logo
What are the 20 most controversial album covers of all time?

What are the 20 most controversial album covers of all time?

Euronews18-06-2025
Content warning: This article contains images which some readers may find offensive.
If you're a music lover and enjoy a bit of drama, you must have heard that controversy is brewing over the artwork of Sabrina Carpenter's upcoming album 'Man's Best Friend'.
The suggestive – but hardly sexually explicit - cover features the buzzy 'Espresso' hitmaker on her knees in front of a faceless man who is pulling her hair back. And the release of the image has caused much debate.
Many argue that Carpenter's MO has always been pop-horniness, and that she has every right to express herself and her sexuality – in this case what some may perceive as a submissive kink - in any way she sees fit and crucially, without being policed or harassed; others see this image as degrading, regressive and promoting traditional gender roles.
At the end of the day, it's her album cover and can't we just let her be?
Some hyper-conservative and hyper-progressive corners of the internet clearly disagree, and the reactions have been intense – which is hardly surprising, considering sexuality has always rubbed some people up the wrong way. Plus, scandal is hardly new for musicians, as artists have sparked outrage with their album covers for decades, leading some to be censored or even banned.
From nudity to the open courting of outrage via political statements (and sometimes, downright poor taste), here are 20 provocative covers that rocked the music world and faced the most backlash.
We proceed chronologically.
A post shared by Euronews Culture (@euronewsculture)
While hardly controversial compared to some of the other covers in this list, that's a downright unfortunate title to go with this image. And isn't the one on the right an uncanny dead ringer for a young Stephen Fry? Unsettling.
It's not one of the Fab Four's most famous albums, but certainly their most notorious. Photographer Robert Whitaker took a snap of the band in white butcher's coats, surrounded by raw meat and dismembered baby dolls. Paul McCartney claimed it was a comment against the Vietnam War. US retailers were shocked and refused to stock the album, leading to it being withdrawn and reissued with a more vanilla alternative. Today, the 'Butcher cover' is available in pirated form. Those lucky enough to own an original pressing have an expensive and coveted piece of music history.
The cover for the avant-garde 'Two Virgins' captures John Lennon and Yoko Ono completely naked. It sparked outrage, leading distributors to clandestinely sell the album wrapped in brown paper bags.
At the end of the 1960s, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker founded a supergroup with Steve Winwood and Ric Grech. They released only one album together, and to mark the occasion, they enlisted photographer Bob Seidemann. His image features a young topless girl holding a model spaceship. The image was considered deeply problematic and was promptly banned and replaced with a more classic shot of the band members.
The Stones have had several album cover controversies over the years, including 'Beggar's Banquet''s artwork which featured a graffiti covered bathroom wall. However, it's the band's ninth studio album, designed by Andy Warhol, matched with its inuendo-heavy title, which rubbed censors up the wrong way. It features a suggestive denim-clad crotch and the original pressing of the LP also had a working fly which unzipped to reveal white underwear. The cover was famously banned in Spain, which was under the fascist rule of General Franco at the time.
Photographer Eric Boman's shot of Constanze Karoli and Eveline Grunwald led many US outlets to censor the image, feeling uncomfortable with the sight of scantily clad models. Thankfully, most European distributors weren't irked by the sight of lingerie.
There's misguided and then there's what was going on in the minds of German rockers Scorpions in 1976. The album titled 'Virgin Killer' depicts a naked 10-year-old girl with broken glass covering her genitalia. The controversy led to a bump in sales, but it remains to this day one of the most censored album covers in music history. NB: Euronews Culture has decided to blur the image since this album cover has been deemed by many as child pornography.
Sex Pistols' only studio album caused plenty of pearl clutching when it was released in 1977. A record shop owner in Nottingham, UK, was arrested for displaying the records. This led to an obscenity-related court case, as he was charged for contravening the Indecent Advertisement Act 1889. The charges were eventually dropped. All because of the word 'bollocks'.
All it took was a female-led punk outfit appearing topless and covered in mud for everyone to collectively lose their minds. Considering the sheer amount of topless men on album covers, the only words that come to mind are: deal with it.
With an album title like that, it was pretty obvious that the (cheeky) cover image would cause some outrage.
There are no words.
It's one of the most famous album covers in the world but the artwork for Nirvana's grunge masterpiece proved divisive at the time of its release. It features a photo taken by Kirk Weddle of a four-month-old nude baby named Spencer Elden. Kurt Cobain refused for it to be censored, but did state that he would agree to a sticker covering the penis, reading: 'If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile.' It didn't come to that. However, several decades later, Elden attempted to sue Nirvana for violating US federal child pornography protections with the image, arguing that it resulted in 'lifelong damages'. The suit was eventually dismissed.
Rap pioneer Ice Cube was no stranger to controversy, what with the headline-grabbing lyrics of N.W.A's 'Fuck Tha Police.' But with 'Death Certificate', he sparked further outrage with the image of a corpse identified as Uncle Sam.
The famous rap-metal band's debut album depicts the infamous self-immolation of Vietnamese monk Thích Quảng Đức in 1963, protesting the persecution of Buddhists by South Vietnam's US-backed government. The graphic image caused outrage. Not displeased with the situation, frontman Zach de la Rocha famously burned a US flag at Woodstock '99. The question remains: Could anyone really be surprised with a name like Rage Against The Machine?
Heavy metal has always been a genre that has courted controversy, and there are numerous album covers that have shocked over the years. For their 1994 album, titled 'Youthanasia', Megadeth wanted to comment on the fact that society was euthanizing the young. The visual depiction of this ended up being a woman hanging babies by their feet on her washing line. A bit on-the-nose, but it was enough to get everyone freaking out.
Marilyn Manson has always pushed the envelope when it comes to taste, and the controversial rocker did just that in 2000 for the album 'Holy Wood (In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death)'. The disturbing cover depicts Manson as a crucified Christ, which led US stores to ban it completely. Considering that the controversial shock rocker's intended purpose was to critique censorship and that the previous albums 'Mechanical Animals' and 'Portrait Of An American Family' also sparked moral panic, the reaction to the artwork must have delighted him.
European fans of New York rockers The Strokes were treated with the original cover of their stunning debut album, featuring a leather gloved hand on a naked hip. The US were quick to call foul, however, disapproving of the suggestive nature of the image. The band had to swap the gorgeous shot by Colin Lane – who spontaneously took a picture of his then-girlfriend after she came out of the shower. The replacement? A psychedelic but far less impactful depiction of subatomic particle tracks.
In 2001, US hip-hop group The Coup, composed of Boots Riley and DJ Pam the Funktress, wanted to make a statement about destroying capitalism. Their idea: pose in front of the World Trade Center on fire. The image was conceived prior to 9/11 and the eerie timing of the album's November release meant that they had to replace the image with a martini glass on fire. Probably for the best.
The cover for Ted Nugent's album was pulled before it hit shelves - and considering the misogynist credentials of this particular image, it might have been for the best.
The sleeve for 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' saw a painting of a naked Kanye West being straddled by a winged female monster with sharp teeth. The controversial rapper refused for the image be pulled, but the record label reached a compromise by pixelating the image in some territories.
Sabrina Carpenter's 'Man's Best Friend' is released on 29 August.
He's one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood history, considered one of the last great Movie Stars and has defied death for more than three decades in the Mission: Impossible franchise... And yet, Tom Cruise has yet to win an Oscar – despite four nominations.
Now, that Golden Baldie dearth is about to be rectified as the 62-year-old actor will finally receive an Academy Award this year.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Cruise will get an Honorary Oscar in November to celebrate his entire career, praising Cruise for his dedication to his craft, including performing all his own stunts, and helping the film industry recover following the COVID-19 period.
Indeed, Cruise – who can currently be seen in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning - famously played a large part in kick-starting the box office during the pandemic when Top Gun: Maverick opened in late spring 2022. The sequel to the 1986 adventure went on to gross $1.5bn worldwide.
Cruise previously earned lead actor Oscar nominations for Born On The Fourth Of July and Jerry Maguire, a supporting actor nod for Magnolia, and a best picture nomination as a producer on Top Gun: Maverick.
The leading man is one of four honourees, alongside choreographer and actress Debbie Allen (Fame, Ragtime, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling), pioneering Black production designer Wynn Thomas (Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, A Beautiful Mind), and country singer - and complete legend - Dolly Parton.
'This year's Governors Awards will celebrate four legendary individuals whose extraordinary careers and commitment to our filmmaking community continue to leave a lasting impact,' said Janet Yang, Academy President.
'The Academy's Board of Governors is honored to recognize these brilliant artists. Debbie Allen is a trailblazing choreographer and actor, whose work has captivated generations and crossed genres. Tom Cruise's incredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community has inspired us all. Beloved performer Dolly Parton exemplifies the spirit of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award through her unwavering dedication to charitable efforts. And production designer Wynn Thomas has brought some of the most enduring films to life through a visionary eye and mastery of his craft.'
The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is also an Oscar statuette and is presented to Hollywood figures renowned for 'promoting human welfare and contributing to rectifying inequities'.
Parton's charitable and philanthropic work include the Dollywood Foundation, founded in 1988. The institution champions the education of children in her home state of Tennessee. As for her literacy initiative, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, it has distributed more than 285 million books globally since 1995.
Besides her music career, Parton has starred in films like 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias, and earned two original song Oscar nominations for '9 to 5', and 'Travelin' Thru from Transamerica' from the film Transamerica.
The four honorees will be presented with their Honorary Oscars at the Governors Awards ceremony on 16 November.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Happy 80th Birthday Helen Mirren! Celebrating an incredible career
Happy 80th Birthday Helen Mirren! Celebrating an incredible career

Euronews

time2 days ago

  • Euronews

Happy 80th Birthday Helen Mirren! Celebrating an incredible career

Dame Helen Mirren knows a thing or two about wearing a crown. Over her six-decade career, she graced our stages and screens with her regal portrayals of powerful, complex women, from Cleopatra to Elizabeth II and Catherine the Great of Russia. She is also the only actor to have portrayed both Queens Elizabeth on screen. Helen Mirren turns 80 this Saturday. For her milestone birthday, Euronews Culture looks back at the memorable roles of a British acting royalty. Helen Mirren was born lyena Lydia Mironov in London in 1945, to a Russian-born father and Scottish mother. The family chose to anglicise their surname to Mirren in the early 1950s. She began her career on stage, joining Britain's National Youth Theatre at 18. There, she distinguished herself playing the Queen of Egypt in 'Antony and Cleopatra', a role she reprised in 1998 opposite Alan Rickman at the National Theatre. A year later, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she remained for 15 years. From the stage to the screen Mirren got her first major film role in Michael Powell's 1969 romantic comedy-drama The Age of Consent. She later gained further recognition for her parts as an emperor's wife in the 1979 erotic drama Caligula, a gangster's girlfriend in The Long Good Friday and Morgana le Fay in Excalibur. She earned her first Academy Award nomination for her role as Queen Charlotte in the 1994 film The Madness of King George. The actor married American director Taylor Hackford in 1997, 22 years after they met on the set of his musical drama White Nights. It was not until the early 2000s that Helen Mirren truly reached global stardom. She captured the public's hearts and minds with her leading role in British police TV series Prime Suspect. During her 15 years as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, Mirren created 'the template for complex and compelling on-screen female characters in every genre', the Guardian wrote in 2020. With success came always more honours and accolades. She won three BAFTA TV awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards for her part in Prime Suspect. Queen Elizabeth II made her a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2003. Three years later, Mirren stepped into the shoes of the United Kingdom's longest-reigning monarch in Stephen Frears' drama The Queen. Her nuanced portrayal of the sovereign in the weeks following Princess Diana's death won her an Academy Award for Best Actress. Defying stereotypes Helen Mirren has earned a reputation for her elegance and wildness. Often described as a sex symbol in her youth, she said she never applied the label to herself. In recent years, she has defied stereotypes against older women, becoming the face of L'Oréal at 69 years old in 2014. Mirren has also publicly embraced feminism. 'When I was growing up, it was thought to be unbelievably sluttish to even have a bra strap showing. Everything was about women conforming', she told the Telegraph in 2016. 'I love shameless women. Shameless and proud!' Unafraid of challenges, she kept on pursuing diverse, sometimes unexpected roles. She was Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in the 2023 film Golda, a ruthless crime boss in TV series Mobland, and even Kendrick Lamar's therapist in his 2022 'Count Me Out' music video. Happy Birthday Helen Mirren!

Banksy's Venice work 'The Migrand Child' removed for restoration
Banksy's Venice work 'The Migrand Child' removed for restoration

Euronews

time3 days ago

  • Euronews

Banksy's Venice work 'The Migrand Child' removed for restoration

Art restorers have removed a deteriorating piece of graffiti by the street artist Banksy, titled 'The Migrant Child', from the side of a building overlooking a Venetian canal to preserve the work for future public display, officials said on Thursday. The removal from the wall of the 17th-century Palazzo San Pantalon was carried out in consultation with people close to the secretive British street artist, according to the Venice-based bank Banca Ifis' art programme. The Italian bank bought the building last year and is funding its entire restoration, mural included. The cost of the operation was not disclosed. The famous artwork depicts a shipwrecked child holding a pink smoke bomb and wearing a lifejacket. It appeared in Venice in May 2019, during the city's Biennale, and was acknowledged by Banksy. Initially serving as a commentary on the global refugee crisis, it has since become a tourist attraction. But six years of neglect and exposure to humidity and salt have led to the deterioration of about a third of the work, Banca Ifis said. Venice's mayor Luigi Brugnaro and the president of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, had reached out to the Italian government for help. Vittorio Sgarbi, then the under-secretary for Culture, took it upon himself to restore the work. The restoration plan was first announced in 2023 but the initiative sparked anger among local architectural and artistic communities. "Banksy was no fool; he was fully aware that his waterside creation wasn't meant to endure. Restoring it goes against the grain", Evyrein, a local artist, told Euronews Culture in 2023. The restoration is being overseen by restorer Federico Borgogni. He previously removed dust and cleaned the surface before detaching a section of the palazzo's facade overnight Wednesday, Banca Ifis said in a statement. The bank intends to display the work to the public as part of free cultural events organized by Ifis art once restoration is completed. No time frame was given.

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham to reissue ‘Buckingham Nicks'
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham to reissue ‘Buckingham Nicks'

Euronews

time4 days ago

  • Euronews

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham to reissue ‘Buckingham Nicks'

A love not so frozen anymore. Last week, Euronews Culture chronicled the frenzied online speculations about a possible Fleetwood Mac reunion, following cryptic social media posts by longtime members/exes Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Unwilling to yield to collective mania and possibly wary of future disappointment, we concluded that the posts were probably 'just bandmates having a laugh and patching things up.' How blissfully naive we were. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham have announced the reissue of 'Buckingham Nicks', more than 50 years after the initial release of their only studio album as a duo. A remastered version will be on sale on 19 September, both digitally and on CD, with a limited number of 5,000 physical copies. The record's opening track, 'Crying in the Night', was made available to stream on Wednesday. 'Buckingham Nicks' was originally released in 1973. It was a commercial failure but it caught the attention of Mick Fleetwood, who invited Buckingham to join Fleetwood Mac. The American singer insisted that Nicks join too. The two, then a couple, became the central faces, voices and songwriters of the group for the four decades that followed. Their tumultuous relationship inspired several of the band's most famous songs, including on the 1977 hit album 'Rumours.' 'Buckingham Nicks' reached a cult classic status among Fleetwood Mac fans but became a rare sight in record stores. It was last issued on vinyl in 1981 and has remained absent from streaming platforms. The duo foreshadowed the announcement in a series of Instagram posts last week. Nicks shared a hand-written line from the pair's 1973 song 'Frozen Love': 'And if you go forward…' 'I'll meet you there', Buckingham responded on his own account, completing the lyric. The interaction sent fans into a frenzy, leading many to believe that a Fleetwood Mac reunion was imminent, but the prospect seemed uncertain. Nicks has said that without the late singer Christine McVie, who died on 30 November 2022 aged 79, 'there's no chance of putting Fleetwood Mac back together.' Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham had long wanted to reedit their debut work. In 2011, Buckingham told Uncut that he and Nicks had 'every intention of putting that album back out.' The reissued version of 'Buckingham Nicks' features the same album cover as the original, a photograph of the then-couple posing nude. Buckingham and Nicks were in their early to mid-20s during the making of their album. 'It stands up in a way you hope it would, by these two kids who were pretty young to be doing that work', Buckingham said in the re-release's liner notes.. '[We] knew what we had as a duo, two songwriters that sang really well together. And it was a very natural thing, from the beginning', Nicks said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store