An album cover is crucial for an artist’s success. It’s the first thing that determines whether the public will buy an album or not. This makes it important for artists to make covers that are interesting and meaningful. It should reflect not just the music but the artist’s personality and genre.
Unfortunately, not every artist knows that and this collection of 50 cringe-worthy album covers proves that.
1. The Bee Gees – Life in a Tin Can
The Bee Gees was quite popular for their bell-bottoms grazing the dance floor and their upbeat music. It’s hard to understand why they chose to have their photos put inside a tin can.
2. Vanilla Ice – Cool As Ice
That bright-looking motorbike and eccentric pants are as beautifully terrible as this cover. Just like the movie, it’s as cheesy as anyone would expect.
3. Kevin Rowland – My Beauty
There’s nothing wrong with loving yourself and being comfortable with who you are. The problem starts when you make a cover of yourself the way Kevin Rowland did.
4. Black Sabbath – Born Again
One of the band members made it clear that he wasn’t involved in making this album cover. He hated it just like most of us.
5. Dick Black and his band – A Taste of Dick Black
This album is harmless. Unfortunately, the title they gave it implies something else.
6. Anna Russell – In Darkest Africa
It was a good thing that this was released in the past. It would catch tons of negative comments and criticism if it was released in today’s time.
7. Manowar – Anthology
This band was quite known for its fantasy lyrics which were based on Norse mythology. I think it’s enough explanation for this cover.
8. Swamp Dogg – Rat On!
This album actually had great music. It’s such a shame how a poorly-thought-out album cover could ruin its potential.
9. The Handsome Beasts – Beastality
There are so many wrong things in this cover- that man, the way he’s holding that pig, and the album title. It’s not just one of the worst album covers, but one of the worst titles as well.
10. Svetlana Gruebbersolvik – My Lips Are for Blowing
She might be great at playing wind instruments but it’s hard to think the same way when it comes to making album covers. She seemed like she’s having a hard time passing gas in this photo.
11. John Travolta – Can’t Let You Go
Yes, this is John Travolta. And while’ he’s good in action movies, he’s not that great in making sexy album covers. Well, at least when he’s that age.
12. Orleans – Walking and Dreaming
There’s nothing wrong with naked men on an album cover, right? They aren’t implying anything bad. They’re just, well, not wearing clothes.
13. Ted Nugent – Scream Dream
If my arms were photoshopped into guitars, I’d probably scream, too. Being that naked in an album cover would make me feel the same way.
14. The Louvin Brothers – Satan Is Real
Believe it or not, this is a gospel album. It’s not supposed to promote or worship Satan like what its album cover is implying.
15. The Frivolous Five: Sour Cream & Other Delights
Considering the title, the idea was certainly there. I’m just hoping that they didn’t execute it this way. It looked party disturbing and inappropriate.
16. Paddy Roberts – Songs for Gay Dogs
Paddy Roberts was quite an interesting man so it’s not surprising that he made an equally interesting album cover. It’s a mystery what gay dogs had to do with him.
17. Boxer – Below the Belt
This is truly below the belt, particularly for conservative people. The cover probably received more attention than the actual music.
18. Boned – Up At The Crack
That is the last place you’d want to keep your guitar. It looks so uncomfortable and disturbing.
19. Gerhard Polt – Leberkäs’ Hawaii
As a comedy album, it deserves a fun cover. For Gerhard Polt, this was what fun meant.
20. Brainstorm – smile a while
These men aren’t just confident about their music. They are also brave enough to appear in women’s undergarments for their first album.
21. Breakwater – Splashdown
These men don’t look like a band. With that outfit and background, they look more like men offering pest control services.
22. Creed – Weathered
This album cover looks like a poster for a horror movie. Just look at the font, color, and general theme.
23. W.A.S.P – Animal (F**k like a beast)
This band is into heavy metal music. They like to make striking album covers that grab people’s attention. This particular album cover is an excellent example.
24. Russ Hamilton – We Will MakeLove
Is he referring to the guitar? The way he’s holding it, I have to say yes.
25. Rodolfo Con Los Hispanos – De Peligro
Getting injured is no laughing matter. For these men, however, it’s a good album cover idea. They looked quite pleased with it.
26. Pam Ayres – Will Anybody Marry Me?
It’s weird to ask yourself this question, but it’s even weirder if you make it a part of your album cover. And why is there a dog there?
27. Charanga Casino – Charanga Casino
Poor woman. She wasn’t drowning but she had those men diving towards her. What a way to ruin her day at the beach.
28. Hustler – High Street
There are so many things going on in this album cover. Even the kid in yellow looked confused.
29. Cook – Tour of High Fidelity
This album was supposed to demonstrate techniques that improve sound quality through orations, sound effects, and musical performances. Why a woman wearing a bikini is there is beyond me.
30. Melanie – Please Love Me
There’s something creepy about the way she’s extending her arm and that text. It’s like she’s hypnotizing you into falling in love with her.
31. Eddie Santiago – New Wave Salsa
It’s hard to understand why Eddie picked a location full of bricks. There’s nothing there that speaks salsa to me.
32. Marvin Santiago- El Filo Del Pantalon
Is this a poster for a magic trick or a comedy skit? It doesn’t look like an album cover to me.
33. Scorpions – Animal Magnetism
That’s a good pair of slacks and both the dog and the woman were quite intrigued about it. Let’s not ask why.
34. Jack Starr – Burning Starr
No turning back. That’s probably how Jack Starr felt after printing his album cover.
35. Denet – Terrestrial Dying
This album cover will make you do a double-take. It’s an album cover but why does it feel like it’s a guide to entering the next realm?
36. Alcatraz – No Parole From Rock And Roll
If using a bad album cover is a crime, this band would be imprisoned. It was a good thing that they somehow made good music for the fans.
37. Fates Warning – Night on Bröcken
It looks more like a cover for a children’s book, right? There’s a witch, some animals, and small people. They are the usual characters you’ll see in fairy tale books.
38. Adrian – One Step Into the Uncertain
This looks more like a movie poster about fighting aliens than an album cover. I hope Adrian was able to save the day!
39. Rush – Hemispheres
A man wearing a perfect suit came across a completely naked man on a brain. What can get more weird than that?
40. Messiah- Extreme Cold Weather
This cover looks like it’s been taken out straight from a National Geographic magazine. Well, it’s hard to blame whoever made it. If you think about extreme cold weather, polar bears are one of the first things that come to mind.
41. NoFX – Heavy Petting Zoo
This is just a man trying to give a sheep a belly rub. Let’s not think about other possible explanations for this.
42. Stryper – Isaiaj 53:5
These men look more like military bees than a band trying to win people’s hearts. They took their name seriously.
43. Gamma Ray- Sigh No More
The skeleton looks quite happy in that suit. He also seems to enjoy being on this band’s album cover.
44. Post Mortem- Message From The Dead
It’s hard to determine what this cover is trying to say. It feels like it’s trying to be funny and scary at the same time.
45. Excited- Unveiling the Wicked
This looks more like an ad than a song cover. It’s like warning people to stay away from cheap and unsafe peel-off masks.
46. Europe – The Final Countdown
It’s a good thing that album covers don’t determine a song’s success. Otherwise, Europe would have had a hard time pushing the song on top lists. There’s no denying how popular “The Final Countdown” is, but they should have used a better album cover for it.
47. Crosby, Stills, and Nash – Live It Up
Those are hotdogs on sticks with weird spacemen climbing up on them. Seriously, this album cover is as equally strange as its musical content.
48. Genesis – Foxtrot
You could spend days staring at this cover and still have no clear idea of what it’s about. There’s no sense having a fox-woman floating next to a big fish.
49. The Monkees – Pool It!
The cover’s main goal was to highlight the good times so the band featured themselves having a pool party. Unfortunately, the album ended up as a commercial flop. It seemed that pool parties aren’t really that fun.
50. Herbie Mann – Push Push
A lot of people don’t find anything sexy with jazz flute. Considering this album cover, Herbie Mann probably thought otherwise. His music made him feel extra sensual that he decided to use a photo of himself and his hairy chest in his album cover.
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