2010 has been a great year for music -- and album design. Most of the time, its the first image you associate with the music behind it. Because of this, the way an album looks can also influence how you feel about it.

What ends up on the cover can indicate many things — how it was conceived, how it relates to the artist, it's connection to the album, and simple aesthetic value.

And with the compact disc all but officially dead, also a great time for vinyl, which displays these important images nice and large. Digital music — especially on Apple's part — has managed to keep the artwork as an important aspect of an album. From the slick "cover flow" feature a few years back to iTunes 10′s new remote/control feature, the covers stay front and center.

Here are of some of my favorite designs this year:

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