For album lovers everywhere, one of the greatest draws to the vinyl record is the palette format that creates for unique cover art. And no matter what genre you prefer, album art has become more than just an industry term, but a full-fledged medium. While software like Photoshop has enabled today’s designer to produce vinyl album covers that defy convention, they owe a debt of gratitude to those that pioneered the form.

One of these men, Henry Diltz, virtually redefined the process in the 1960s. Hurling rock vinyl beyond just a mere auditory medium, Diltz began his venture into the music industry as a founding member of the Modern Folk Quartet. Then again, he soon settled toward photography. After meeting the Monkees and sitting on some recording sessions, he soon began photographing the burgeoning act. As his portfolio inflated, so did his reputation. He was named the official photographer of the Woodstock Festival in 1969. Yet, it was rock vinyl where Diltz indeed left his mark.

Shooting some of the biggest names in rock in the late 1960s, Diltz captured images of musical icons that still speak to viewers across generational lines. For his career, Diltz has shot over 80 covers of rock vinyl albums. Of those, many have been really career defining. His credits include the Doors’ “Morrison Hotel,” Crosby, Stills and Nash’s eponymous debut effort and Stephen Still’s self-titled solo debut. His work on these timeless rock vinyl masterpieces has put Diltz in rarified air in the world of rock journalism.

Even beyond mere covers of vinyl albums, Diltz resume is also jittered with images of both cultural and musical legends. His documentation of Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix living subtly captured their live magnetism. His soft remembrances of Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and James Taylor captured their muted essence on film. His sullen pictures of a young Michael Jackson still serves as an evidence to his difficult childhood, a young boy both in the spotlight and running from it. Still, it’s Diltz contribution to the world of rock vinyl that will leave the longest-lasting impression.

Diltz is still up to his old tricks these days. His photographs of current acts such as Pearl Jam, Henry Rollins and Korn have caught the rage of a new group of rockers. As Glenn Frey of the Eagles once described Diltz’s work, “This is not history. This is evidence!”