History of controversial album art
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of notable albums with controversial album art, especially where that controversy resulted in the album being banned, censored
or sold in packaging other than the original one. They are listed by the type of controversy they were involved in.
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
or sold in packaging other than the original one. They are listed by the type of controversy they were involved in.
Nudity and sexuality
- The Jimi Hendrix ExperienceThe Jimi Hendrix ExperienceThe Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
– Electric LadylandElectric LadylandElectric Ladyland is the third and final album of new material by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in October 1968 on Reprise Records, catalogue 2RS 6307. It is the only Hendrix studio album professionally produced under his supervision. It topped the Billboard 200 album chart for two weeks in...
(1968)- The intended artwork for the UK version of the album did not arrive in time to press the album, so a cover of naked women lounging in front of a black background was issued in its place. The US cover by Karl Ferris, which Hendrix had intended, has since become the official cover of Electric Ladyland internationally.
- John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
& Yoko OnoYoko Onois a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
– Unfinished Music No.1: Two VirginsUnfinished Music No.1: Two VirginsUnfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins is an album released by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968. The result of an all-night session of musical experimentation in Lennon's home studio at Kenwood, John and Yoko's debut album is known not only for its avant garde content, but also for its cover...
(1968)- The front cover displayed Lennon and Ono frontally nude, while the rear cover featured them from behind. Distributors were prompted to sell the album in a plain brown wrapper, and copies of the album were impounded as obscenity in several jurisdictions.
- Blind FaithBlind FaithBlind Faith were an English blues-rock band that consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech. The band, which was one of the first "super-groups", released their only album, Blind Faith, in August 1969...
– Blind Faith (1969)- The cover featured a topless pubescentPubertyPuberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
girl, holding in her hands a silver space ship, which some perceived as phallic. Photographer Bob SeidemannBob SeidemannBob Seidemann is an American graphic artist and photographer best known for the creation of several album covers and portraits of musicians in the 1960s and 1970s.Seidemann first gained notoriety in 1967 for a photographic interpretation of the Pietà...
used a girl, Mariora Goschen, who was 11 years old. The US record company issued it with an alternative cover which showed a photograph of the band on the front.
- The cover featured a topless pubescent
- Mom's Apple PieMom's Apple PieMom's Apple Pie was an American ten-member rock band from Warren, Ohio. They were best known for their album cover, and also for the voice of the lead singer Bob Fiorino.-Career:...
– Mom's Apple Pie (1971)- The cover shows a pie with a sliced removed, leaving a fairly obvious labia. "Mom" licks her lips and the missing pie piece 'overflows'. Due to the fact that the obscenity was hidden right in plain sight, it took a little while for people to become offended. However, after word got out, retailers demanded that Capitol Records do something about it.
- David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
– Diamond DogsDiamond DogsDiamond Dogs is a concept album by David Bowie, originally released by RCA Records in 1974. Thematically it was a marriage of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and Bowie's own glam-tinged vision of a post-apocalyptic world...
(1974)- The cover art featured a half-dog, half-Bowie figure painted by Guy PeellaertGuy PeellaertGuy Peellaert was a Belgian artist, painter, illustrator, comic artist and photographer, most famous for the book Rock Dreams, and his album covers for rock artists like David Bowie and The Rolling Stones ...
. It was controversial as the full painting clearly showed the hybrid’s genitalia, which were later airbrushAirbrushAn airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that sprays various media including ink and dye, but most often paint by a process of nebulization. Spray guns developed from the airbrush and are still considered a type of airbrush.-History:...
ed out.
- The cover art featured a half-dog, half-Bowie figure painted by Guy Peellaert
- Roxy MusicRoxy MusicRoxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
– Country Life (1974)- The cover features two models, who lead singer Bryan FerryBryan FerryBryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
met on holiday. They appear wearing translucent underwear, with their pubic hair and nipples on one of the models visible whilst the other, who isn't wearing anything over her breasts, is covering them with her hands.
- The cover features two models, who lead singer Bryan Ferry
- ScorpionsScorpions (band)Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
– In TranceIn Trance-Personnel:* Klaus Meine – lead vocals* Ulrich Roth – lead guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Dark Lady" and "Sun In My Hand"* Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals* Francis Buchholz – bass guitar, backing vocals* Rudy Lenners – drums, percussion...
(1975)- The album cover shows a woman smashing a guitar, with one of her breasts exposed. The album cover gained controversy and has since been changed so that the breast is covered up.
- UFOUFO (band)UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
– Force ItForce ItForce It is the fourth album by UFO, released in 1975. It became their first album to chart in the United States.The album was produced by Ten Years After bass player Leo Lyons...
(1975)- The somewhat controversial original cover was designed by HipgnosisHipgnosisHipgnosis was a British art design group that specialized in creating cover art for the albums of rock musicians and bands, most notably Pink Floyd, T.Rex, The Pretty Things, UFO, 10cc, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Scorpions, Yes, The Alan Parsons Project, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, ELO and XTC...
, as were almost all other UFO albums of the 1970s. For years, the genders of the couple in the bath were unknown, and the nudity was on the verge of decency standards. The models were actually Genesis P Orridge and girlfriend Cosey Fanni TuttiCosey Fanni TuttiCosey Fanni Tutti is best known as a performance artist and for her time in Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey....
, both later of the band Throbbing GristleThrobbing GristleThrobbing Gristle were an English industrial, avant-garde music and visual arts group that evolved from the performance art group COUM Transmissions...
. The artwork was softened for the initial US release, making the loving couple in the bathtub transparent.
- The somewhat controversial original cover was designed by Hipgnosis
- ScorpionsScorpions (band)Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
– Virgin KillerVirgin KillerVirgin Killer is the fourth studio album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions. It was released in 1976 and was the first album of the band to attract attention outside Europe. The title is described as being a reference to time as the killer of innocence. The original cover featured a nude...
(1976)- This cover featured a photo of naked prepubescentPubertyPuberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
girl, with her pubic area partially obscured by a "cracked glass" effect. Her pose and the title "Virgin Killer" added to the image's notoriety. The Internet Watch FoundationInternet Watch FoundationThe Internet Watch Foundation is a non-governmental charitable body based in the United Kingdom. It states that its remit is "to minimise the availability of 'potentially criminal' Internet content, specifically images of child sexual abuse hosted anywhere, and criminally obscene adult content in...
, a British non-profit group who provides content blacklists for major ISP's in the country, also notably blacklistedInternet Watch Foundation and WikipediaOn 5 December 2008, the Internet Watch Foundation , a British watchdog group, blacklisted content on the English version of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia related to Scorpions' 1976 studio album Virgin Killer, due to the presence of its controversial cover artwork, depicting a young girl posing...
pages on the internet encyclopedia WikipediaWikipediaWikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
for featuring the cover on its article about the album. This block was later retracted due to technical problems which occurred as a result of the blocking mechanisms and due to the already "wide availability" of the image.
- This cover featured a photo of naked prepubescent
- RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
– HemispheresHemispheres (Rush album)Hemispheres is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1978. The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and mixed at Trident Studios in London....
(1978)- The cover art features a naked man walking across a giant brain. An alternative cover, which displays the "Rush Hemispheres" text printed in red and yellow on a black background, exists on some reissues.
- CrassCrassCrass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
– Stations of the CrassStations of the CrassStations of the Crass is the second album by Crass, released in 1979. The record, originally released as a double 12", includes live tracks from a gig recorded at the Pied Bull pub in Islington, London on August 7, 1979. The first three sides contain the studio tracks and play at 45 rpm, while the...
(1979)- One cover of this album caused controversy; it depicts a nude woman lying in bed exposing one of her breasts and the right part of her rear-end.
- ScorpionsScorpions (band)Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
– LovedriveLovedriveLovedrive is the sixth studio album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1979. Lovedrive was a major evolution of the band's sound, which exhibited their "classic style" that would be later developed over their next few albums. Michael Schenker, younger brother of rhythm guitarist...
(1979)- This LP features a photo of a man and a woman in the back seat of a car. The woman's chest is exposed, and the man is pulling a large wad of bubble gum off of her breast. Apparently this cover offended some, as there is a version that features only lettering on the cover. The photo cover is the more common cover.
- Dead KennedysDead KennedysDead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
– FrankenchristFrankenchristFrankenchrist is the third album released by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles.The album was a subject of controversy because of a poster inserted in the original record sleeve. The poster, H. R. Giger's Landscape #XX, or Penis Landscape, was a painting...
(1985)- A poster inserted in the original record sleeve, H. R. GigerH. R. GigerHans Rudolf "Ruedi" Giger is a Swiss surrealist painter, sculptor, and set designer. He won an Academy Award for Best Achievement for Visual Effects for his design work on the film Alien.-Early life:...
's Landscape #XX, or Penis LandscapePenis LandscapePenis Landscape, or Work 219: Landscape XX is a painting by H. R. Giger. Created in 1973, airbrushed acrylic on paper-covered wood, it measures 70 x 100 centimetres. It depicts a number of penises entering vaginas. One is wearing a condom...
, was a painting depicting rows of penises in sexual intercourse. The band was brought to trial for distributing harmful matter to minors, and though the case did not result in any convictions, Jello BiafraJello BiafraJello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
's Alternative TentaclesAlternative TentaclesAlternative Tentacles is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles", and after realizing the potential for an independent...
record label was driven almost to bankruptcyBankruptcy in the United StatesBankruptcy in the United States is governed under the United States Constitution which authorizes Congress to enact "uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States." Congress has exercised this authority several times since 1801, most recently by adopting the Bankruptcy...
.
- A poster inserted in the original record sleeve, H. R. Giger
- Guns N' RosesGuns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
– Appetite for DestructionAppetite for DestructionAppetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
(1987)- The original cover for Appetite for Destruction, based on a Robert WilliamsRobert Williams (artist)Robert Williams is an American painter, cartoonist, and founder of Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine.Williams was part of the Zap Collective, along with other underground cartoonists such as Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton...
painting of the same name, featured an opened-shirt woman, who had clearly been raped by a robot rapist, about to be crushed by a metal avenger. When every music video programme refused to play any music videos because of the cover, it was changed to show a rendering of a tattoo Axl RoseAxl RoseW. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
had on his forearm of the band as 5 skulls on a cross.
- The original cover for Appetite for Destruction, based on a Robert Williams
- Jane's AddictionJane's AddictionJane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
– Nothing's ShockingNothing's ShockingNothing's Shocking is the first studio album by the American alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, released on August 23, 1988 through Warner Bros. Records. Nothing's Shocking was well received by critics upon release and is often cited as the band's best album. Despite this, it peaked at number...
(1988)- The album cover, created by frontman Perry FarrellPerry FarrellPerry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
, features a sculpture of a pair of nude female conjoined twins sitting on a sideways rocking chair with their heads on fire. Farrell said the image, like much of his artwork, came to him in a dream and he hired the employees of Warner Bros. to create the cover sculpture; after learning how to create sculptures by watching them closely, he fired the Warner Bros. staff and created the artwork himself. Farrell hired someone to help create a full body casting of his girlfriend for use as the sculptures. Retailers objected to the album's cover. Nine out of the eleven leading record store chains refused to carry Nothing's Shocking, and the record had to be issued covered with brown paper.
- The album cover, created by frontman Perry Farrell
- PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
– LovesexyLovesexyLovesexy is the tenth studio album by Prince, released on May 10, 1988. Lovesexy was issued as a substitute record after the release of the infamous The Black Album had been suddenly cancelled. The Black Album and Lovesexy almost act as companion pieces, sharing the song "When 2 R in Love", but...
(1988)- The artwork for this album showed a naked PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
in a devout pose, with a suggestively placed flower stamen nearby. Many stores covered the album in black wrapping, somewhat ironically, as Lovesexy was issued as a replacement for the hastily withdrawn Black Album, which had a monochrome black cover.
- The artwork for this album showed a naked Prince
- Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
– Mother's MilkMother's MilkMother's Milk is the fourth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on August 16, 1989, on EMI America Records. It was the first album to feature the band's most well-known lineup...
(1989)- The album cover features a black and white photograph of the band sprawled across the arms of a proportionately larger naked woman. A rose conceals one of her nipples while singer Anthony KiedisAnthony KiedisAnthony Kiedis is an American vocalist/lyricist, and occasional actor best known as the lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mother before moving, shortly before his 12th birthday, to Hollywood,...
' standing body conceals the other. Several national chains refused to sell the record because they believed the female subject displayed too much nudity. A stricter censored version was manufactured for some retailers that featured the band members in far larger proportion than the original.
- The album cover features a black and white photograph of the band sprawled across the arms of a proportionately larger naked woman. A rose conceals one of her nipples while singer Anthony Kiedis
- Jane's AddictionJane's AddictionJane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
– Ritual de lo HabitualRitual de lo HabitualRitual de lo habitual is the second studio album by Jane's Addiction, released on August 21, 1990 on Warner Brothers. Co-produced by Dave Jerden, it was the band's final studio album before their initial break-up in 1991...
(1990)- Anticipating censorship, two versions of the disc packaging were created: one cover featured artwork by singer Perry FarrellPerry FarrellPerry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
including male and female nudity; the other cover has been called the "clean cover", and features only black text on a white background, listing the band name, album name, and the text of the First Amendment (the "freedom of speech" amendment of the U.S. Constitution). The "clean cover" was created so the CD could be distributed in stores that refused to stock items with nudity on the front cover.
- Anticipating censorship, two versions of the disc packaging were created: one cover featured artwork by singer Perry Farrell
- BlurBlur (band)Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
– She's So High (1990)- The cover shows a naked woman astride a hippotamus, painted by Californian artist Mel Ramos. The poster and accompaning T-shirt, with the picture printed in full size, caused some controversy amongst students and advertisements for the single were banned in Hackney and the London Underground, and defaced elsewhere.
- MardukMarduk (band)Marduk is a black metal band from Norrköping, Sweden. The band formed in 1990 and released their first record in 1991. Their name is derived from the Babylonian god Marduk, patron deity of Babylon.-Musical style:...
– Fuck Me JesusFuck me JesusFuck Me Jesus is the first demo by Swedish black metal band Marduk. It was recorded and mixed at Gorysound Studios, and released in June 1991....
(1991)- The cover shows a naked woman masturbating with a crucifix. The album was banned in various countries.
- NirvanaNirvana (band)Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
– NevermindNevermindNevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
(1991)- The album cover clearly showed an infant's (Spencer Elden) penis. Chain stores such as Wal-MartWal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, and K-Mart were highly offended and initially refused to carry Nevermind. However eventually due to such high demand, Nirvana compromised and put a sticker that read "Featuring «Smells Like Teen Spirit», «Come As You Are» and «Lithium»" over the genitals. Nirvana saw continued controversy for their next album, In Utero.
- The album cover clearly showed an infant's (Spencer Elden) penis. Chain stores such as Wal-Mart
- TadTad (band)Tad was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington led by Tad Doyle. Among the first of the many bands which came out of Seattle in the grunge era, Tad was notable for the fact that its music had a noticeable 1970s metal influence, rather than the punk which influenced most other grunge bands...
– 8-Way Santa8-Way Santa8-Way Santa is the third album by the Seattle grunge band Tad. It was released in February, 1991 through Sub Pop.Tad ran into legal trouble after the man and woman featured on the album cover saw the record and sued the band...
(1991)- The original cover featured a picture of a man fondling a woman's breast. Tad ran into legal trouble after the man and woman featured on the album cover saw the record and sued the band. Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
was forced to change the album cover to a group shot.
- The original cover featured a picture of a man fondling a woman's breast. Tad ran into legal trouble after the man and woman featured on the album cover saw the record and sued the band. Sub Pop
- SuedeSuedeSuede is a type of leather with a napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, shirts, purses, furniture and other items. The term comes from the French "gants de Suède", which literally means "gloves of Sweden"....
– SuedeSuede (album)Suede is the debut album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in March 1993 on Nude Records. At the time the fastest-selling debut album in British history, Suede debuted at the top of the UK Album Chart, won the 1993 Mercury Music Prize, and is often credited with starting the Britpop...
(1993)- The gender-ambiguous cover art provoked controversy in the press, prompting Anderson to comment, "I chose it because of the ambiguity of it, but mostly because of the beauty of it." The cover image of the androgynous kissing couple was taken from the 1991 book Stolen Glances: Lesbians Take Photographs edited by Tessa Boffin and Jean Fraser. The photograph was taken by Tee CorinneTee CorinneTee Corine was a lesbian visual artist notable for the portrayal of sexuality in her artwork.-Early life and education:Corinne was born and grew up in Florida. Her mother introduced her to principles and techniques for making visual art...
and in its entirety shows a woman kissing an acquaintance in a wheelchair.
- The gender-ambiguous cover art provoked controversy in the press, prompting Anderson to comment, "I chose it because of the ambiguity of it, but mostly because of the beauty of it." The cover image of the androgynous kissing couple was taken from the 1991 book Stolen Glances: Lesbians Take Photographs edited by Tessa Boffin and Jean Fraser. The photograph was taken by Tee Corinne
- ToolTool (band)Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
– UndertowUndertow (Tool album)"Disgustipated" is track 69 on most pressings in North America . It also appears as track 39, track 10 or as a hidden track following "Flood" on track 9...
(1993)- Photos in the liner notes of a nude obese woman, a nude man of normal weight, a cow licking its genitals, and the band members with pins in the sides of their heads generated controversy, resulting in the album being removed from stores such as Kmart and Wal-Mart. The cover was later replaced by a giant bar code.
- The Black CrowesThe Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
– AmoricaAmoricaAmorica is the third album by The Black Crowes. It was released in late 1994 on American Recordings and re-issued in the US and UK in 1998 with two bonus tracks. The album cover's depiction of pubic hair, from a 1976 United States Bicentennial issue of Hustler magazine, caused controversy...
(1994)- The album cover's depiction of pubic hairPubic hairPubic hair is hair in the frontal genital area, the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs; these areas form the pubic region....
, taken from an issue of HustlerHustlerHustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was a step forward from the Hustler Newsletter which was cheap advertising for his strip club businesses at the time. The magazine grew from a shaky start to...
magazine, caused controversy. The record company ended up putting out an alternative cover that blacked out the offending image.
- The album cover's depiction of pubic hair
- Eric BanaEric BanaEric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
– Out of Bounds (1994)- The cover art features Bana naked from behind while streakingStreakingStreaking is the act of running nude through a public place.-History:On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested at the Mansion House, London, and sent to the Poultry Compter...
at a crowded Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
game. He is reaching for the ball and his buttocks are covered with the message "contents may offend". The scene was created digitally, with the overlap of two photos. An alternative cover for the album was later released.
- The cover art features Bana naked from behind while streaking
- PanteraPanteraPantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
– Far Beyond DrivenFar Beyond DrivenFar Beyond Driven is the seventh album by American groove metal band Pantera. It was released on March 22, 1994 through East West Records. Upon its release, it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200...
(1994)- The album cover featured the picture of a drillbit impacting an anus. Copies of this album were banned and an alternative cover was created, featuring the drillbit impacting a skull. However, the remastered vinyl version contains the original artwork.
- ChumbawambaChumbawambaChumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music...
– AnarchyAnarchy (Chumbawamba album)Anarchy is a 1994 album by anarcho-punk band Chumbawamba. Many of the tracks address specific social problems, such as homophobia, strikes or fascism....
(1994)- The cover art features a close-up photo of a baby's head exiting from its mother's vagina during birth.
- Sugar RaySugar RaySugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
– Lemonade and BrowniesLemonade and BrowniesLemonade and Brownies is the name of Sugar Ray's debut album, released in 1995.DJ Lethal produced for the album, providing all of the DJing...
(1995)- The cover art features actress Nicole EggertNicole EggertNicole Elizabeth Eggert is an American actress. Notable roles include Jamie Powell in the television series Charles in Charge and Summer Quinn in the TV Series Baywatch. She was most recently a contestant on the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club.-Early life:Eggert was born in Glendale,...
posing naked. One of her breasts is exposed, though the nipple is covered by the white fur she is laying down on.
- The cover art features actress Nicole Eggert
- NOFXNOFXNOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
– Heavy Petting ZooHeavy Petting ZooHeavy Petting Zoo is the sixth studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on January 31, 1996 through Epitaph Records.-Overview:...
(1996)- The cover art for Heavy Petting Zoo, by illustrator Mark deSalvo, depicts a man sexually touching a sheep. The LP version was even more graphic, showing the same man and sheep, except in Position 69. The title itself is a play on words, with the phrases heavy petting and petting zoo combined to suggest taboo human-to-animal interactions. The alternate LP title, Eating Lamb, suggests both regular eating and the slang use that means performing oral sex, and the cover art shows a human "eating [a] lamb" in the latter sense.
- MinistryMinistry (band)Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
– Dark Side of the SpoonDark Side of the SpoonDark Side of the Spoon is the seventh studio album by industrial metal band Ministry, released in 1999 through Warner Bros. Records. "Bad Blood" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2000....
(1999)- The album's cover depcits a naked obese woman seated in front of a blackboard where the words "I will be god" are written numerous times. The cover generated some controversy when retailer KmartKmartKmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
refused to stock it in its stores. In the album's insert, the same woman covers her breasts with her hands, and her behindButtocksThe buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
is also exposed on both the insert and back cover. Despite the controversy, no clean cover has existed.
- The album's cover depcits a naked obese woman seated in front of a blackboard where the words "I will be god" are written numerous times. The cover generated some controversy when retailer Kmart
- The StrokesThe StrokesThe Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
– Is This ItIs This ItIs This It is the debut studio album by American indie rock band The Strokes. Recorded at Transporterraum in New York City with producer Gordon Raphael, after meeting at an early show at Luna Lounge, a former venue on the Lower East Side in NYC, the album was first released on July 30, 2001 in...
(2001)- The original cover art featured a photograph of a woman's nude bottom and hip, with a leather-gloved hand suggestively resting on it. Copies of this album were banned and the cover art was changed to a microscopic close-up of particle collisionsParticle acceleratorA particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
.
- The original cover art featured a photograph of a woman's nude bottom and hip, with a leather-gloved hand suggestively resting on it. Copies of this album were banned and the cover art was changed to a microscopic close-up of particle collisions
- Ted NugentTed NugentTheodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
– Love GrenadeLove GrenadeLove Grenade is Ted Nugent's 20th studio album. It was released on September 4, 2007. It was recorded at DRS Studios in Waco, Texas. Sales figures, however, have been low, with the album only selling 3,600 copies in its first week, landing it at #186 on the Billboard 200...
(2007)- The original cover featured a nude woman on a silver platter, with her hands tied behind her back and a grenade in her mouth. The side of the woman's breast is visible, though the nipple is covered by her leg. Outcry over the cover lead to its being replaced with a hand grenadeHand grenadeA hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
adorned with a pink ribbon.
- The original cover featured a nude woman on a silver platter, with her hands tied behind her back and a grenade in her mouth. The side of the woman's breast is visible, though the nipple is covered by her leg. Outcry over the cover lead to its being replaced with a hand grenade
- Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
– My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)- Soon after publishing by TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
cover image from his new album, the singer Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
said that retail stores will refuse to sell their album in the United States. However, according to the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, the image was not censored. A source told the newspaper that there was only an effort to convince Kanye West to use another image, since some stores could boycott the album's release.
- Soon after publishing by Twitter
Religious
- DioDio (band)Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
– Holy DiverHoly DiverHoly Diver is the debut album from American heavy metal band Dio.-History:Released on May 25, 1983, the album has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March...
(1983)- The original cover offended churches because it looks as if the monster on the album was killing a Roman Catholic priest.
- PoisonPoison (band)Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
– Open Up and Say...Ahh!Open Up and Say...Ahh!Open Up and Say... Ahh! is the second studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1988 through the Enigma label. The album, which ultimately sold eight million copies worldwide , proved to be the band's most successful release...
(1988)- The original cover offended churches and parental groups in a satanic panic because it featured model "Bambi" dressed as a luminous red demon with a protruding tongue.
- Killing JokeKilling JokeKilling Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
– Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!Laugh? I Nearly Bought One! is a compilation album by Killing Joke, released in 1992. The album contains tracks from every album Killing Joke had released at that time, except Fire Dances and Outside The Gate. It also featured a previously unreleased mix of "Wintergardens" and several non-album...
(1992)- The cover features a priest blessing Nazi soldiers, which resulted in the band being prevented from playing in Glasgow, Scotland.
- DeicideDeicide (band)Deicide is an American death metal band formed in 1987. Their first two albums, Deicide and Legion, are ranked second and third place in best-selling death metal albums of the SoundScan era.-As Amon/Carnage :...
– Once Upon the Cross (1995)- The original cover was going to depict a disemboweled Jesus Christ, but it was too controversial and would offend churches. Their then-label Roadrunner RecordsRoadrunner RecordsRoadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
had to cover it up with a bloody sheet over the disemboweled Jesus Christ.
- The original cover was going to depict a disemboweled Jesus Christ, but it was too controversial and would offend churches. Their then-label Roadrunner Records
- AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
– Nine LivesNine Lives (Aerosmith album)-Bonus track :-Bonus tracks :-Bonus tracks :-Bonus tracks :-Artwork:...
(1997)- The original cover aroused the anger of some HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s who felt the artwork, taken from Hindu imagery and altered by giving the dancing figure a cat's head, was offensive. The band, who had been unaware of the source of the artwork, and record company apologized, and changed the artwork.
- The original cover aroused the anger of some Hindu
- Marilyn MansonMarilyn MansonMarilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
– The Last Tour On EarthThe Last Tour on EarthThe Last Tour on Earth is a live album comprising recordings from Marilyn Manson's Mechanical Animals and Rock is Dead tours. On the studio version of "The Dope Show", Manson says that drugs "are made in California", but in the live version, he says that "drugs, they say, are made right here in...
(1999)- The cover features a burning cross and was offensive to many Christians, but the cover remained unchanged.
- P.O.D.P.O.D.Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...
– The Fundamental Elements of SouthtownThe Fundamental Elements of SouthtownThe Limited Edition Bonus EP was released by P.O.D. as a free CD given away with the purchase of their first mainstream album, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, in 1999. It contained a new version of the song "Draw the Line" and the demo version of "Lie Down"...
(1999)- Many Christian stores refused to carry the album due to its surreal cover art, so an alternative cover that was black and featured the band's name and album title was released for Christian markets.
- SlayerSlayerSlayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
– God Hates Us AllGod Hates Us AllGod Hates Us All is the ninth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer. Released on September 11, 2001, the album received positive critical reviews, although it entered the Billboard 200 at number 28. It was recorded in three months at The Warehouse Studio in Canada, and includes the...
(2001)- The cover depicts a Bible spiked with nails, covered in blood and "Slayer" burnt across it, while the liner notes feature Bible verses crossed out with a black marker. The cover art was deemed "too graphic" by some audiences, so a slipcase was placed in front of the cover.
- Tenacious DTenacious DTenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
– Tenacious DTenacious D (album)Tenacious D is the first studio album by American comedy rock band Tenacious D, released on September 25, 2001 by Epic Records. The album's polished production was a departure from the band's acoustic origins, due in part to the production of the Dust Brothers."Tribute" was the first single...
(2001)- The album cover depicts a parody of the TarotTarotThe tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
card The DevilThe Devil (Tarot card)The Devil is the fifteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Symbolism :...
, showing the devil along with both members in the band below the devil naked. Because of the cover's satanic nature, the album was briefly recalled from stores.
- The album cover depicts a parody of the Tarot
- SlayerSlayerSlayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
– Christ IllusionChrist IllusionChrist Illusion is the tenth studio album by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Released on August 8, 2006, the album received generally favorable critical reviews, and it entered the Billboard 200 at number 5—the band's highest U.S. chart position to date...
(2006)- The cover depicts a mutilated, stoned Christ in a sea of blood with mutilated heads. For stores who refused to sell the album with the original cover, an alternative cover was provided instead. In India, Joseph Dias, general secretary of the Mumbai Christian group Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), took "strong exception" to the original album artwork, and issued a memorandum to Mumbai's police commissioner in protest. As a result, all Indian stocks were recalled and destroyed.
Trademark
- Bob DylanBob Dylan (album)Bob Dylan is the debut album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in March 1962 on Columbia Records. It features two original compositions, the rest being old folk standards, and was produced by Columbia's legendary talent scout John H...
– Blonde on BlondeBlonde on BlondeBlonde on Blonde is American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's seventh studio album, released in May or June 1966 on Columbia Records and produced by Bob Johnston. Recording sessions commenced in New York in October 1965, with a plethora of backing musicians, including members of Dylan's live backing...
(1966)- The original inside gatefold featured nine black-and-white photos, including a shot of actress Claudia CardinaleClaudia CardinaleClaudia Cardinale is an Italian actress, and has appeared in some of the most prominent European films of the 1960s and 1970s. The majority of Cardinale's films have been either Italian or French...
that Dylan selected from Schatzberg's portfolio. Since it had been used without her authorization, Cardinale's photo was subsequently removed, making the original record sleeve a collector's item.
- The original inside gatefold featured nine black-and-white photos, including a shot of actress Claudia Cardinale
- Richard PryorRichard PryorRichard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
– Richard PryorRichard Pryor (album)Richard Pryor is the debut album of comedian Richard Pryor. It was recorded live at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.-Track listing:#"Super Nigger" - 3:16#"Girls" - 3:25#"Farting" - 2:02#"Prison Play" - 9:12#"T.V. Panel Show" - 7:09...
(1968)- The debut album of comedian Richard Pryor was recorded live at The TroubadourThe TroubadourThe Troubadour is a nightclub located in West Hollywood, California, USA, at 9081 Santa Monica Boulevard just east of Doheny Drive and the border of Beverly Hills.The club was founded in 1957 by Doug Weston...
in West Hollywood, California. The cover was art directed and designed by Gary BurdenGary BurdenGary Burden is an American artist specializing in the field of album covers. He is considered as one of the pioneers of the concept of album cover art. In the 1960s and '70s he designed covers for many rock stars, such as Mama Cass, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Joni Mitchell, The Doors, The Eagles...
. According to Burden, As a result of the Richard Pryor album cover, which I loved doing, I got two letters: One was a letter from the National Geographic Society’s attorneys offering to sue me for defaming their publication. The second letter was a Grammy nomination for the best album cover.
- The debut album of comedian Richard Pryor was recorded live at The Troubadour
- Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
– UmmagummaUmmagummaUmmagumma is a double album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1969 by Harvest and EMI in the United Kingdom and Harvest and Capitol in the United States...
(1969)- On the original UK pressings appears the album from the film GigiGigi (1958 film)Gigi is a 1958 musical film directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner is based on the 1944 novella of the same name by Colette...
; to avoid copyright infringement, the Gigi image is removed in US releases.
- On the original UK pressings appears the album from the film Gigi
- Psychic TVPsychic TVPsychic TV or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music...
– Tune In (Turn On The Acid House)Tune In (Turn On The Acid House)Tune In is a single by Psychic TV. The title references Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out, a phrase by Timothy Leary.The album was initially pressed to DC Records however after copyright issues of using Superman on the artwork it was repressed by Temple Records with alternate songs.-Original DC...
(1988)- The album was initially pressed to DC Records however after copyright issues of using Superman on the artwork it was repressed by Temple Records with alternate songs.
- NegativlandNegativlandNegativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song...
– U2U2 (EP)U2 is an EP by the experimental music and sound collage band Negativland, released in 1991. The EP and the band gained notoriety when lawyers representing Island Records, the record label of the band U2, sued over misleading artwork and the use of unauthorized sampling.-History:After Helter Stupid,...
(1991)- The cover features the album title, "U2", as a very large logo, with the band's name in small text beneath the album. Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
sued the band for the use of the misleading album cover because "U2" is trademark of the label. The cover is both misleading and an attempt to confuse fans of U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, an Irish band of the same name, to make fans believe it is a new album by U2. The songs on the album were too controversial, as they were versions of a song by the Irish band U2 which were copied without permission.
- The cover features the album title, "U2", as a very large logo, with the band's name in small text beneath the album. Island Records
- The Beautiful SouthThe Beautiful SouthThe Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
– MiaowMiaow (album)Miaow is the fourth album by The Beautiful South. It was released in March 1994.As with most Beautiful South albums, the songs were written by Dave Rotheray and Paul Heaton. The songs reflect a depressing moment in Heaton's life, and this continues with the follow-up album Blue is the Colour...
(1994)- The cover originally depicted rows of dogs seated in a music hall with a gramophone on the stage. However, HMVHMVHis Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
made the band withdraw it as it mocked their trademark dog, and the band put out a second cover, depicting four dogs in a boat.
- The cover originally depicted rows of dogs seated in a music hall with a gramophone on the stage. However, HMV
- MillencolinMillencolinMillencolin is a punk rock band that was formed in October 1992 by Nikola Šarčević, Mathias Färm, and Erik Ohlsson in Örebro, Sweden. In early 1993, drummer Fredrik Larzon joined the band...
– Tiny TunesSame Old TunesSame Old Tunes is the debut album by the Swedish punk rock group Millencolin, released on October 28, 1994 in Sweden by Burning Heart Records under the original title Tiny Tunes....
(1994)- The album's title and cover art mimicked the cartoon television show Tiny Toon AdventuresTiny Toon AdventuresSteven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures, usually referred to as Tiny Toon Adventures or simply Tiny Toons, is an American animated television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. It began production as a result of Warner Bros....
, leading to a number of copyright infringementCopyright infringementCopyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
lawsuits against the band by Warner Brothers, this led to the name being changed to Same Old Tunes and replacing the cover.
- The album's title and cover art mimicked the cartoon television show Tiny Toon Adventures
- Matchbox TwentyMatchbox TwentyMatchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
- Yourself or Someone Like YouYourself or someone like youYourself or Someone Like You is the debut album by American rock band Matchbox Twenty, released in 1996. Featuring a traditional rock sound and themes of loneliness, psychological abuse, humiliation, anger, and alcoholism, the album sold more than twelve million copies in the U.S and was certified...
(1996)- In May 2005 Matchbox Twenty was sued by the subject of the cover, Frank Torres. Torres claimed that the band had never sought his permission to use his photo on the album's cover and that the photo had been the cause of mental anguish. Torres justified the delay in suing Matchbox Twenty by claiming he had only seen the album photo within the last two years.
- Sufjan StevensSufjan StevensSufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
– IllinoisIllinois (album)Illinois is a 2005 concept album by American indie folk songwriter Sufjan Stevens. His fifth studio album, Illinois features songs referencing places, events, and persons related to the U.S. state of Illinois...
(2005)- The original cover featured a likeness to SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
on the front cover. After a cease-and-desist letter from DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, Asthmatic KittyAsthmatic KittyAsthmatic Kitty is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by a community of musicians from Holland, Michigan led by musician Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather Lowell Brams. Some were Holland natives, and others had come to attend local colleges and universities...
(Sufjan Stevens' Recording Label) covered the image with a sticker featuring balloons. The balloons were eventually added in place of SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
on the cover art in subsequent releases.
- The original cover featured a likeness to Superman
- The Chemical BrothersThe Chemical BrothersThe Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
– We Are the NightWe Are the NightWe Are the Night is the sixth studio album by English big beat duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 27 June 2007. The record entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1 and debuted at number 65 on the Billboard 200...
(2007)- The original cover, which featured human eyes on human hands, resembled a work by Herbert BayerHerbert BayerHerbert Bayer was an Austrian American graphic designer, painter, photographer, sculptor, art director, environmental & interior designer, and architect, who was widely recognized as the last living member of the Bauhaus and was instrumental in the development of the Atlantic Richfield Company's...
and was discontinued in 2008 due to legal reasons. The cover was replaced with a purple silhouette of the hands.
- The original cover, which featured human eyes on human hands, resembled a work by Herbert Bayer
- Crystal CastlesCrystal Castles (band)Crystal Castles are an experimental electronic band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of producer Ethan Kath and lyricist and vocalist Alice Glass. Crystal Castles are known for their chaotic live shows and their lo-fi home productions. The duo released many limited EPs between 2006 and...
- Crystal Castles (2008)- The albums original artwork, a black and white image of MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
with a black eye with 'c/r/y/s/t/a/l c/a/s/t/l/e/s' written across it, was originally going to be cover art of the bands debut album but the artist who created the image sued them because they did not have copyright. Instead an image of both members of the band standing in a street, leaning forward so their faces cannot be seen was hastily taken and used for artwork. However the Madonna image already featured on band merchandise and as the art for their first single "Alice PracticeAlice PracticeAlice Practice is the debut release from Crystal Castles. The release was limited to 500 copies on 7" vinyl and sold out in 3 days, driving collectors to eBay where the vinyl has sold for $300 in mint condition. The track Alice Practice itself is a soundcheck which was secretly recorded by the...
" so they were forced to buy rights to the image.
- The albums original artwork, a black and white image of Madonna
- Vampire WeekendVampire WeekendVampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard...
- ContraContra (album)Contra is the second album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200...
(2010)- The cover art, taken in the 1980s, features a blond girl staring into the camera with an unidentifiable expression on her face. The band are currently being sued by the model, Kirsten Kennis, who claims the photographer who sold the image to the band did not take the picture and she was not aware her image was being used until she saw the copy her teenage daughter had bought.
Others
- The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
- Yesterday and TodayYesterday and TodayYesterday and Today is the ninth Capitol release by The Beatles and the eleventh overall American release. It was issued only in the United States and Canada...
(1966)- This album is remembered primarily for the controversy surrounding its original cover image, the aptly named "butcher cover" featuring the band dressed in white smocks and covered with decapitated baby dolls and pieces of meat. The album was recalled after an outcry and had an alternate picture of the Beatles cover pasted over it.
- The Mamas & the PapasThe Mamas & the PapasThe Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
- If You Can Believe Your Eyes and EarsIf You Can Believe Your Eyes and EarsIf You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears is the 1966 debut album by The Mamas & the Papas . In 2003, the album was ranked number 127 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time....
(1966)- The original cover featured the group sitting in a bathtub with a toilet in the corner of the room. In a move reflecting the moresMoresMores, in sociology, are any given society's particular norms, virtues, or values. The word mores is a plurale tantum term borrowed from Latin, which has been used in the English language since the 1890s....
of the time (1966), this cover was pulled from stores after the toilet was declared indecent . A second cover was then released with a list of hit songs on the album obscuring the toilet, followed by a third with a black border that removed any hint that the picture was taken in a bathroom.
- The original cover featured the group sitting in a bathtub with a toilet in the corner of the room. In a move reflecting the mores
- The Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
– Beggars BanquetBeggars Banquet- Personnel :The Rolling Stones* Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, harmonica on "Parachute Woman"* Keith Richards – acoustic and electric guitar, bass guitar on "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man", backing vocals, lead vocals on opening of "Salt of the Earth"* Brian...
(1968)- The cover photo that the band intended to use was taken in a filthy lavatory. The record label refused to distribute the record with this photo, so a plain white cover with the name of the record was substituted. The original artwork has been restored to recent CD reissues.
- The Mothers of InventionThe Mothers of InventionThe Mothers of Invention were an American band active from 1964 to 1969, and again from 1970 to 1975.They mainly performed works by, and were the original recording group of, US composer and guitarist Frank Zappa , although other members have had the occasional writing credit...
– We're Only in It for the MoneyWe're Only in It for the MoneyWe're Only in It For the Money is the third studio album by The Mothers of Invention, released in March 1968. The album peaked at number thirty on the Billboard 200...
(1968)- The front cover of the album was originally intended as a parody of the cover for The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
, which was released a year before. However, this caused controversy and at the insistence of Verve RecordsVerve RecordsVerve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
, the image became part of the gatefold sleeve. Instead of the parody of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the cover art depcited a groupshot of the band members, although some later reissues feature the former cover.
- The front cover of the album was originally intended as a parody of the cover for The Beatles
- Alice CooperAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
- Love It to DeathLove It to DeathRolling Stones John Mendelsohn found it favorable. He explained that it "represents at least a modest oasis in the desert of dreary blue-jeaned aloofness served up in concert by most American rock-and-rollers." However, referring to "Black Juju" he also stated that "the one bummer on this album is...
(1971)- The album cover caused much controversy at the time of its release due to Cooper's thumb sticking out of his pants, thus giving the illusion that it is his penisPenisThe penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
, leading Warner Brothers to censor it (four different versions of the front cover exist on LP). Cooper's thumbThumbThe thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
is clearly airbrushed out on censored versions.
- The album cover caused much controversy at the time of its release due to Cooper's thumb sticking out of his pants, thus giving the illusion that it is his penis
- Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- BenBen (album)Ben is the second studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on August 4, 1972, while Jackson was still a member of The Jackson 5. The album received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Ben was more successful on music charts than Jackson's previous...
(1972)- The original cover of the album depicted Jackson above a number of killer rats. Whilst the rats were not depicted as being killer, the same image was used for the film Ben, which was about killer rats. Motown RecordsMotown RecordsMotown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
discovered that the cover could scare children from buying the album, thus a 'second' cover replaced the original one, showing the same image except the rats were removed.
- The original cover of the album depicted Jackson above a number of killer rats. Whilst the rats were not depicted as being killer, the same image was used for the film Ben, which was about killer rats. Motown Records
- ScorpionsScorpions (band)Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
- Taken by ForceTaken by ForceNote that most versions of this album feature an edited version of 'The Sails of Charon'. The editing removes a "psychedelic" like sound-effects introduction. The intro doesn't actually contain any music performed by the band...
(1977)- The album cover shows a man being shot by another man in a grave yard with a gun, with many cross tombstones clearly marking that the dead man is due to be buried under one of the crosses. The album cover was replaced in some regions with a different cover.
- Lynyrd SkynyrdLynyrd SkynyrdLynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
- Street SurvivorsStreet SurvivorsStreet Survivors is the fifth studio album by Southern rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on October 17, 1977. The LP is the last Skynyrd album ever recorded by original members Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, and is the sole Skynyrd studio recording by guitarist Steve Gaines...
(1977)- The original cover sleeve for Street Survivors had featured a photograph of the band, particularly Steve Gaines, engulfed in flames. Five days after the album was released, several of the band members were killed in a fiery plane crash. Out of respect for the deceased (and at the request of Teresa Gaines, Steve Gaines' widow), MCA Records withdrew the original cover and replaced it with a similar image of the band against a simple black background. Thirty years later, for the deluxe CD version of Street Survivors, the original "flames" cover was restored.
- Cannibal CorpseCannibal CorpseCannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...
(1990–2006)- Most albums by death metalDeath metalDeath metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Cannibal Corpse were banned in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
until June 2006, due to the graphic cover art on their albums. For example, Tomb of the MutilatedTomb of the MutilatedTomb of the Mutilated is the third studio album by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse. It was released in 1992 through Metal Blade Records and is the last album featuring founding guitarist Bob Rusay...
featured one corpse performing cunnilingusCunnilingusCunnilingus is an oral sex act performed on a female. It involves the use by a sex partner of the mouth, lips and tongue to stimulate the female's clitoris, vulva, or vagina...
on another. The censored version features a further corpse presumably watching the act (not shown) in adoration.
- Most albums by death metal
- U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
- BoyBoy (album)Boy is the debut album from Irish rock band U2, released October 20, 1980. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the album received generally positive reviews. Common themes among the album's songs are the thoughts and frustrations of adolescence. The album included the band's first United Kingdom hit...
(1980)- The album features the head and shoulders of a shirtless young boy on the cover. The subject is Peter Rowan, brother of a friend of Bono's, who also appears on the cover of War and other U2 releases. The Canadian and U.S. releases of Boy featured distorted images of the band members on the cover.
- Yoko OnoYoko Onois a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
- Season of GlassSeason of GlassSeason of Glass is a 1981 album by Yoko Ono, her first solo recording after the murder of her husband John Lennon. The album was released less than six months after Lennon's death and deals with it directly in songs such as "Goodbye Sadness" and "I Don't Know Why".The front cover features Lennon's...
(1981)- The cover caused controversy when it was admitted that the blood-stained glasses on the front cover were actually those of John Lennon which he was wearing after he was murdered, with the blood-stains being his own. Ono once explained that she chose this cover to "remind people that John didn't just die... he had been murdered".
- Black SabbathBlack SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
- Born Again (1983)- The cover art, designed by Steve Joule, features an image of an infant with hornHorn (anatomy)A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...
s and vampireVampireVampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
fangCanine toothIn mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dogteeth, fangs, or eye teeth, are relatively long, pointed teeth...
s. The cover eventually caused controversy and has been hated by some fans. Drummer Bill Ward has said that he did not like the album's cover and according to him, then-singer Ian GillanIan GillanIan Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
told the press that he vomited when he first saw the cover. Guitarist Tony IommiTony IommiAnthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
approved the album cover. Despite the controversy, the album has never had an alternate cover.
- The cover art, designed by Steve Joule, features an image of an infant with horn
- OverkillOverkill (band)Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...
- !!!Fuck You!!!!!!Fuck You!!!!!!Fuck You!!! is an EP released by thrash metal band Overkill in 1987. Consisting of a cover version of the song "Fuck You" , the EP also featured 5 live tracks recorded at The Phantasy Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio...
(1987)- The original cover art featured a hand gesturing an upraised middle finger. The 19901990 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
CD re-issue was sold with a reversible cover art booklet. The visible side when sold in the stores was a simple field of white with the band's logo, the album name reading as !!!**** You!!!, with a subhead that read "The Record THEY tried to ban". A Parental AdvisoryParental AdvisoryParental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
logo appeared in the lower right corner. The original cover art was able to be used if the booklet was opened and reversed by creasing the cover the opposite way. The expanded re-release, entitled !!!Fuck You!!! and Then Some!!!Fuck You!!! And then Some!!!Fuck You!!! and Then Some is a 1996 reissue of the Overkill EPs Overkill and !!!Fuck You!!! , combined with bonus live tracks, including a cover of Black Sabbath's "Hole in the Sky."- Track listing :...
, displayed the original cover photo.
- The original cover art featured a hand gesturing an upraised middle finger. The 1990
- Guns N' RosesGuns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
- G N' R LiesG N' R Lies-Personnel:*W. Axl Rose - lead vocals, whistle on "Patience"*Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, rhythm acoustic guitar on tracks 5-8, backing vocals*Slash - lead guitar, lead acoustic guitar on tracks 5-8...
(1988)- The album cover depicts a newspaper article with various text written on it, alongside images. The original version of the album cover included the headines "Wife-beating has been around for 10,000 years" and "Ladies, welcome to the dark ages", which both become very controversial, due to the misogynyMisogynyMisogyny is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Philogyny, meaning fondness, love or admiration towards women, is the antonym of misogyny. The term misandry is the term for men that is parallel to misogyny...
nature of both sentences. They were quickly replaced with "Lies Lies Lies" and "Elephant Gives Birth to Midget" respectively.
- The album cover depicts a newspaper article with various text written on it, alongside images. The original version of the album cover included the headines "Wife-beating has been around for 10,000 years" and "Ladies, welcome to the dark ages", which both become very controversial, due to the misogyny
- AutopsyAutopsy (band)Autopsy is a death metal band, founded in 1987 in the United States by Chris Reifert. They disbanded in 1995, but have reunited as of July 2009.-Biography:...
- Severed SurvivalSevered SurvivalSevered Survival is the debut album by Autopsy released in 1989. This album somewhat continues in the style of Reifert's former band Death, blended with odd drum fills and breaks, more extreme vocals and the technical bass playing of Steve DiGiorgio. Lyrically the band thrives heavily on horror and...
(1989)- Two covers of this album exist but both of them have gained controversy: the original album cover depicts a creature with a hook in his tongue and is about to be slaugthered by some sharp objects, while the second cover depicts the point of view of the person receiving autopsy. The album has never had a "clean" cover.
- The Beautiful SouthThe Beautiful SouthThe Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
- Welcome to the Beautiful SouthWelcome to the Beautiful SouthWelcome to the Beautiful South is the debut album by The Beautiful South released in August 1989. Three singles were released from the album: "Song for Whoever" , "You Keep It All In" and "I'll Sail This Ship Alone" ....
(1989)- The album cover originally depicted two pictures, one of a woman with a gun in her mouth, and another with a man smoking. The cover was banned by WoolworthsWoolworths GroupWoolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
because they thought it might cause people to take up smoking; the picture of the woman with a gun in her mouth also offended. As a result, a second cover was made, depicting a fluffy rabbit and a teddy bear.
- The album cover originally depicted two pictures, one of a woman with a gun in her mouth, and another with a man smoking. The cover was banned by Woolworths
- The OffspringThe OffspringThe Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
- The OffspringThe Offspring (album)-Side 1:-Side 2:* Track 11 was removed from album printings after June 2001. On the official Offspring website, "Kill the President" is not mentioned in the track list.-Track notes:* Track 1, "Jennifer Lost the War", is featured on Punk-O-Rama Volume 1....
(1989)- The album cover originally featured a picture of a man's body exploding as a creature resembling the xenomorphXenomorphXenomorph may refer to:*Xenomorph , a geological term*Alien , the fictional extraterrestrial species in the Alien films*Xenomorph , Dutch Death Metal band...
from the AlienAlien (franchise)The Alien film series is a science fiction horror film franchise, focusing on Lieutenant Ellen Ripley and her battle with an extraterrestrial lifeform, commonly referred to as "the Alien"...
franchise holding a StratocasterFender StratocasterThe Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
guitar emerges from his chest. Copies of this album were banned and an alternative cover was created for later reissues.
- The album cover originally featured a picture of a man's body exploding as a creature resembling the xenomorph
- PestilencePestilence (band)Pestilence is a death metal band from the Netherlands founded in 1986. Later they incorporated more jazz and fusion elements into their music. After disbanding in order to pursue other musical directions in 1994, Pestilence has reunited in 2008...
- Consuming ImpulseConsuming ImpulseConsuming Impulse is the second album by the Dutch death metal band Pestilence. It received high regards from death metal fans as soon as it was released. 'Consuming Impulse' is often cited as a high point of original death metal movement...
(1989)- The album cover was originally going to depict a group of people eating each other, but at the last minute, without the band's permission, Pestilence's then-label Roadrunner RecordsRoadrunner RecordsRoadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
replaced the cover; the band never liked the outcome. The replacement cover features a face covered with ants.
- The album cover was originally going to depict a group of people eating each other, but at the last minute, without the band's permission, Pestilence's then-label Roadrunner Records
- ParisParis (rapper)Oscar Jackson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Paris is an American rapper from San Francisco, California, known for his highly charged political and socially conscious lyrics...
- The Devil Made Me Do ItThe Devil Made Me Do ItThe Devil Made Me Do It was the 1990 debut album of militant Black nationalist rapper Paris. MTV banned the title track. The 13-track vinyl record version of The Devil Made Me Do It was released in Spring 1988 on Tommy Boy Records. Paris toured the USA and Europe that year to promote the record...
(1990)- The album cover originally showed a picture of a police officer choke-holding a young black male, it was later replaced with a face shot of Paris, himself.
- Paris - Sleepin With the EnemySleeping with the Enemy (Paris album)Sleeping With the Enemy is the second album of U.S. militant political rapper Paris. Released in 1992, it stimulated much controversy with the songs "Bush Killa" and "Coffee, Donuts & Death,"...
(1992)- The original album cover showed Paris hiding behind a tree with a gun (while then-president Bush was waving to the crowd) waiting to assassinate him. Like his previous album, the final release showed another regular face shot of him.
- Ugly Kid JoeUgly Kid JoeUgly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California. The band's name spoofs that of another band, Pretty Boy Floyd. Ugly Kid Joe's sound includes a range of styles, including rock, glam metal, hard rock and heavy metal....
- America's Least WantedAmerica's Least WantedAmerica's Least Wanted is the full-length debut album by rock band Ugly Kid Joe, released in September 1992 . The title is a parody of the famous phrase "America's Most Wanted". "Cat's in the Cradle" is a cover of American singer/songwriter Harry Chapin.Two of the songs had previously been...
(1992)- The album cover depicts the impostor statue of liberty's right hand gesturing an upraised middle finger. Several national chains refused to sell the album, and a more censored version was manufactured for some retailers that featured the same boy on the original cover, who is tied up and wrapped in chains, and has his right hand covered in duct tape.
- BrujeriaBrujeria (band)Brujeria is an extreme metal band formed in Tijuana, Mexico in 1989. Their name comes from the Spanish word for "witchcraft". Their songs, which are sung in Spanish, are focused on Satanism, anti-Christianity, sex, immigration, narcotics smuggling, politics....
- Matando GüerosMatando GüerosMatando Güeros is the debut album from the band Brujeria. The album talks mostly about killing white Americans and border crossing. "Güero" is a Mexican-Spanish slang term for a pale-skinned or blonde-haired person, often used as a slur....
(1993)- The album cover depicts a person out of shot holding up a decapitated head, which was taken from Mexican newspaper ¡Alarma! Because of that cover, some stores in the United States and other countries refuse to sell the album. Roadrunner released a censored version with the cover showing just the name of the band and album title on a black background.
- Ice-TICE-T* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
- Home Invasion (1993)- The album's cover depicted a white boy listening to rap music in the midst of a home invasion in which Blacks are attacking Whites (presumably the boy's parents). Sire RecordsSire RecordsSire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
, owned by Time WarnerTime WarnerTime Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
, refused to release the album with the cover, and Ice-T resigned from the label as a result.
- The album's cover depicted a white boy listening to rap music in the midst of a home invasion in which Blacks are attacking Whites (presumably the boy's parents). Sire Records
- NirvanaNirvana (band)Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
- In Utero (1993)- When In Utero was released, there were many objections to the song "Rape MeRape Me"Rape Me" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the second single from Nirvana's third album In Utero in 1993, packaged as a double A-side along with "All Apologies"...
", despite the band's claims that the lyrics were "anti-rape." Wal-MartWal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
and KmartKmartKmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
also refused to stock the album because of its artwork (featuring an anatomical figure and model fetuses), so a "clean" version was released for them which featured an altered version of the back cover collage and listed the title "Rape Me" as "Waif Me", though the song remained unchanged.
- When In Utero was released, there were many objections to the song "Rape Me
- MayhemMayhem (band)Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
- Dawn of the Black HeartsDawn of the Black HeartsDawn of the Black Hearts is a bootleg live album by the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. It is infamous for bearing a photograph of Mayhem's vocalist, Dead , after his suicide in April 1991. This photograph was allegedly taken by Mayhem's guitarist, Euronymous , upon discovering Dead's body...
(1995)- Infamous for bearing a photograph of Mayhem's vocalist, Dead (Per Yngve OhlinDead (musician)Per Yngve Ohlin , better known by his stage name Dead, was a Swedish black metal vocalist best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Mayhem...
), after his suicide in April 1991. This photograph was allegedly taken by Mayhem's guitarist, Euronymous (Øystein AarsethEuronymousØystein Aarseth , who went by the pseudonym Euronymous, was a Norwegian guitarist and co-founder of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem...
), upon discovering Dead's body.
- Infamous for bearing a photograph of Mayhem's vocalist, Dead (Per Yngve Ohlin
- Master PMaster PPercy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...
- Ghetto DGhetto DGhetto D is the sixth studio album by rapper Master P. One of the songs in Ghetto D, "Make 'Em Say Uhh!", is ranked at #36 on Blender's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever", and at #60 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever by Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio. In 2008, it ranked #94 on VH1's 100...
(1997)- The original album cover was pulled from the shelves deemed inappropriate. It depicted a crack addict sitting on the curb smoking from a glass pipe. It was promptly replaced by a collage style cover.
- PitchshifterPitchshifterPitchshifter are a British five-piece electronic-metal band from Nottingham, United Kingdom formed in 1989. The band was started by bassist and vocalist Mark Clayden, lead guitarist and programmer Johnny A...
- DeviantDeviant (Pitchshifter album)- Album cover ban:Pitchshifter's album cover used a picture of one of Gee Vaucher's Paintings, who did artwork for Crass and Carcass. The painting shows a cross between the Pope John Paul II and Queen Elizabeth II. The album cover was banned in Poland, due to the some of the public's response and...
(2000)- Pitchshifter's album cover used a picture of one of Gee Vaucher's Paintings which the painting shows a cross between the Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
and Queen Elizabeth II. The album cover was banned in PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, due to the some of the public's response to the image of the Pope John Paul cross between Queen Elizabeth II.
- Pitchshifter's album cover used a picture of one of Gee Vaucher's Paintings which the painting shows a cross between the Pope John Paul II
- Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
- Live Scenes from New YorkLive Scenes from New York-Disc two:-Disc three:-Personnel:* James LaBrie – vocals and percussion* John Myung – bass guitars* John Petrucci – guitars and backing vocals* Mike Portnoy – drums and backing vocals* Jordan Rudess – keyboards-Additional Personnel:...
(2001)- This is a 3 disc live album originally released on September 11, 2001, but when it was noticed that the cover artwork depicted the twin towers of the World Trade Center in flames, it was recalled and re-released a short time later with different artwork.
- The CoupThe CoupThe Coup is a political hip hop group based in Oakland, California. It formed as a three-member group in 1992 with emcees Raymond "Boots" Riley and E-Roc along with DJ Pam the Funkstress. E-Roc left on amicable terms after the group's second album but appears on the track "Breathing Apparatus" on...
- Party MusicParty MusicParty Music is the fourth studio album by The Coup, an alternative hip hop group based in Oakland, California.The album was originally released by 75 Ark Records and has since been re-released by Epitaph Records after the group's signing in 2004....
(2001)- The original cover art, designed in June 2001, depicted Boots Riley and Pam the Funkstress appearing to detonate the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. After the September 11 attacks, the album's release was delayed until November 2001 to allow new cover art to be used.
- Arctic MonkeysArctic MonkeysArctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
- Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm NotWhatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm NotWhatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is the debut album by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 23 January 2006. The album became the UK's fastest selling debut album, shifting over 360,000 copies in its first week, and remains the fastest selling debut album by a band. It...
(2006)- The cover sleeve showing Chris McClure, a friend of the band, smoking a cigarette, was criticised by the head of the NHSNational Health ServiceThe National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
in ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
for "reinforcing the idea that smoking is OK". The image on the CD itself is a shot of an ashtray full of cigarettes. The band's product manager denied the accusation, and in fact suggested the opposite — "You can see from the image smoking is not doing him the world of good".
- The cover sleeve showing Chris McClure, a friend of the band, smoking a cigarette, was criticised by the head of the NHS
- Caeser Pink & The Imperial OrgyThe Imperial OrgyThe Imperial Orgy is an artist collective founded in 1993 by artist Caeser Pink. Known primarily for their multimedia performances, music recordings, and film works, the group's creative work expresses an underlying philosophy of personal, spiritual, and political liberation based on independent...
- All God's Children (2007)- The cover depicted cartoon images of a green dinosaur, an African child with a machine gun, and Mickey Mouse portrayed as a Nazi with a Hitler mustache and a red armband. The cover caused the CD to be banned from radio stations across the country. WFCF Radio of Florida stated that the station "Did not want to subject their listeners to a band that would portray Mickey as a Nazi." Band leader Caeser Pink defended the song as a statement against consolidation of mass media, and the use of media to keep the public engaged in shallow entertainment, such as the flood of pop stars from the Disney Studios that have dominated American culture. Pink further claimed that the radio station bans constituted censorship of free speech on political grounds.
- JamesJames (band)James are a British rock band from Manchester, England. They formed in 1982 and were active throughout the 1980s, but most successful during the 1990s. Their hit singles include "Come Home", "Sit Down", and "She's a Star" as well as their American College Radio hit "Laid"...
- Hey MaHey MaHey Ma is the tenth studio album by British alternative rock band James. It was released on April 7, 2008.- Recording and production :...
(2008)- The album cover was promoted on billboards, although all billboard posters for the album were banned less than a month before the album's release because of fears concerning that the baby is depicted with a gun in the cover image. Despite the controversy, the band refuse to replace the image.
- Manic Street PreachersManic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
- Journal for Plague LoversJournal for Plague LoversJournal for Plague Lovers is the ninth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 18 May 2009, and features posthumous lyrics by Richey Edwards, who vanished on 1 February 1995, and was presumed deceased in 2008. It is the only Manic Street Preachers album...
(2009)- The album art depicts a painting by Jenny SavilleJenny SavilleJenny Saville is a contemporary British painter; best known as one of the Young British Artists. She is known for her large-scale painted depictions of naked women.-Life and career:Saville works and lives in Oxford, England...
. A number of UK supermarket deemed the red/ochre colours on the portrait to be blood, and therefore used alternative packaging to stock the item. The alternative packaging in question is a longboxLongboxA longbox is a form of exterior paperboard packaging for musical compact discs in widespread use in the 1980s and early 1990s in North America.- Background :...
, a type of outer packaging used for some CDs in the 1980s and early to mid-1990s.
- The album art depicts a painting by Jenny Saville
- Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- MichaelMichael (album)Michael is a posthumous album of previously unreleased tracks by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released from December 10, 2010 - January 14, 2011 by Epic Records and Sony Music Entertainment and features guest performances by Akon, 50 Cent, Lenny Kravitz and Dave Grohl...
(2010)- The original cover featured the symbol of pop artist PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
in a bubble on the cover, which lead to some believe that the artist had some involvement with the album. When asked about the rumour to Prince's camp, they said "No permission was granted!". The symbol was later removed.
- The original cover featured the symbol of pop artist Prince