Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Synth Week 26
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Mr. Roboto video
Artists “That song killed Styx. It was truly awful”: The synth-rock anthem that sold a million but derailed a superstar rock band
Arctic Monkeys in 2005
Bands “It was a culture shock for him to see such brainless violence”: Inside the early days of the Arctic Monkeys
China Crisis
Artists 6 little-known synth bands from the 1980s that deserve your attention
Blonde Ambition Tour, Madonna, Feyenoord Stadion, De Kuip, Rotterdam, Holland, 24/07/1990. She is wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier conical bra corset. (Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)
Artists “I hired all the musicians and the engineers, and pretty much made the record”: Patrick Leonard on Madonna’s Like a Prayer
Reinier Zonneveld performing in 2021
Tech “Everyone is using these tools, artists at all levels – but they don't want to talk about it”: How AI is changing electronic music
Jack White attends the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Singers & Songwriters “I didn't say that I think her music was 'boring'”: Jack White puts the record straight about Taylor Swift
English rock band The La's posed in Liverpool, England in 1990. Left to right: drummer Neil Mavers, guitarist and vocalist Lee Mavers, bassist John Power and guitarist Peter Camell
Singles And Albums “It was like an acid trip that kept coming back to him”: The torturous - and ironic - story of There She Goes
timbre wolf
Tech "Boy, do people hate it": 10 of the most divisive products in music tech history, from iLok to the Akai Timbre Wolf
Diamond Head
Artists “We were labelled ‘the new Led Zeppelin’. But it was a blessing and a curse”: A great rock band that had it all – and then blew it
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: Calling all live performers, we've found $300 off a full Kustom PA, $120 off a popular Yamaha mixer and $100 off one of the best column speakers in the game
Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richard of The Rolling Stones perform during the final night of the Hackney Diamonds '24 Tour at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
Singles And Albums What on earth is Fremmede Sprog and what has it got to do with the Rolling Stones?
Getty Images
Artists Genre-colliding producer Justin Raisen speaks to us about the thrill of working on Kim Gordon's latest record
holy holy
Artists “David didn’t seem happy about it”: Tony Visconti reveals Bowie's reaction to Holy Holy
Oliver Ackermann [left] playing on a red-lit stage and Richard Fortus playing his White Falcon live with Guns N' Roses
Artists Death By Audio’s Oliver Ackermann on the time he sold a pedal to Richard Fortus and disaster struck
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: We've found $200 off a stylish Gibson SG, $100 off an affordable Martin acoustic, hearty discounts on studio headphones and much more
More
  • Synth Week 2026
  • Jimmy Jam
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Chinese synths
  1. Artists
  2. Singles And Albums

The 15 worst album covers of 2011

News
By Si Truss published 2 December 2011

A compendium of the year's most wonderfully bad record sleeves

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The 15 worst album covers of 2011

The 15 worst album covers of 2011

In the past, we’ve delved right back through the history of recorded music to marvel at some of the worst, most-offensive and downright unpleasant album sleeves ever to be released onto the unsuspecting public.

Fortunately for us though, musicians never seem to learn. And so, we present you with a fresh crop of unspeakably poor album designs from the past 12 months - many of which come from big, respectable artists that really should know better.

Read on to check out our least favourite record sleeves from the past year, and use the comment section below to draw our attention to any monstrosities we might have missed.

Page 1 of 16
Page 1 of 16
Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow

Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow

Page 2 of 16
Page 2 of 16
Drake - Take Care

Drake - Take Care

Page 3 of 16
Page 3 of 16
Def Leppard - Mirror Ball

Def Leppard - Mirror Ball

Page 4 of 16
Page 4 of 16
Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding

Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding

Page 5 of 16
Page 5 of 16
Sebastian Bach - Kicking & Screaming

Sebastian Bach - Kicking & Screaming

Page 6 of 16
Page 6 of 16
Steve Miller Band - Let Your Hair Down

Steve Miller Band - Let Your Hair Down

Page 7 of 16
Page 7 of 16
Vanilla Ice - WTF

Vanilla Ice - WTF

Page 8 of 16
Page 8 of 16
Justin Bieber - Under The Mistletoe

Justin Bieber - Under The Mistletoe

Page 9 of 16
Page 9 of 16
Chris Brown - F.A.M.E

Chris Brown - F.A.M.E

Page 10 of 16
Page 10 of 16
Journey - Ecl1ps3

Journey - Ecl1ps3

Page 11 of 16
Page 11 of 16
Omar-S - It Can Be Done, But Only I Can Do It

Omar-S - It Can Be Done, But Only I Can Do It

Page 12 of 16
Page 12 of 16
David Lynch - Crazy Clown Time

David Lynch - Crazy Clown Time

Page 13 of 16
Page 13 of 16
Lady Gaga - Born This Way

Lady Gaga - Born This Way

Page 14 of 16
Page 14 of 16
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events

Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events

Page 15 of 16
Page 15 of 16
Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra

Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra

Liked this? Now read: The worst album covers of all time... ever!

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Page 16 of 16
Page 16 of 16
Si Truss
Si Truss
Social Links Navigation

I'm the Managing Editor of Music Technology at MusicRadar and former Editor-in-Chief of Future Music, Computer Music and Electronic Musician. I've been messing around with music tech in various forms for over two decades. I've also spent the last 10 years forgetting how to play guitar. Find me in the chillout room at raves complaining that it's past my bedtime.


Read more
timbre wolf
Tech "Boy, do people hate it": 10 of the most divisive products in music tech history, from iLok to the Akai Timbre Wolf
 
 
Nile Rodgers and John Mayer
Artists How the gift of a divisive Rolling Stones album scuppered the chance of a collaboration between Nile Rodgers and John Mayer
 
 
Human brain listens to yellow headphones isolated view on blue background 3d render image
Bands It's MusicRadar's Quiz of the Week #2!
 
 
Human brain listens to yellow headphones isolated view on blue background 3d render image
Bands It's MusicRadar's Quiz of the Week #3!
 
 
Cruce CGI Homer Simpson on stage
Tech It’s funny because it’s true: Soulseek is suddenly full to the brim of crazy Homer Simpson covers
 
 
An empty gig venue
Bands It's MusicRadar's Quiz of the Week!
 
 
Latest in Singles And Albums
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 04: Jack Antonoff and  Taylor Swift attend the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Artists Jack Antonoff says he has no problem with not being involved on Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Life Of A Showgirl
 
 
Blonde Ambition Tour, Madonna, Feyenoord Stadion, De Kuip, Rotterdam, Holland, 24/07/1990. She is wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier conical bra corset. (Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)
Artists “I hired all the musicians and the engineers, and pretty much made the record”: Patrick Leonard on Madonna’s Like a Prayer
 
 
From left to right, Ronettes Veronica Bennett (later Ronnie Spector), Nedra Talley and Estelle Bennett
Singles And Albums “A testament to the essential goodness of humanity”: The story of Be My Baby, the emblem of pop’s lost age of innocence
 
 
Die Spielbude, Unterhaltungsshow, Deutschland 1982 - 1989, Gaststar: britische Indie-Pop-Band "The Primitives" mit Sängerin Keiron McDermott. (Photo by Frank Hempel/United Archives via Getty Images)
Singles And Albums The Primitives' PJ Court on his live TV guitar tone fail during a performance of hit single, Crash
 
 
International funk and disco band Heatwave, February 1976. Left to right: guitarist Eric Johns (front), keyboard player Rod Temperton, singer Keith Wilder, bassist Mario Mantese, drummer Ernest 'Bilbo' Berger and singer Johnnie Wilder, Jr (1949 - 2006). (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Artists “He thought someone was winding him up": How Rod Temperton ended up writing songs for Michael Jackson
 
 
Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richard of The Rolling Stones perform during the final night of the Hackney Diamonds '24 Tour at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
Singles And Albums What on earth is Fremmede Sprog and what has it got to do with the Rolling Stones?
 
 
Latest in News
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO STANDALONE PUBLICATION USE (NO SPECIAL INTEREST OR SINGLE ARTIST PUBLICATION USE; NO BOOK USE))   Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff perform onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Wembley Stadium on August 20, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by TAS2024/Getty Images)
Artists Taylor Swift explains the songwriting trick that she and Jack Antonoff have used multiple times
 
 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 04: Jack Antonoff and  Taylor Swift attend the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Artists Jack Antonoff says he has no problem with not being involved on Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Life Of A Showgirl
 
 
Beyonce and Stevie Nicks
Artists Is Beyonce about to release a rock album with a guest appearance from Stevie Nicks?
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: Calling all live performers, we've found $300 off a full Kustom PA, $120 off a popular Yamaha mixer and $100 off one of the best column speakers in the game
 
 
007 First Light logo and man with gun
Djs “Get ready to turn the speakers up”: Chase And Status sign up for new James Bond video game
 
 
Blonde Ambition Tour, Madonna, Feyenoord Stadion, De Kuip, Rotterdam, Holland, 24/07/1990. She is wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier conical bra corset. (Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)
Artists “I hired all the musicians and the engineers, and pretty much made the record”: Patrick Leonard on Madonna’s Like a Prayer
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...