When Billy Squier approached Andy Warhol to design the cover of Emotions in Motion, the singer wanted something more imaginative than a conventional rock portrait. Working from photographs he took himself, Warhol created a pair of striking images enhanced by abstract collages of torn paper.

The resulting portraits appear on both the front and back covers and demonstrate Warhol's continued interest in celebrity image-making during the 1980s. Squier paid approximately $40,000 for the commission, reflecting Warhol's status as one of the most sought-after artists of the decade.

The album became one of Squier's biggest commercial successes, selling millions of copies. Its opening track, Everybody Wants You, also features backing vocals by Freddie Mercury of Queen.