While music is often reduced to a thumbnail on a screen, vinyl records have brought album artwork back to full size—but whether that translates into sales is still up for debate.
As collectors return to physical formats, events like Record Store Day, which takes place Saturday, have become key moments for independent shops, drawing crowds in search of limited releases and rare finds.
For Donn Summerville, owner of Dawson’s Wild West Vinyl in Thornton, the annual event is incredibly important, so much so that he’s opening two hours early.
"It's the biggest day of the year for us by far," he says. "It introduces a lot of people to music they wouldn't usually look at and introduces people to vinyl itself."
His store has been so busy on Record Store Day that he once had a customer camping outside his shop at 2 a.m. to secure first dibs.
Record Store Day celebrates independent record stores worldwide and often features exclusive, limited-edition releases that attract collectors, sometimes months before wider distribution. Some of those releases feature alternative or limited-edition artwork.
Barrie's News Delivered To Your Inbox
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Central Ontario Broadcasting, 431 Huronia Rd, Barrie, Ontario, CA, https://www.cobroadcasting.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
BETWEEN STREAMS AND SHELVES
The renewed interest in vinyl comes amid continued dominance from streaming, which generated $747 million in Canada in 2025, according to Music Canada.
Still, physical sales are growing countrywide. Revenue from physical formats rose 15.9 per cent to $122.2 million over the same period, driven largely by vinyl.
That resurgence has prompted major retailers like Indigo Books & Music to expand their vinyl offerings, while brands like HMV have reappeared in select Toys “R” Us locations.
But for many collectors, the experience goes beyond simply buying music.
That’s where album artwork may still play a role.
BEFORE THE NEEDLE DROPS
Summerville estimates that between 15 to 20 per cent of his customers enter his store or occasional tent sales with an open mind, looking for something to catch their eye.
"It definitely doesn't hurt that some albums are just iconic for that artwork," he says. "Especially if it's an 80's metal band—maybe it's a little less well-known—[people] will buy it just because the cover looks awesome, and then they find out the music's just as good inside."
Classic metal albums tend to stand out in that manner. Summerville notes iconic covers like Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction or releases from Iron Maiden's discography often translate directly into sales at Dawson’s.
Social media has also helped some albums gain popularity visually, but also auditorily. Specifically, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, says Summerville.
"The reason that album came back again is because of a guy skateboarding down a road. A lot of people had forgotten about that album."
COVER OR CATALOGUE?
While some customers may be drawn in by a striking cover, others walk in already knowing exactly what they’re looking for.
"The music is more of why things get sold," says Mike Rothwell, owner of Alleycats Music & Art in Orillia. "The art on the cover is a bonus that people really, really like."
"There are certain covers people will be drawn to more, but if it's not as great a cover and the songs are better, people will buy that record."
That kind of standout artwork isn’t just limited to metal.
"All genres are getting really creative with album covers now," he says. "From indie rock to hip hop to metal to punk."
Still, familiarity can carry just as much weight as first impressions—particularly for customers who aren’t browsing, but buying with intent.
"Sometimes people would get to know the album cover like years before they actually buy the record," Rothwell explains. "It's an older thing, so they'll identify it with that."
For Rothwell, that means album artwork may enhance the experience—but it’s rarely the deciding factor in what customers ultimately buy.
MORE THAN JUST A COVER
For those behind the artwork itself, the answer isn’t quite so simple.
Art director and graphic designer Kevin Moore agrees that metal has historically driven that trend.
"There's still this level of artistry and story that goes into it," he said to Barrie360 on the orange carpet at the Juno Awards in Hamilton. "I find in heavy rock albums, people really want to translate it into a way that, although it's a little bit rougher on the ears for some people, they want it to be this beautiful thing."
Moore and photographer Kyle Joinson recently won the Juno Award for Album Artwork of the Year for their work on Spiritbox’s Tsunami Sea, a project developed closely with the band to reflect both its sound and identity.
"It was a process that we were very involved in and each part of it is very specific and special," Moore says. "That's just what makes it so great."
The Victoria-based band worked closely with Moore and Joinson on the design of the album package, which acts as an homage to Vancouver Island, with its topography featured on the front and a tribute to late bassist Bill Crook, who died in 2024.
Within the artwork, each song also has an associated symbol, most prominently "A Haven With Two Faces," which is identified by the two-faced island design on the cover.
"It was a very similar cover (to Spiritbox's debut album Eternal Blue) when you look at it," he says. "But it's something where you open it up and it has a purpose, it has a story, and every little part of it has an element and meaning."
Compared to the other nominated artwork, Moore's work proved that an album cover doesn't need bright colours or a specific image to speak to people.
Along with his work with Spiritbox, Moore has also done designs for bands like Sum 41, and contributed to the upcoming Evanascence album, Sanctuary.
But Moore also has the mindset of a collector.
“Spotify, Apple—all that stuff is great,” Moore says. “But there are core collectors who just want to see something tangible in their hands that they can put up on the wall... having the record is the ultimate merch item. It’s not a T-shirt—it also plays the songs that you love."
The importance of album artwork is still recognized at the industry level. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has handed out a Juno Award for Album Artwork of the Year since 1975, while the Recording Academy revived its Best Album Cover category at the 2026 Grammys.
In February, Tyler, the Creator's Chromakopia won the Grammy.
"It's like leveling up... a whole entire thing that encapsulates your vision," Moore says. "You spend all these years and time writing each song and perfecting and producing it and putting it together, the artwork, so often, is a secondary thought."
Artwork might not drive every sale, but for many listeners, the full album package still offers a more immersive way to connect with their favourite artists.
