Misplaced Childhood - Marillion | Iconic Album Covers

Some album covers seem like a magical dream world. Misplaced Childhood (1985), Marillion's breakthrough album, is such a cover. With its vibrant colours and dreamy atmosphere, the artwork is more than an illustration of the music. In an era when prog rock seemed out of fashion, Marillion gave the genre a new lease of life with this album. And the visual aspect was at least as important as the music.

The cover shows a boy in a red ceremonial jacket against a surreal background of sky, rainbows and symbols. On his arm sits a bird, on the ground lies a ring (symbol for the broken relationship from Kayleigh?) and a poppy (symbol for war victims) grows from the concrete. Everything seems light, but nothing is airy, there is more going on here... This boy is the visual embodiment of the character "the child" from the concept album. He looks at you mysteriously and a little angry.

All this symbolism is no coincidence: the entire album is a non-stop concept record in which singer Fish explores his youth, lost loves and inner demons. The cover is a reflection of that inner landscape.

Design and implementation

The artwork was designed by Mark Wilkinson , Marillion's regular designer in the 80s. Wilkinson is known for his meticulous style and his talent to combine the symbolic and the fantastic into one powerful image. On Misplaced Childhood he perhaps reaches his peak. You probably also know Wilkinson from quite a few other cover designs, for example he also designed covers for Iron Maiden and Judas Priest

Unlike many other prog rock covers from the 70s or 80s, which often aimed at science fiction or abstract art, he opts for emotional intimacy for Misplaced Childhood . No planets, dragons or aliens here, but a human story. The cover feels like a memory from an alienating dream. With your eyes, it even looks a bit like an AI image.

The songs on Misplaced Childhood , including hits like “Kayleigh,” “Lavender,” and “Heart of Lothian,” form an uninterrupted musical journey. The cover accompanies that journey. As if you were reading a book that slowly came to life when you opened the LP.

Do you already have it in your collection? If not, you can order it here: