Royal Mail Issues Classic Album Stamps

Though the sales of albums are reportedly decreasing, the Royal Mail has issued a set of stamps celebrating the cover art of some of the most iconic and important British albums to have ever been released.

Included in the set are Blur's 'Parklife', the Clash's 'London Calling' and Led Zeppelin's multi-million selling untitled fourth album. Each of the 10 designs shows a vinyl album emerging from its classic sleeve.

In choosing which album covers made the final cut, the Royal Mail went through thousands of album covers from the last four decades and made their decision based solely on the artwork and not the music contained within each album.

Julietta Edgar, Royal Mail's head of special stamps, said, "This issue celebrates this unique art form and some of its greatest examples."

Speaking at the launch of the commemorative stamps in Notting Hill's legendary Rough Trade record store, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page - who helped design the cover of his band's fourth album - discussed the aims of the album's packaging.

He said, "Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him.

"That sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time."

The collection also includes Primal Scream's 1991 album 'Screamadelica', the Rolling Stones' 'Let It Bleed' and 'Power, Corruption and Lies' by New Order.