The Joker: 40th Anniversary

The Joker is the eighth album by Steve Miller Band. The album marked a period of significant change for the group as the band abandoned their psychedelic oriented music for a more melodic, smooth rock/blues sound. Perhaps not coincidentally, it was also their first solid commercial success due to the strong radio-play of the title track. The title track took 19 days to record. The album reached #2 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Platinum in the United States. The artwork of the album is also considered amongst the greatest; for example Rolling Stone would later rank it as one of the Top 100 Album Covers Of All Time.