Lauryn Hill

Where does music photography sit in the contemporary, popular culture landscape? The seismic switch from analogue to digital is discussed alongside the rise and influence of social media. The series ends by asking whether music photography still has a role to play, does it still carry the same importance, and who are the new standard bearers of the profession?

The transition of music photography from a niche pastime to a highly collectible and often valuable art form is examined through conversations with gallerists, literary publishers, art experts and those photographers whose body of work now has global prestige and, in some cases, hangs on the walls of the world's most revered institutions.

Music magazines played a pivotal role in elevating music photography to iconic status, providing a visual context for some of the world's greatest bands and their music. Journalists, musicians and publicists among others join the music photographers who shot some of the most memorable front covers to discuss the uncensored and often never-heard-before stories behind these amazing photographs.