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
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • "She knew what she'd created": Back to Black
  • Trower's '80s supergroup
  • Music theory tricks
  • Stage Tour game
  • 95k+ free music samples
  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
RHCP
Recording "The more you look at it like some tech-boy producer, the less you get it": 5 great songs with questionable mixes
 
 
Geese and music history
Artists Questionable music marketing didn't begin with the recent Geese scandal - it's been going on for decades
 
 
Two people hold up their vinyl copy of the Oasis record cover, 'What's the Story Morning Glory' on Soho's Berwick Street, on 26th January 2026, in London, England.
Singles And Albums As the UK album chart turns 70, the biggest seller of all time has been confirmed
 
 
Human brain listens to yellow headphones isolated view on blue background 3d render image
Bands Check yourself (before you wreck yourself): It's MusicRadar's Quiz of the Week #17!
 
 
Human brain listens to yellow headphones isolated view on blue background 3d render image
Bands The Battle of Clevermore: It's MusicRadar's Quiz of the Week #14!
 
 
Human brain listens to yellow headphones isolated view on blue background 3d render image
Bands Play to win: It's MusicRadar's Quiz of the Week #19!
 
 
Latest in Singles And Albums
Prince during Prince "Musicology" Tour Hits United States - "Schools In" at El Rey Theater in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage)
Artists "Not everyone will agree": Prince estate clarifies that a newly-released song does feature overdubs
 
 
Stella Lefty performs at the Whiskey Jam Country CAA Takeover at Skydeck on Broadway on June 03, 2026
Singers & Songwriters Stella Lefty faces more accusations of plagiarism in a Long Way Home album track
 
 
Sam Smith and Tom Petty
Artists "That's why I was annoyed”: Sam Smith reflects on their 2015 songwriting dispute with Tom Petty
 
 
MUNICH, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 01:  Amy Winehouse performs during the show at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007 at the Olympiahalle on November 1, 2007 in Munich, Germany.
Artists Amy Winehouse “knew exactly what she had created” with Back to Black, says her former bass player
 
 
Britney Spears
Artists “The schoolgirl thing was hers”: The director of Britney Spears' Baby One More Time video looks back
 
 
Alex Warren and John Mayer
Singers & Songwriters Alex Warren busts out his air guitar as he reveals the touching reason why John Mayer is on his new album
 
 
Latest in News
The Who featuring Zak Starkey
Drummers “We did a rehearsal recently, and Zak was the drummer”: Could Starkey rejoin The Who?
 
 
Prince during Prince "Musicology" Tour Hits United States - "Schools In" at El Rey Theater in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage)
Artists "Not everyone will agree": Prince estate clarifies that a newly-released song does feature overdubs
 
 
Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon as Tom and Jerry pose for a portrait circa 1957
Singers & Songwriters “We were very young, learning to produce”: Art Garfunkel remembers how he and Paul Simon started their recording career
 
 
george harrison
Recording "He said, ‘Oh, no – I can’t do that. Nobody’s ever played on a Beatles’ record": The theory behind While My Guitar Gently Weeps
 
 
casio
Samples This free Casio SK-1 sample pack will remind you why everybody loves this miniature lo-fi legend
 
 
Stella Lefty performs at the Whiskey Jam Country CAA Takeover at Skydeck on Broadway on June 03, 2026
Singers & Songwriters Stella Lefty faces more accusations of plagiarism in a Long Way Home album track
 
 

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...