Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitar Amps
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Plugin Week 2025
  • You Oughta Know
  • Fake AI band
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Wrecking Crew

Recommended reading

Motörhead
Artists “It was the height of our popularity. And of course, when you’ve peaked there’s nowhere to go but down”: How the ‘Worst Band In The World’ had their revenge with the noisiest No.1 album of all time
Ian Anderson
Artists “12 million sales is pretty big!”: Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson on the classic album with the “bloody awful” cover
AC/DC in 1979
Artists AC/DC - ranked! Every studio album, from worst to best
Drunk performances
Gigs & Festivals Drunk on stage: Our pick of music’s most legendary under-the-influence performances
Elliot Easton on stage with The Cars
Artists “It was the most disgusting thing I could ever imagine!” The Cars’ guitarist recalls the worst gig of his life
Coachella 2025
Gigs & Festivals The Curse of Coachella: Bad sound, bad gigs and even worse audiences
Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson backstage at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field on April 17, 2009 in Palm Desert, California
Recording “They all remind me of certain times in my life”: McCartney names his all time top three albums
  1. Artists
  2. Singles And Albums

The worst album covers of all time... ever!

News
By The MusicRadar Team published 10 May 2011

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

Heavy metal

Heavy metal

While we are busily counting your votes in our poll to crown the greatest album cover of all time, here's a timely reminder that not all album covers are created equal. Indeed, some appear to have been created at 4am following the consumption of enough booze and narcotics to take down Keith Richards' pet rhinoceros.

Now for the first time you can find all of our collections of album art misadventure in one place. Kicking things off, here's a genre in which even some of the biggest bands have been known to commit hideous atrocities in the name of cover art over the years:

Click here to see the worst heavy metal album covers of all time

Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of 6
Hip-hop

Hip-hop

Like heavy metal, hip-hop is a genre that has seen more than its fair share of heinous taste crimes acted out on CD covers across the globe. Here are some of our favourites:

Click here to see the worst hip-hop album covers ever

Page 2 of 6
Page 2 of 6
Illustrated

Illustrated

Got a great idea for an album cover but don't have the budget for the shoot? Simply commission an illustrator and let your imagination run wild. What could possibly go wrong?

Click here to see the worst illustrated album covers ever

Page 3 of 6
Page 3 of 6
Just plain wrong

Just plain wrong

There's nothing wrong with any of these album covers, it's political correctness gone mad! Ahem...

Click here to see the worst album covers ever: just plain wrong

Page 4 of 6
Page 4 of 6
Christmas

Christmas

The festive season is a time for joy, a time for giving, and a time for all sense of style and taste to go out of the window when it comes to cover art.

Click here to see the worst Christmas album covers ever: part one

Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6
Christmas... again!

Christmas... again!

Yes, that's right. Santa's sack is bulging with bad Christmas album covers and we had more than enough to fill two galleries. Laugh? These will sleigh you...

Click here to see the worst Christmas albums ever: part two

Page 6 of 6
Page 6 of 6
The MusicRadar Team
The MusicRadar Team
Social Links Navigation

MusicRadar is the internet's most popular website for music-makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, DJs or producers.

GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high-quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.

TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.

STARS: We talk to artists and musicians about their creative processes, digging deep into the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music-making that no other music website can.

Read more
Motörhead
“It was the height of our popularity. And of course, when you’ve peaked there’s nowhere to go but down”: How the ‘Worst Band In The World’ had their revenge with the noisiest No.1 album of all time
Ian Anderson
“12 million sales is pretty big!”: Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson on the classic album with the “bloody awful” cover
AC/DC in 1979
AC/DC - ranked! Every studio album, from worst to best
Drunk performances
Drunk on stage: Our pick of music’s most legendary under-the-influence performances
Elliot Easton on stage with The Cars
“It was the most disgusting thing I could ever imagine!” The Cars’ guitarist recalls the worst gig of his life
Coachella 2025
The Curse of Coachella: Bad sound, bad gigs and even worse audiences
Latest in Singles And Albums
Singer and mastermind Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" directs from the control room while recording the album "Pet Sounds" in 1966 in Los Angeles, California
“One of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it”
Raye and Amy Winehouse
Raye on her decision to work with Amy Winehouse producer Mark Ronson, and those inevitable comparisons
Singer Joey Ramone (1951 - 2001), of American punk group The Ramones, backstage at the Paradise Theater (now the Paradise Rock Club) in Boston, Massachusetts, 22nd March 1978. In the background are bassist Dee Dee Ramone (1951 - 2002, centre) and drummer Tommy Ramone (1949 - 2014).
"At first the tension was unbelievable. Johnny was really cold, Dee Dee was OK but Joey was a sweetheart": The story of the Ramones' recording of Baby I Love You
Bob Marley and the Wailers
"Reggae is more freeform than the blues": Bob Marley and the Wailers' Catch a Fire, track-by-track
Joe Bonamassa [left] plays his Epiphone 1955 Les Paul Standard and wears a bright blue suit and polka-dot; Sammy Hagar [right] wears shades, a black Cabo Wabo T-shirt and plays his red Gibson Explorer with white pickguard.
“The track is a monster!”: Joe Bonamassa and Sammy Hagar have got the Fortune Teller Blues
beyonce album cover
“Part of a beautiful American tradition”: A music theory expert explains the country roots of Beyoncé’s Texas Hold ‘Em, and why it also owes a debt to the blues
Latest in News
Klaus Meine of The Scorpions, 1991
“Their message of love, peace and rock ‘n’ roll seems more relevant today than ever”: Cast revealed for Scorpions biopic
Money
“This shows just how important live music is": New report shows immense contribution of music tourism to UK economy
Olivia Rodrigo and Robert Smith
Olivia Rodrigo surprises fans during her headline Glastonbury set by duetting with The Cure’s Robert Smith
Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher of Mastodon perform at Riot Fest 2024
“I won’t miss being in a sh** band with horrible humans”: Mastodon guitarist slams his ex-bandmates
Black Sabbath get the freedom of Birmingham
“We’re all proud Birmingham people and we love this city”: Black Sabbath have been awarded the freedom of Brum
Van Halen
“Eddie told me, ‘Roth is driving me nuts'": When Eddie Van Halen asked to join Kiss — and they turned him down!

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

  • 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...