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The 1970s was a decade of change—politically, socially, and economically. Many of the magazine covers from the '70s captured these cultural tensions with sexually-charged, pop art-inspired images, bold colors, and strong typography. Arguably, the magazine covers of the '70s were the best, in terms of art direction and film photography, than they've ever been.
The covers on our list aren't the dull, mundane head shots of models or the uninspired, bland designs of many of today's publications; they are the covers that pushed the envelope and achieved sophistication and meaning through simplicity. Unfortunately, many covers that can be found online today do not credit the art directors, photographers, or illustrators who did them, but we have included these attributions when available. Take a trip back in time with our list of The 70 Best Magazine Covers of the '70s, and see just how far art direction has come (or regressed), and if anything, the exciting places it's been.
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70. New York Magazine
70. New York Magazine August 1975
Art Director: Milton Glaser
In 2013, this cover seems tame and pretty comical, but at the time, speaking so candidly about drugs and different ways to use drugs was a bold move for a highly circulated magazine.
69. Rolling Stone
69. Rolling Stone September 1977
68. Esquire
68. Esquire May 1975
Art Director: Jean-Paul Goude
When the man who makes everyone laugh is laughing, it makes you want to see why.
67. New York Magazine
67. New York Magazine September 1975
Art Director: Milton Glaser
The exaggeration in the model's face and the abundance of soda made for a bold, camp, and ultimately memorable cover.
66. Sports Illustrated
66. Sports Illustrated February 1979
Art Director: Unknown
The cover brilliantly shows Danny Lopez (a.k.a. Little Red) with his Featherweight Champion belt.
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65. Time
65. TIME March 1979
Art Director: Unknown
Bold, slightly Soviet-looking typography with bright red makes for an impactful cover.
64. Life
64. LIFE August 1972
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
This close-up photo of Mark Spitz captured the dynamic energy of the Olympics.
63. New York Magazine
63. New York Magazine March 1970
Art Director: Milton Glaser
Photographer: Carl Fischer
This comical and cute portrait of a New York cabbie brings personality and humility to the sometimes under-appreciated profession.
62. GQ
62. GQ February 1970
Art Director: Unknown
This illustration captures the loose, experimental mentality of the era. It fits perfectly with the aesthetic of 1970.
61. Life
61. LIFE January 1970
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
The new era of the '70s brought new scientific advancements. This cover captures the wonder of biology with a picture of a human egg.
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60. New York Magazine
60. New York Magazine October 1972
Art Director: Milton Glaser
As a writer, you dont want to tell a judge they're the worst. As a magazine, you don't want to reveal your meaty cover story without buying the issue. The solution? A faceless illustration. It entices the reader without giving it all away.
59. Sports Illustrated
59. Sports Illustrated February 1978
Art Director: Unknown
The cover shows boxer Leon Spinks in all his glory.
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58. New York Magazine
58. New York Magazine January 1971
Art Director: Milton Glaser
Photographer: Unknown
By creating a caricature of Dick Schaap out of a fist with only a few defining attributes, the designers captured both the idea of power and the idea of Mr. Schaap.
57. GQ
57. GQ Winter 1969/1970
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
By simply altering perspective, Gentlemen's Quarterly magazine created a dynamic scene that is much more engaging than just a man with a woman on a boat.
56. Rolling Stone
56. Rolling Stone December 1975
Artist: Kim Whitesides
This cover isn't on this list because it's a clever solution or a groundbreaking design; it's just a really excellent illustration of an actor who's had many depictions, yet this one will certainly stand the test of time.
55. Newsweek
55. Newsweek February 1978
Art Director: Unknown
The classic image of Three's Company is the perfect example of "Sex and TV."
54. The New Yorker
54. The New Yorker October 1977
Art Director: Unknown
This cover perfectly represented a technical illustration of the city of the future.
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53. People Magazine
53. People March 1974
Art Director: Unknown
This is definitely different from the People magazine covers of today. This issue, featuring Mia Farrow from The Great Gatsby, was the magazine's premiere issue.
52. Life
52. LIFE December 1970
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Obviously this cover for the issue on prize winning pictures would be a prizewinning photo, but what also makes this cover stand out is the marriage between typography and photography.
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51. New York Magazine
51. New York Magazine August 1972
Art Director: Milton Glaser
A headline like this one doesn't need a lot of other elements in order to grab your attention. The bold type treatment allowed the headline to attract people without divulging too much information.
50. Sports Illustrated
50. Sports Illustrated April 1979
49. Heavy Metal
49. Heavy Metal June 1977
Art Director: Peter Kleinman, Harry Blumfeld
Illustrator: Moebius
This is another awesome illustration for Heavy Metal, featuring none other than a monkey in an astronaut helmet.
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48. GQ
48. GQ March 1974
Illustrator:Amsel
Bringing art deco into the '70s, this cover captured the essence of the film while still staying contemporary (for 1970, at least).
47. Punk Magazine
47. Punk January 1976
Art Director: John Holmstrom
The first issue of Punk magazine featuring an illustration of Lou Reed was iconic from the day it hit shelves.
46. Life
46. LIFE March 1970
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Sometimes a simple, direct shot is all you need. This image captures the immense differences in generation and fashion.
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45. The New Yorker
45. The New Yorker January 1970
Art Director: Unknown
This lively typography for The New Yorker's first issue of 1970 recalls carnival barkers from the early 1900s.
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44. Heavy Metal
44. Heavy Metal September 1978
Art Director: John Peter Workman, Peter Kleinman, George Agogllia Sr.
Illustrator: Jim Burns
As an adult, illustrated magazine, Heavy Metal was able to push the envelope with their covers, both in content and in style.
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43. Life
43. LIFE February 1972
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Strong type and a dynamic photo work together to capture the feeling of the Olympics.
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42. Vogue
42. Vogue June 1975
Photographer: Norman Parkinson
This issue with Jerry Hall recalls Vogue's iconic covers of the 1940s and '50s.
41. New York Magazine
41. New York Magazine June 1975
Art Director: Milton Glaser
By taking the symbol of black power, the clenched fist, and altering it slightly, the designer depicted the conflict within the black Muslim community in one striking image.
40. Esquire
40. Esquire October 1972
Art Director: George Lois
This image of a nude Jack Nicholson sunbathing in California remains one of the best unofficial advertisements for Los Angeles of all time.
39. Life
39. LIFE November 1971
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
This stark black and white image depicting a backlit silhouette captures the essence of fear and isolation.
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38. Avant Garde
38. Avant Garde No. 13/1970
Art Director: Herb Lubalin
One of the most iconic design magazines, Avant Garde, didn't last long, but still made an impact in the design community.
37. Time
37. TIME May 1970
Illustrator: Boris Chaliapin
By coloring Brezhnev's photo red, the designer managed to create a simple, direct, and arresting image that also alluded to the communist party.
36. Time
36. TIME September 1971
Art Director: Unknown
Using images from the Associated Press and local Buffalo new sources, the magazine managed to recreate the feeling of prison graphically.
35. New York Magazine
35. New York Magazine June 1973
Art Director: Milton Glaser
This cover of society women with fists raised, was a jab at New York composer, Leonard Bernstein, who was a Black Panther party supporter.
34. Nation Geographic
34. National Geographic October 1978
Photographer: Koko, Ronald Cohn
This remains an iconic image of a gorilla taking a picture of itself.
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33. Life
33. LIFE May 1970
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
One of the worst tragedies of the era was captured in this shocking, painful image.
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32. New York Magazine
32. New York Magazine June 1979
Art Director: Milton Glaser
Thought-provoking and just provocative in general, this cover highlighted the history of what it meant to be gay in the '70s.
31. The New Yorker
31. The New Yorker March 1976
Illustrator: Saul Steinberg
This controversial illustration depicted New York City's view of the rest of country.
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30. Esquire
30. Esquire March 1979
Art Director: Michael C. Gross
This up-close and personal image of Lee Marvin perfectly created the tension and mystery suggested in the headline.
29. Life
29. LIFE June 1978
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
The impact of this tragic, terrifying image doesn't need any explanation. Its raw portrayal of child soldiers captured the seriousness of the war.
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28. New York Magazine
28. New York Magazine May 1970
Art Director: Milton Glaser
Photographer: Paul Fuesco
There's no argument that the 1970s was a sexually charged decade. This cover pushes the boundaries of decency. Although never showing full, frontal nudity, it suggests something even more scandalous.
27. Time
27.TIME March 1975
Photographer: Richard Avedon
For this cover, Cher is dressed in a Bob Mackie gown, positioning herself as a powerful style icon.
26. Life
26. LIFE September 1970
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
This stark black and white image captures the solemnness of the story, drawing awareness to crime and fear in cities.
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25. Esquire
25. Esquire September 1970
Art Director: George Lois
During the Vietnam War, the country was split between going to war and dodging the war. By splitting the cover, this issue depicted that tension.
24. Esquire
24. Esquire October 1974
Art Director: Jean-Paul Goude
As a departure from the regular type-setting of the time, this Esquire cover added a few seemingly hand-crafted textural elements to an otherwise typical cover.
23. Andy Warhol's Interview
23. Andy Warhol's Interview November 1976
Artist: Andy Warhol
Interview was launched as an elite magazine, giving insight into Hollywood's most sought after starts. This issue of Interview features Elizabeth Taylor in Warhol's classic style.
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22. Esquire
22. Esquire December 1970
Art Director: George Lois
Aristotle Onassis, the billionaire who married Mrs. Jackie Kennedy, was shown here with a body builder physique. At the time, Onassis was 64.
21. Fusion
21. Fusion January 1970
Art Director: Unknown
The bold, vibrant blue and black and white photography captured the DIY aesthetic of punk zines, which has been replicated beyond the '70s.
20. Vogue
20. Vogue October 1976
Art Director: James Mortimer
Sometimes just a solid color background and knockout type is all you need to make a standout cover. The three-dimensional Vogue logo (handcrafted out of Waterford glass) was also an interesting addition, which referred back to the "diamond" in the title, allowing it to blend in with the background.
19. Rolling Stone
19. Rolling Stone October 1976
Typography: Elizabeth Paul
Few things beat bold, black type, and the covers of the '70s are proof of this. This cover needs little explanation as to why it made our list, and it's a shame we don't have as much of this today.
18. Life
18. LIFE September 1972
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Many LIFE covers of this era utilized black and white photography, but this issue, featuring an image of the Israeli Olympic team, also features bold typographic elements as the headline that allude to finish line tape. It's little morbid considering the the topic, but still clever.
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17. Life
17. LIFE May 1972
Art Director: Unknown
This saddening and raw image of the war in Vietnam, coupled with the bold red headline, captured and resonated with readers instantly.
16. Playboy
16. Playboy October 1971
Art Director: Ary Paul
This was the first Playboy cover to feature an African American woman.
15. Newsweek
15. Newsweek July 1973
Art Director: Unknown
A brilliantly simple design solution married the White House with a tape recorder.
14. Newsweek
14. Newsweek March 1970
Art Director: Unknown
With strong, bold colors and contemporary pop art-referenced imagery, this cover captured the boldness of the feminist revolution.
13. Esquire
13. Esquire October 1971
Art Director: George Lois
This sexy pin-up cover makes the 1940s seem like a carefree, sexually liberated playground, which says a lot about how people imagined the '70s in contrast.
12. Esquire
12. Esquire October 1972
Art Director: George Lois
Having Burt Reynolds allude to this message was stronger than anything else one could come up with.
11. New York Magazine
11. New York Magazine May 1976
Art Director: Milton Glaser
Playing on the secrecy of the novel and the exclusivity of the article, this cover headline cleverly obscured the image behind it.
10. Rolling Stone
10. Rolling Stone February 1979
Art Director: Roger Black
Photographer: Annie Leibovitz
It was a simple design solution for The Blues Brothers issue, but with Ms. Leibovitz behind the lens, the result became iconic.
9. Esquire
9. Esquire July 1970
Art Director: George Lois
It's hard to image Dustin Hoffman being so young, but after The Graduate, it was hard to believe that young Casanova could grow up to be such a suave man. This image of the actor amongst the New York skyline reflected his rising star power.
8. New York Magazine
8. New York Magazine October 1975
Art Director: Milton Glaser
This cover is actually very contemporary by today's design standards. The collage of photographs, the juxtaposition of sizes, and the enormous finger are simultaneously fun and informative.
7. Life
7. LIFE June 1970
Art Director: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
This striking cover utilizes stock quotes as a textural element and simplistic, bold illustration to convey the state of the market.
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6. Esquire
6. Esquire March 1975
Art Director: Jean-Paul Goude
This striking image of an inmate with only his hands in view was meant to give the viewer a sense of tension and mystery, allowing the viewer to insert their own person into that prison cell.
5. Time
5. TIME February 1970
Artist: Andy Warhol
In classic Warhol fashion, this pop art cover combines elements of collage, color, and photography.
4. WET
4. WET July/August 1979
Art Director: Roy Gyongy, Larry Williams
Photographer: Larry Williams
Music icon Debbie Harry graced the cover of this issue of WET; this is one of her most notable, recognized photographs.
3. Esquire
3. Esquire July 1975
Art Director: Jean-Paul Goude
You can't fault this cover for being misleading. Sometimes the best approach is the most direct approach.
2. National Lampoon Magazine
2. National Lampoon January 1973
Art Director: Michael C. Gross
This is one of the most iconic covers of National Lampoon magazine and of the '70s as a whole. It sparked a lot of debate and conversation surrounding the media, animal rights, and more.
1. Esquire
1. Esquire May 1970
Art Director: George Lois
By combining photography and illustration, the designers were able to show the brilliance of Agnew.
