxanne (The Police song)|Roxanne / Can't Stand Losing You]]
| [[1979 in music|1979]]
| Limited Edition
| 7"
|
|-
| [[The Police]]
| [[Message in a Bottle (The Police song)|Message in a Bottle]]
| [[1980 in music|1980]]
| Limited Edition
| 10"
|
|-
| [[The Police]]
| [[De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da]]
| [[1981 in music|1981]]
| Limited Edition
|
|
|-
| [[Toto (band)|Toto]]
| [[Africa (Toto song)|Africa]]
| [[1982 in music|1982]]
| In the shape of the African continent.
| 7"
|
|-
| [[U2]] 
| [[The Unforgettable Fire (song)|The Unforgettable Fire (single)]]
| [[1985 in music|1985]]
| Shaped as letter & number "U2" with various pictures of the band from the period.
| 7"
|
|-
| [[Yeah Yeah Yeahs]] 
| [[Cheated Hearts]]
| [[2006 in music|2006]]
| Heart shaped.
| 7"
|
|-
| [[ZZ Top]] 
| [[Sleeping Bag (song)|Sleeping Bag]]
| [[1985 in music|1985]]
| In the shape of a pharaoh head.
| 7"
|
|}

*''It's a Mistake'' by [[Men at Work]] ([[1983 in music|1983]]) – apparently also mispressed as a release by [[Men Without Hats]], though such mispressings were clearly labeled
*A single shaped like DEVO's famous [[Energy Dome]] headgear was planned, but never made it past the test pressing stage.

==Picture discs by band==

===Helloween===

*''[[Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I]]'' 1987
*''[[Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II]]'' 1988

===Kiss===
*Several [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] discs from ([[1978 in music|1978]]), each with a different [[band (music)|band]] member<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kissfaq.com/discography/pixdisc.html |title=DISCOGRAPHY - Picture Discs Discography |publisher=The Kissfaq |access-date=2014-05-20}}</ref>
*''[[A World Without Heroes]]'' by Kiss ([[1981 in music|1981]])
*''[[Creatures of the Night]]'' by Kiss ([[United States|U.S.]], [[1982 in music|1982]])
*''[[Hotter than Hell (album)|Hotter Than Hell]]'' by Kiss (the [[Netherlands]], [[1982 in music|1982]])
*''[[Dressed to Kill (album)|Dressed to Kill]]'' by Kiss (the [[Netherlands]], [[1982 in music|1982]])
*''[[Destroyer (Kiss album)|Destroyer]]'' by Kiss (the [[Netherlands]], [[1982 in music|1982]])
*''[[Rock and Roll Over]]'' by Kiss (the [[Netherlands]], [[1982 in music|1982]])
*''[[Love Gun]]'' by Kiss (the [[Netherlands]], [[1982 in music|1982]])
*''[[Dynasty (Kiss album)|Dynasty]]'' by Kiss (the [[Netherlands]], [[1982 in music|1982]])
*''[[Unmasked (Kiss album)|Unmasked]]'' by Kiss (the [[Netherlands]], [[1982 in music|1982]])
*''[[Music from "The Elder"]]'' by Kiss (the [[Netherlands]], [[1982 in music|1982]])
*''[[Crazy Nights]]'' by Kiss (US, [[1987 in music|1987]])
*''[[Crazy Crazy Nights]]'' by Kiss (UK, [[1987 in music|1987]])
*''[[Reason to Live]]'' by Kiss (UK, [[1987 in music|1987]])
*''[[Monster (Kiss album)|Monster]]'' by Kiss (US, [[2012 in music|2012]])

===Muse===
British [[rock band]], [[Muse (band)|Muse]] have released several picture discs since 2006. They have also notably had much of their work pressed on clear vinyl since 1999.{{citation needed|date=March 2013}}
*"[[Supermassive Black Hole (song)|Supermassive Black Hole]]" (2006) (7" picture)
*"[[Starlight (Muse song)|Starlight]]" (2006) (7" picture)
*"[[Knights of Cydonia]]" (2006) (7" picture)
*"[[Invincible (Muse song)|Invincible]]" (2007) (7" picture)
*"[[Resistance (song)|Resistance]]" (2010) (7" picture)

=== Guided By Voices ===
*"Cut-out Witch" (1996) (7" picture)

==See also==
* [[Unusual types of gramophone records]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.vinylunderground.com Vinyl Underground, a Gallery of Picture Discs and Colored Vinyl Records.  Displays images contained within this article.]

[[Category:Audio storage]]
[[Category:Lists of albums]]