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The Most Controversial Album Covers Of All Time
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From deliberate provocation to accidental insult, the most controversial album covers of all time is an eye-popping gallery covering some startling imagery.
Ever since Elvis Presley first shook his hips, controversy has dogged rock’n’roll’s every move. However, while all manner of excess-fuelled misadventures feed the media machine in the short term, a provocatively-designed record sleeve can make the most lasting impact when it comes to riling the moral majority – and lasting notoriety is especially assured if the album cover gets banned. uDiscover Music investigates the most controversial album covers of all time.
A far cry from the Mamas and the Papas “indecent” album cover for If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears , which seemed to generate controversy because a bathroom had a toilet in it, this Beatles compilation album featured a bizarre sleeve shot of the Fab Four clad in butcher’s coats, draped in slabs of meat and dismembered doll parts. Intended as pop art satire, the artwork was quickly rehoused in an inoffensive replacement sleeve and topped the Billboard charts. Capitol retrieved over 50,000 copies of the original cover from uneasy retailers.
The original UK edition of Jimi ’s landmark, Billboard chart-topping third album originally appeared sporting a contentious sleeve featuring 19 nude women. It was changed when Hendrix himself expressed displeasure.
The sleeve for John and Yoko’s avant-garde classic was shot using a time-delay camera allowing them to take nude photographs of themselves. Predictably, the resulting artwork provoked outrage, prompting distributors to sell the album in a plain brown wrapper. Only 5,000 copies were originally pressed in the UK.
The original “banned” sleeve The Rolling Stones submitted for their classic Beggars Banquet album featured a sleazy-looking bathroom wall covered in graffiti and was rejected by their record label. Initially, the album came out in an almost plain white sleeve designed like an invitation card.
Photographer Bob Seidemann’s cover image of a topless pubescent girl holding a car hood ornament was intended to symbolize the achievement of human creativity in the summer that man walked on the moon, but it caused a furor instead. For the US edition of Blind Faith , the image was replaced with a photo of the band.
The legendary Andy Warhol had a hand in conceiving the artwork for the Stones’ formidable Sticky Fingers . Reflecting the innuendo-laden title, the image featured a close-up of a jeans-clad male crotch – and the original vinyl pressing even featured a working zipper. Retailers, however, complained that the zipper was actually causing damage to the vinyl in transit, so the sleeve was reworked.
David Bowie ’s eighth studio LP featured a gatefold sleeve which, when – when seen in full – literally depicted the star with dog’s bollocks. The image was intended to represent Bowie’s own George Orwell-influenced vision of a post-apocalyptic world, but the offending genitalia was subsequently airbrushed until the 1990 EMI/Rykodisc CD reissue reinstated them.
The candid sleeve artwork for Roxy Music ’s acclaimed fourth album featured two scantily-clad models, one of whom was the cousin of Can guitarist Michael Karoli. Predictably, it caused outrage and was censored in several countries, including the US, though the album still cracked the Top 40 of the Billboard 200.
The fourth LP from hard-rockin’ German outfit Scorpions featured an image of a nude pubescent girl, apparently intended to reflect time as the killer of innocence, but it ended up on the receiving end of moral outrage. It was eventually sold in sealed black plastic in some territories.
This famous cover is only controversial due to tragic coincidence: The Skynyrd plane crash happened only days after the album’s release, so the cover image of the band engulfed in flames was now dramatic in all the wrong ways. It was replaced by a somber-looking cover of the same photo against a dark background, but the original cover has since been reinstated for history’s sake. – Brett Milano
Arguably the most controversial album cover of them all, Sex Pistols ’ lone studio album caused utter chaos. It was at the center of an obscenity-related UK court case after a Nottingham-based record retailer was arrested for showcasing the sleeve (which prominently displayed the word “Bollocks”) in his shop window. Virgin boss Richard Branson hired ace lawyer John Mortimer, QC, to defend him and the charges were eventually dropped.
As challenging as the great music contained within, The Slits’ debut album, Cut , featured the all-girl band subverting their pin-up potential by appearing looking warrior-like, topless, and liberally caked in mud.
Though based on painter Edouard Manet’s 19th-century piece Le Déjeuner Sur l’Herbe , the sleeve to Bow Wow Wow’s debut LP still featured singer Anabella Lwin (then aged 14) posing nude. The upshot? A Scotland Yard police investigation was instigated by Anabella’s mother.
Dio ’s terrific debut LP came housed in a sleeve featuring the band’s demonic mascot, Murray, surrounded by waves and watching a chained priest presumably sinking to his death. Frontman Ronnie James Dio, however, argued that appearances are misleading, and that it could just as easily be a priest killing a devil.
We hear you asking: What’s so controversial about this cover, showing nothing but the album title scrawled on a wet plastic trash bag? Nothing at all, of course – but it was a last minute substitution for the original cover, a Playboy-type shot of a faceless model in a wet T-shirt with the title inscribed. Even the band has since admitted that this cover, which did appear in Japan, was a mistake. – Brett Milano
Taboos may come and go, but public hair on album covers is an enduring no-no. Brazilian artist Gal Costa showed a bit of her own on the 1973 Troplcalia classic India . Thirteen years later, XTC’s Andy Partridge designed a Skylarking sleeve that shows male and female nether regions decked with flowers – which fit both the album’s pastoral tone and its lyrics. Virgin and Geffen both said no, but the original cover was restored in subsequent reissues. – Brett Milano
Hard rock and glam metal has had its fair share of controversial album artwork over the years. (Jane’s Addiction and Poison’s Open Up and Say… Ahh! come to mind.) The original artwork for Guns N’ Roses ’ multi-milling-selling debut album featured a robotic rapist about to be punished by a metal avenger. After retailers refused to stock the album, Geffen housed the record in a less contentious jacket featuring the skulls of the band members on a cross and moved the offending artwork to the inner sleeve.
The cover of this album – an abstract painting of a naked Perry Farrell with two women, taking off from the song “Three Days” – was fairly tastefully done, and certainly less controversial than the naked sculptures on the previous Nothing’s Shocking . But the chain stores demanded an alternate, and Farrell provided it: A plain white cover with the First Amendment quoted on the front and a few words about creeping fascism on the back. – Brett Milano
Nirvana ’s stellar second album features four-month-old Spencer Elden swimming in a pool for babies. Geffen were worried, as the baby’s genitals were clearly visible in the picture. They prepared an airbrushed alternative cover, but Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain was adamant the original picture should remain.
In one of the funnier censorship stories, this cover came about when the Seattle grunge band happened upon a suitably ridiculous, thrift-store photo of a random couple: He’s got his hand perched on her bikini top and they both wear the silliest of grins. The woman in question, who’d since become a born-again Christian, was not pleased when she found out. The story does take a poignant turn, as the woman died after winning the lawsuit, and her sister then bought an original copy as a keepsake. – Brett Milano
Hip-hop has no shortage of controversial album covers (see Kanye West ’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , below), but former NWA member Ice Cube brandished one of the first. Depicting a toe-tagged dead body, Death Certificate pulled few punches, but with outspoken songs dealing with drug dealing, racial profiling, and arms-related issues, Ice Cube’s second album was always going to court controversy – not to mention instigate a state-wide ban in Oregon.
The primary job of an album cover is to sell records – so who could possibly resist a cover photo of a power drill going up somebody’s butt? Probably not Pantera’s audience, but we never got the chance to find out: Their label thought the chain stores would never carry it, so they replaced it with the more saleable image of…the same device drilling into someone’s skull. You were expecting maybe hearts and flowers? – Brett Milano
Metal, of course, has plenty of controversial covers in its history, from Cannibal Corpse to Alice Cooper. Megadeth was no exception. Based on the concept that society was euthanizing its young people, the cover to Megadeth ’s sixth album controversially depicted an elderly woman hanging babies by their feet on a washing line. Nevertheless, it still peaked at No.4 on the Billboard 200.
Pubic hair raises its, uh, head again on this 1994 Crowes album, with a close-up image (lifted from a Bicentennial issue of Hustler magazine) of a woman wearing an American flag thong. Though this one actually made it to the stores, the big-box chains demanded (and got) a censored version, which showed only a cutout of the thong. – Brett Milano
For reasons known only to himself, Dexys Midnight Runners’ frontman Kevin Rowland appeared on his much-trumpeted covers album, My Beauty , dressed in drag and heavy make-up. Confused by his radical new direction, fans pelted him with bottles when he wore the same ensemble onstage at the 1999 Reading Festival.
Howling moral outrage and a ban from US stores Walmart and Kmart greeted Holy Wood – but then its sleeve does depict Manson portrayed as a crucified Christ with his jawbone hanging off. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s just one of several controversial album covers created by Marilyn Manson.
This truly grisly cover features a Jesus figure in rather bad shape, crossing a sea of dismembered body parts. It wasn’t nice and wasn’t intended to be, since the lyrics largely concerned the wave of terrorism that included 9/11, and questioned the role of organized religion. – Brett Milano
Kanye West deliberately set out to create an artwork that would rank alongside the most controversial album covers, allegedly wanting his fifth album to be housed in a sleeve that would be banned. Thus, he commissioned this George Condo image of himself being straddled by an armless winged female. The ensuing controversy didn’t hurt: the hugely ambitious album debuted at No.1 in the US and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2012.
Know of any controversial album covers more startling than these? Let us know!
Great Expectations by Fludf
Moontan by Goldeb Earring
The first cover I thought of was the infamous,lascivious Mom’s Apple Pie cover !
The cover artist’s revised response is fierce, with prison and barbed wire in the pie slice, a tear falling down her cheek and a lurking spy at the window.
The U.K. cover of Electric Ladyland was never changed. I have 1980s reissue copies from both the U.K. and Germany. It was only altered for the American market, because we are a nation of prudes. Please do some research before publishing stories like this.
It was never put out in the states with that cover,
You might remember that Hendrix did not want that cover used.
At the time I felt a bit shocked by Head Machine’s Orgasm. At home we had french edition with a multicoloured shell. Ken Hensley was great though.
Golden Earring Had an Album that hand a Naked Women on The Moon, in the 70’s and there are a few still out there But it was recalled and they coverd her up, Uggh, I think the Album was Moon Tan, ?? !~
“Moontan” had alternative covers for some markets. The stripper you refer to was too much for some prudes.
For girls who grow plump in the night by Caravan
Born Again by Black Sabbath caused quite a stir when I got it home lol my dad threatened to burn it! Seems to me that Scorpions Animal Magnetism caused a ruckus when it was first introduced, along with their Original Lovedrive cover.
The Black Crowes- Amorica censored for pubic hair sticking out of american flag panties
Robert Palmer’s “Pressure Drop”
Album featured a completely nude woman on a hotel balcony on front and then a closeup of her bare ass on back
Jane’s Addiction – Nothing’s Shocking
Roger Waters’ “Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking “
By far Mayhem Death of the black heart.
I think it was Dawn of the Black Heart. Yeah pretty controversial
Quite surprised it wasn’t mentioned in the article. Definitely the first that came to my mind.
The original cover of Alice Cooper’s Love It To Death featured a nearly identical black and white photo. But Cooper poked his finger through his shirt to give the impression he was showing his genitalia.
Juicy Lucy’s first three album covers were natural shockers just check some of them out http://bit.ly/2xRM6sd
Pretty much every Cannibal Corpse cover.
Butchered at Birth! So many extreme metal that goes under the radar…and its just fine.
Ohio Players-Pain
Ohio Players-Ecstacy
Ohio Players-Pleasure
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Whipped Cream and Other Delights.
Steppenwolf’s Penismobile on the cover of For Ladies Only
That was the gatefold, not the cover.
Oddly, I totally remember seeing the topless Blind Faith cover in stores in California. I even own a copy. Maybe it’s an import. I’ll have to check.
Any album by Anal Cunt, just for having the name of the band on the sleeve.
Golden Earring Moontan. The nude burlesque dancer on the cover was pictured holding a playing card in Spain and replaced by an ear in the USA.
In 1967, I visited my brother in Palo Alto. He had the “tame” version of Yesterday and Today by the Beatles. We heard on the radio that this American sanitized cover was just pasted over the dead babies cover, and that it could be steamed off to expose the controversial one. Sure enough. We did it. So radical lol.
The original cover of Alice Cooper’s LP ‘Love it to Death’ on the Frank Zappa label Straight Records was censored because Alice was holding his hand in a suggestive fashion making it look like a penis. The Warner Bros. album camoflaged his hand to obscure the hand.
Demons and Wizards by Uriah Heep offended more than a few people with the vaginal waterfall and penis-like rock immediately below it.
The original version of “Smell the Glove” by Spinal Tap. Forced by Bobbie Fleckman to go to an all black cover.
LOL! There’s such a fine line between genius and…stupid.
The Origin of the Feces album cover by Type O Negative
I shake my head over your choices – maybe they were just too obscure and unknown but the covers of Genesis P-Orridge, Psychic TV and Throbbing Gristle (as well as Mom’s Apple Pie, which I have a framed cover of on my wall) would “beat” most of the selections above. Maybe another factor is that controversial album covers were quickly pulled off the shelves. like Alice Cooper’s first album. In 1968 you could buy the original sleeve of Beggars’ Banquet for $1.00 as a separate item.
Abominog – Uriah Heep
Open Up And Say Ahh – Poison
If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears – The Moas and the Papas
Banned, Santana, Abraxas Nude cover.
Herb Alfred and the Tijuana Brass – Whipped Cream!
streetwalkers album… red cover, girl showing camel toe
Beautiful South’s 0898. Why? Because the original cover features a bunch of dogs looking a gramaphone player. Sound familiar? EMI certainly did and issued a cease and desist, making the band issue a new cover.
Roger Waters Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking
Jefferson Airplane’s “Bark” which could be folded to make a stash box?
It was Jefferson Airplane’s “Long John Silver” album cover, not “Bark”.
Can anybody post a pic of Santanas Abraxis nude cover?
Dead Kennedys – Frankenchrist. Although it was the poster included, not the album cover itself.
How about ‘Cock Gobbling Whores’ by Monkey Breath?
BLOODROCK- WITH THE GUN BLOWING OUT HIS BRAINS.NOT LISTED. THERE “S ALOT OF ABLUM ART OUT THERE TO SHOW LIKE A ART SHOW.
Big Black “Songs About F*#’ing” and Chumbawumba “Anarchy” ……… nuff said.
Whitesnake’s Love Hunter album featuring a naked female straddling a serpent. The Americans airbrushed a bikini on her. Also Whitesnake’s Come an get it album with the ‘slit” tongue. Again, the Americans airbrushed out the slit
Man’s third album (ridiculous dick).
Type O’ Negative- Origin of the fecies, Yes-Going for the one
How about the original cover for Judas Priest Rock-a-Rola? Or the original cover for Iron Maiden debut album with Eddie holding the severed head of Margaret Thatcher?
You forgot this one…Mom’s Apple Pie, with female anatomy in the pie which was then censored and replaced with barbed wire, a wall, an American flag and a cop and government agent looking in through the window…I have a photo of both but it won’t post here…
Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking Roger Waters and Sunburst Finish BeBop Deluxe
Edgar Broughton Band – the meat album
Birth Control – Operation
The handsome beasts – Beastiality
Mexican band Brujeria with album “Matando Güeros” There the real dead head was used. https://www.besteveralbums.com/albumart/album_large_88265_562447308114f.jpg
Good call. I don’t see any cannibal corpse albums in the list either.
I can’t believe no one has put in Millie Jackson – Back to the Shit
The cover has her squatting on the toilet, underwear around ankles, taking a…well, you know……go on google it; I’ll wait……
See, totally worth it…especially for the poop face sneer
Ohio Players “Honey” was very contoversial when it first came out! It featured a totally nude woman covered in honey..
Funkadelic ELECTRIC SPANKING OF WAR BABIES.
I have most of these, except the Rap and most of them I agree are way too politically incorrect for 2018. They would trigger too many snowflakes or be considered child pornography. In America, they changed the “Electric Ladyland” and “Blind Faith” covers when they came out originally.
Conspicuously absent is Roger Waters’ THE PROS AND CONS OF HITCHHIKING. I believe the UK court cases were won and it was released there uncensored, but the US version had to be released with a black rectangle covering the chick’s hind quarters.
The Allman Brothers ” All Mens Brothers ” with a Penis with Wings . I had this Album .
European version of KISS ”Destroyer” had the classic KISS logo replaced with a generic typeface, without the ”SS”-connotations.
The Coup Party Music released in June 2001 is far and away the most controversial cover of all time. It is not even close. I mean not close. Ok it may
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