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Top 10 Album Covers That Created Controversy

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These album covers meant to look artsy and different and needless to say, they managed so well that they end up sparking controversy through the country.

1. The Origin of the Feces

This album was released by Type O Negative in 1992 and the cover photo was said to be ‘cheeky’. It featured a derriere that was held by two hands and the image was in gray. It was said that it belonged to Peter Steele, the lead vocalist.

 

2. Far Beyond Driven

This album by Pantera was released in 1994. It showed a drill that was sticking out of a human’s anus. It was then replaced with the image of a skeleton and the same drill, it seemed, was coming out of his forehead instead.

 

3. Amorica

This album was released in 1994 by The Black Crowes. It showed a woman wearing an underwear which had the American flag printed on it. A few strands of hair were poking out which is why it was banned.

 

4. Appetite for Destruction

This Guns n Roses album was released in 1987. The name was taken from a painting by Robert Williams. The cover showed a very graphic rape scene which is why retailers across the country refused to stock the album. The cover was then replaced by a common image of skulls.

 

5. Holy Wood in the Shadow of the Valley of Death

The cover of this album by Marilyn Manson released in 2000 shows the singer against a black background. His arms are stretched upwards and it looks as though he is being crucified. The disturbing part is that his jaw is missing and when he was asked about that, he replied saying that it was symbol of censorship. The image is very violent and was later removed completely from the album cover.

 

6. Love it to Death

This album by Alice Cooper was released in 1971. The original album cover showed Alice Cooper or Vincent Fernier standing with a few other people. He is wearing a cape and has poked his thumb through it such a way, that it looks quite vulgar. It was later blurred out.

 

7. Blind Faith

This album released by the band of the same name had a cover which showed a young 11-year old girl standing topless and holding an aircraft against her chest. It was meant to be a phallic symbol and naturally created a lot of ripples through the industry and the country.

 

8. Virgin Killer

Released by The Scorpions in 1976, this album’s original album cover showed a 10-year old girl sitting naked with her chest sticking out. Her genitals have been covered with a shattered glass pattern. The band defended it and said that it was a symbolic representation of the title of the album.

 

9. Diamond Dogs

This album was released by David Bowie in 1974 and the cover showed David Bowie lying on his stomach. However, the lower part of his body was replaced with that of a dog’s- making him look rather odd as a half-dog and half-man. The cover was replaced with another image in which the genitals had been airbrushed.

 

10. Yesterday and Today

Yesterday and Today was released by The Beatles in 1966 and the album cover is also known as “Butcher Baby”. It shows the band sitting in white coats and holding cut up limbs and heads of new born babies. They have obviously been taken from dolls but the cover was instantly replaced.

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468 Responses

  1. jjcc

    guess rock bans arnt allowed to have anything good on their covers.

    compared to rap groups that have booty boobies and weed all over them-lol

    Reply
  2. Tasmanian Devil

    Down with censorship! The world is offensive, get over it.

    Reply
  4. Phil E. Drifter

    How about Ugly Kid Joe’s “America’s Least Wanted” album cover? Originally it was a cartoon image of ‘ugly kid joe’ as the statue of liberty, holding smut against his chest with his left arm and his right arm up high giving the world the middle finger.

    After it was censored it was changed to just the kid on a white background with tape over his mouth and around his left hand, preventing the middle finger from being lifted.

    http://www.google.com/images?q=%22Ugly+Kid+Joe%22+%22America%27s+Least+Wanted%22+cover&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=iv&source=lnms&tbs=isch:1&ei=8dIDTYvlJoGclgfbp_CACA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&ved=0CAcQ_AU&biw=1048&bih=879

    My safesearch is OFF, i don’t know if that would affect what you’re shown, but the page is full of original covers with 2 censored ones spattered about.

    Reply
  5. Will Trame

    The Scorpions were notorious for banned album covers. In addition to “Virgin Killer”, the sleeves for “Lovedrive” and “Love At First Sting” were censored. Other notable controversial sleeves include Roxy Music’s “Country Life” and Mom’s Apple Pie’s debut album. The Ohio Players’ catalogue featured a number of risque covers but i don’t believe that any of them were ever edited. Compared to some of the album artwork being released today, The Beatles’ “Yesterday And Today” seems a bit tame, but the Blind Faith jacket still raises some hackles today, as its image is blocked on a number of websites. Then there was the Mamas and Papas’ “If You Can believe Your Eyes And Ears” which was altered twice due to the bathroom motif.

    Reply
  6. lol

    LOL down with censorship? to bad for the bands? can’t have anything good on their covers? I think if a band was already selling albums with whats inside the cover they surely don’t need controversial covers to help make a splash. Or is THAT the whole plan all along? These albums did better than they would have without the controversy. Even the Beatles. These so called non conformist shock rock groups used nothing but a commercial tool to spread the word. In the end it wasn’t about freedom of expression and art, but about MONEY! They sold out. All of them did, by making ‘the man’ do their work for them. That’t not noble…its capitalism and good buisness….and we’re the suckers who ate it up. Rock on, you consumer couch potatoes.

    Reply
  7. roger

    What about Golden Earring’s original cover for “Moontan” or The Five Man Electrical Band’s original cover for “Goodbyes & Butterflies”?

    Reply
  8. Charle

    This is retarded, how is showing basically child pornography artistic. It’s unoriginal and extremely wrong. It disgusts me to know that it was even an idea. Everything else didn’t really need to be banned. But naked children is just way over the top

    Reply

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