What is on an album cover? And Why?

There are a lot of things that are usually found on a music album, these usually are:-Legal info
-Copyright
-Year
-Studio
-Producers, writers, etc
-Record label (usually logo as well)

-Track list-Barcode
-Artwork/Photo (reflects the image and genre)
-Album name
-Warning (e.g. Parental advisory advised)
-Artist name/band

Album artwork is used to help promote an artist or band, by presenting both itself, its music and its image to both its consumers and its potential consumers. Artwork both incites and adds value to the final product of the producer; the album.

Here is a comparison of two artists' artwork, within our genre: pop, and what they both have on them.

Ariana Grande - My Everything

Front:

The artist herselfThe title of the albumthe title of the artist a single white stool

Purple background

Cd: 

Name of the artist
Picture of the artist
Record label name

Back:
Same background colour
Songs, number and length
Anti piracy warnings
Government warning

Front:
Name of the artist

Picture of artist
Name of the album
pink Background

CD:
Peppermint swirl

Back:
Songs, numbered
Bonus CD content
Barcode
Record Label
Legal information
Album name and artist on the margin.