Banned on the Run: 20 Shocking Classic Album Covers [NSFW]
Join us as we take a look at 20 of the most shocking, banned classic album covers of all time.
Roxy Music - Country Life (1974)
The title of British glam rockers Roxy Music’s fourth album, Country Life, was reportedly taken from a U.K. rural lifestyle mag of the same name. It’s not confirmed whether the magazine also featured see-through lingerie-clad models, like the pair shown on the album. Of course, the cover offended the moral majority in the U.S. at the time, and the album was repackaged to appease them.


Scorpions - Lovedrive (1979)
Already familiar with cover art controversy (see following entry), German heavy metal act Scorpions once again got the censors' attention with the cover of their 1979 album Lovedrive, which featured a formally dressed couple in a pose where the man’s hand was connected to the women’s exposed breast by a wad of bubble gum. ("Sticky Fingers" might have been a more appropriate title.)


Scorpions - Virgin Killer (1976)
The original uber-controversial cover of Scorpions 1976’s Virgin Killer—featuring a nude girl partially obscured by shattered glass (which is censored below)—garnered immediate and justified protest from, well, everyone. The band pointed to label executives for the misguided art direction and was pleased when the album was reprinted with a band photo instead. Good call.


Related
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mklotz
January 17, 2013 at 9:33am
And we claim to be the most free county in the world?? What a joke, we are lame. It's art, get a grip. If you don't like it, don't buy it.
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guitarladd
January 16, 2013 at 9:51pm
I still have my Mom's Apple Pie album that I found in the cut-out bin in the '70s and bought after giving the cover a second glance. Haven't had a turntable in years and can't remember what they sounded like. I out to sell it on Ebay, maybe I could make a few bucks.
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slawbag44
January 16, 2013 at 4:21pm
actually scorpions had four covers changed taken by force and love at first sting being the other two
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johnnycnote
January 16, 2013 at 3:41pm
The original cover to Golden Earring's "Moontan" was censored as it contained nudity on the front and back. The front was a stylized topless girl with a big ostrich feather, while the back was the singer (from the rear) with someone in an asbestos fire suit resting his elbow on the singer's shoulder.
I once came across it in the most unexpected place, a super discount (as in junky) store that had a small record section. It's the album with "Radar Love", their one big US hit, but there were a number of other songs that were really great. In fact, the album only had 5 songs, all long.
I saw them live twice, the first time opening for Robin Trower and then they opened for Santana the 2nd time. Both shows were great and they were much better than the headlining acts, or so was the consensus of the people who'd been there that I talked to. They played essentially the same set each time.
If you get a chance, check out YouTube for a live version of "Big Tree Blue Sea". That was always my favorite song. After nearly 40 years I still like it . . .
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slawbag44
January 16, 2013 at 4:24pm
i saw them in 83 when twilight zone(the other airplay song lol)was out.they opened for triumph and were great.very underrated musicians
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johnnycnote
January 18, 2013 at 6:35pm
I think they were one of those bands that prefers touring over the studio and has less radio-ready material. I fully agree that they've been underrated. Those who do remember them usually think of "Radar Love", or "Twilight Zone", and stop there. I'm definitely glad I got to see them when I did.
Here's my favorite song, Big Tree Blue Sea, live from the time period when I saw them: http://tinyurl.com/af642qk
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BVC
January 16, 2013 at 3:07pm
First thing I thought of was also "Mom's Apple Pie," (which I LOVED when I saw it)! But almost no one's ever heard of it, apparently. You and me, SR71, and that old band! It's a funny thing: I agree with not offending people. I myself don't write offensive lyrics, for example. But I DO lament the loss of a little outrage, and a wilder sense of humor than many people have. Zappa, The Beatles, Stones and many others relied on it, and it gave us surprises and laughs along the way. Now so-called "shock" is normal, and incredibly boring, and unrelenting "PC-ness" is the at-least-equally-boring order of the day. I wish we COULD come back to a little visual outrage, where we again have the ability to be creative, laugh a bit at ourselves, and wake others up as we go. Happy New Year!
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number1slashfan
March 23, 2009 at 7:25pm
Dude, those are the weirdest ablum covers I've ever seen!!!!!!!!!! But GUITARWORLD once again found something very interesting to write about!
GOOOOOOOD JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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devilmaycry1979
March 16, 2009 at 8:47pm
Thants just plain tasteless no matter who you think you are..
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an00bis
March 16, 2009 at 10:29am
where is manson? His are more disterbing to me then most of those. But the virgin killers one was really bad x-p
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zipcity
March 09, 2009 at 4:30am
One obvious bit of "no one will stock this" cover artwork you missed was the HEADACHE EP by Big Black. The version you'll find in stores today has a weird looking cartoon of a fist coming up through someone's skull, but the original cover was far more offensive -- it featured autopsy photos of a man whose head had been split in half by a shotgun blast. Both covers can be seen on the page linked below, but don't click on the links for the "limited edition" cover if you're easily freaked out:
http://petdance.com/actionpark/bigblack/discography/
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icenerveshatter
March 06, 2009 at 3:28pm
I always thought Witchfinder General were the most Spinal Tap-ish in their album cover choices. "Burning a Sinner"














