It sometimes seems as though truly outstanding album art is becoming extinct. There are the odd outliers, like the controversial and seemingly disposable Brat artwork that Charli XCX debuted earlier this summer. However, these days, record sleeves hardly have the same effect. We still look back on a period when bands like Led Zeppelin refined the art of the album cover and made it an essential component of the listening experience, even if a lot of this is because of the way we listen to music in the digital age.

The Beatles were the first to truly weaponise the appeal of the album cover. They provided numerous memorable artworks for their groundbreaking projects, such as Sgt. Pepper’s from 1967. Because of their work, in the latter half of the 1960s, aesthetics became highly valued and considered an essential component of a band’s identity. All notable bands were releasing timeless recordings featuring instantly recognisable covers.

Led Zeppelin, who replaced The Beatles as the most exciting band in the world towards the close of the 1960s, also had to create suitable covers to go along with their electrifying sound, and they succeeded in doing so. From their monochromatic Hindenberg disaster-starring debut, which introduced the band to the world, to their final record, Coda, which subtly announced their dissolution following John Bonham’s death, each of their album covers is ideal for the material inside.

So, what is the black object?

Famously, the front cover of Presence shows what looks to be a nuclear family gathered around an enigmatic black item in front of a marina at a dinner table. Another more striking image of the 2001-style obelisk is positioned front and centre in the similarly enigmatic inside sleeve, which is styled to resemble a National Geographic report. It is simply referred to as “The Object.”

Against all odds, the band produced an album of artistic greatness despite leader Robert Plant being in a wheelchair throughout the production of Presence owing to a horrible vehicle accident. The meaning of the album title and the epic style of songs like “Achilles Last Stand” stem from the band’s awareness of the might of their combined musical ability. The enigmatic object was intended to communicate the band’s “force and presence.”

George Hardie and Hipgnosis designed the sleeve and cover respectively. Looking back, Storm Thorgerson, co-founder of the famous art group, claimed that “The Object” reflected the band, since they were “so powerful, they didn’t need to be there”. Supporters of the employment of the black entity included Led Zeppelin, whose members claimed that it caused people to consider reality and fantasy in the same way that music did.

Speaking of doubting what’s real and what isn’t, the cover photo’s background isn’t even an actual harbour. It was a winter 1974–1975 installation for the annual Boat Show at London’s Earl’s Court arena. A few months later, in May, the band performed there for a well-known run of shows. It was logical.