Controversial Album Covers

Published by simon on December 1, 2006

I saw one of Iron Maiden’s albums recently, from their Bruce Dickinson era, I can’t remember which. I immediately recalled the criticism Maiden (mostly from the mainstream press) had to endure for their music, and also their album cover art especially the ones featuring Eddie the Zombie.

These days, anyone can release an album with a controversial album cover art to shock / awe / disgust. Just look at all those albums by metal bands and hip-hop artists in the last 20 years. But a good (yet controversial) one is difficult to find, especially one that reaches a wide audience, i.e. by a famous artist. People want to be controversial for many reasons, and frankly it doesn’t take much to alarm the moral guardians of our society. But as they say, there’s no such as bad publicity.

These are 10 controversial album covers i can remember, mainly from the 90’s as that was the time i was really into the music.

(Note: with all the problems, i’ve taken the pics from wikipedia…)

No.1 : Rage Against the Machine by Rage Against the Machine

This has got to be the most memorable one for me. It show a monk immolating himself to protest against the government of the day in Saigon some time in the 70’s. The picture was apt to describe the band’s massively anti-establishment stand over the years, led by their singer Zack de la Rocha. I never really got into RATM, but in terms of controversial album covers, this one has to be the tops.

No.2 : Amorica by the Black Crowes

The pic was actually taken from Hustler magazine, the girly mag famous for showing pubes. The furore from the cover caused the band to doctor it, blacking out everything out except the triangular American flag. Gee, does it make it any ’safer’? I dunno, ask the moral guardians of our society.

No.3 : In Utero by Nirvana

Now this I don’t get. How is this controversial? I see it in hospitals and med school labs and TV all the time. Is it the wings? Is it insulting to angels? Or medical equipment suppliers? Anyway the furore was worsened by one particular track on the LP, any Nirvana would tell you which. RIP, Kurt Cobain.

No.4 : Youthanasia by Megadeth

Dave Mustaine usually has a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Well, most of the time, anyway. Before this, Megadeth usually had cheesy pics of Vic Rattlehead doing weird stuff on their covers, but they went for a play on the album title on this one. As expected, parent groups cried infanticide, causing the album to be released with a black sleeve. Mustaine stuck one up to the critics, though, the first single showed one of the babies in close up.

No.5 : A Boy Named Goo by the Goo Goo Dolls

Goody Goody Dolls? Controversial? Apparently some people thought the mud on the baby looked like something else, something gory and violent. Look, if this was a Deicide or Morbid Angel cover, I’d understand, but Goo Goo Dolls?! It only goes to show how some people can read too much into things…

No.6 : Appetite for Destruction by Guns ‘N’ Roses

This nice album cover you see isn’t the problem (as ‘nice’ as five skulls arranged on a cross is). The problem was with the original cover, which was admittedly nasty. G’N'R then changed the cover, but moved the offensive picture to the inside of the album.

No.7 : Divine Intervention by Slayer

The cover, by itself is pretty mild by Slayer’s standards. Inside, there is a collage of the newspaper clippings of the media accusing the band of influencing murders and other evil stuff. But the corker is a picture of a fan who carved the band logo onto his forearm with a knife. I guess it really showed how much the guys were p!ssed off with their critics. If that wasn’t controversial, I don’t know what is.

No.8 : Lovedrive by the Scorpions

Playboy magazine voted this the best album cover for that year. An alternative version had the chewing gum coming out from the guy’s mouth. Ha.

No.9 : Payable On Death by POD

Even Christian rap-rockers POD weren’t spared of controversy. Church group were concerned about the cover and pictures in the liner notes. They said it was too heavily influenced by Catholic iconography and mysticism, failing to see the positive message of POD’s music, which to me was more important.

No.10 : Lemonade and Brownies by Sugar Ray

This isn’t controversial in the least, but there’s a funny story to it (and I need one more to make ten). The girl in the pic is Nicole Eggert of Baywatch and Charles in Charge fame, and she was roommates with Mark McGrath’s then girlfriend. I read in Ker-rang that Mark McGrath got her to pose for the pic, and then when his girlfriend found out about it, dumped him. Hmm, I wonder if the story’s true. Nice pic, though.

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