{"id":1387,"date":"2026-09-05T19:32:52","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/?p=1387"},"modified":"2026-09-05T19:32:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:32:52","slug":"15-most-controversial-album-covers-of-the-90s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/?p=1387","title":{"rendered":"15 Most Controversial Album Covers Of The &#8217;90s"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"reader-estimated-time\" dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"readability-page-1\" class=\"page\">\n<article role=\"main\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"expandable-div\">\n<div>\n<p>For decades, album cover artwork was one of the most popular visual media that reached millions of people.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.udiscovermusic.com\/in-depth-features\/history-album-artwork\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The earliest album covers<\/a>\u00a0date to the 1930&#8217;s, when the advent of 33\u2153 rpm records required new packaging in the form of folded-over sleeves, which doubled as a space to advertise the contents of the album. One of the first albums with an abstract cover design was 1945&#8217;s\u00a0The Nat King Cole Trio, and album cover artwork has become more and more creative since.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s no shortage of bands that push the envelope artistically or politically. Naturally, these same bands use their album cover as yet another opportunity to make a bold statement&#8211;and sometimes they push things too far. Every decade has its examples, but here are a few particularly shocking ones from the naughty 90&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Over 600 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of 15 Most Controversial Album Covers Of The &#8217;90s<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>This list is<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ranker.com\/howrankingswork\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dynamically ranked<\/a><\/p>\n<p>based on user voting. The order reflects the consensus of our voters and is not influenced by paid placements or editorial bias.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr dir=\"auto\" \/>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"list-container\">\n<div>\n<ul data-testid=\"list-item-ul\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" data-item-id=\"1002770816\" data-testid=\"list-item\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" role=\"img\" src=\"https:\/\/imgix.ranker.com\/user_node_img\/50139\/1002770816\/original\/1002770816-photo-u5689995?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=crop&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;dpr=2&amp;w=500\" alt=\"NOFX - Heavy Petting Zoo (1996)\" width=\"500\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Photo:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The cover of NOFX&#8217;s 1996 album\u00a0Heavy Petting Zoo\u00a0features an idyllic barnyard scene that also includes a man having inappropriate relations with a sheep. There were actually two different versions of this image, one for the CD and one for the vinyl edition.<\/p>\n<p>While the album drew plenty of criticism stateside &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=Ii0EAAAAMBAJ&amp;q=Heavy+Petting+Zoo+nofx&amp;pg=RA1-PA20#v=snippet&amp;q=Heavy%20Petting%20Zoo%20nofx&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CMJ News Music Monthly<\/a>\u00a0called it NOFX&#8217;s \u201cnastiest cover yet\u201d &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discogs.com\/release\/1230785-NOFX-Eating-Lamb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Germany<\/a>\u00a0banned the LP version in October 1996 for violating obscenity laws and confiscated all sold copies.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"item-voting-stats-1\">\n<p>Ranked #<\/p>\n<p>1<\/p>\n<p>by<\/p>\n<p>476<\/p>\n<p>voters with<\/p>\n<p>a<\/p>\n<p>74<\/p>\n<p>% upvote rate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li role=\"listitem\" data-item-id=\"2348989\" data-testid=\"list-item\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" role=\"img\" src=\"https:\/\/imgix.ranker.com\/user_node_img\/118\/2348989\/original\/2348989-photo-u1531213873?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=crop&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;dpr=2&amp;w=500\" alt=\"CKY - Volume 1 (1999)\" width=\"500\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Photo:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The band CKY has always courted controversy &#8211; the band&#8217;s name itself stands for \u201cCamp Kill Yourself,\u201d after all. For its first studio album with the label\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.phoenixnewtimes.com\/music\/future-shock-she-wants-revenge-the-donnas-cky-and-more-6595143\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Volcom Entertainment<\/a>, the band wanted a cover with a painting depicting the suicide of R. Budd Dwyer.<\/p>\n<p>In January 1987, Dwyer, a Pennsylvania state treasurer who, months prior, had been convicted of bribery, fatally shot himself in front of television cameras. Volcom refused to approve the cover, and the album was released with another cover entirely.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"item-voting-stats-2\">\n<p>Ranked #<\/p>\n<p>2<\/p>\n<p>by<\/p>\n<p>310<\/p>\n<p>voters with<\/p>\n<p>a<\/p>\n<p>71<\/p>\n<p>% upvote rate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li role=\"listitem\" data-item-id=\"36495175\" data-testid=\"list-item\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" role=\"img\" src=\"https:\/\/imgix.ranker.com\/user_node_img\/1825\/36495175\/original\/36495175-photo-u-727889372?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=crop&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;dpr=2&amp;w=500\" alt=\"Ice-T - Home Invasion (1993)\" width=\"500\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Photo:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The cover for Ice-T&#8217;s album\u00a0Home Invasion\u00a0incited a special kind of outrage. The artwork shows a teen listening to the album while his parents are attacked in a home invasion; meanwhile, a wizard-like Ice-T projects electricity into the teen&#8217;s brain.<\/p>\n<p>The cover wasn&#8217;t just humorous, it had a message.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/archive\/lifestyle\/1993\/03\/24\/ice-t-and-the-invasion-of-white-suburbia\/501e9e49-1ab8-485d-bf1a-353ac87a3d38\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ice-T<\/a>\u00a0said: \u201cWe&#8217;ve been in your house for four or five years, and while you&#8217;re sitting at the dinner table talking racist sh*t, your kids are sitting in their rooms with headsets pumping Public Enemy. And you don&#8217;t even know it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/timeisillmatic.me\/2016\/08\/03\/ice-t-home-invasion-march-23-1993\/#:~:text=The%20album%20was%20originally%20supposed,male%20teen%20with%20headphones%20on\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Warner Bros.<\/a>\u00a0didn&#8217;t want to publish the album cover, as Ice-T&#8217;s 1992 song \u201cCop Killer\u201d had already drawn criticism from conservative critics. Ice-T refused to change it, prompting him to leave Warner Bros. and release the album through his own label, Rhyme Syndicate Records.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"item-voting-stats-3\">\n<p>Ranked #<\/p>\n<p>3<\/p>\n<p>by<\/p>\n<p>328<\/p>\n<p>voters with<\/p>\n<p>a<\/p>\n<p>63<\/p>\n<p>% upvote rate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li role=\"listitem\" data-item-id=\"2431584\" data-testid=\"list-item\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" role=\"img\" src=\"https:\/\/imgix.ranker.com\/user_node_img\/122\/2431584\/original\/2431584-photo-u75657986?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=crop&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;dpr=2&amp;w=500\" alt=\"Megadeth - Youthanasia (1994)\" width=\"500\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Photo:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Plenty of bands have mined youthful disaffection to move records, and Megadeth&#8217;s sixth album is a textbook example. The cover depicts an elderly woman hanging babies upside-down on an apparently endless clothesline. The image takes inspiration from the album&#8217;s title track, \u201cYouthanasia,\u201d which says: \u201cWe&#8217;ve been hung out to dry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to bassist\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtv.com\/news\/uyj0tv\/megadeth-trash-pantera-dave-matthews-band-busts-out-mariah-skates-this-week-in-1994\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David Ellefson<\/a>, \u201cThat song \u00a0was probably the strongest representation of how we feel about the young people who listen to our music and what their future holds for them. It&#8217;s like you have a choice, you can become proactive or you can choose \u2018Youthanasia.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1994-11-06-ca-59132-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">In response<\/a>, Malaysia and Singapore refused to allow the album&#8217;s sale, calling the cover \u201cdisrespectful.&#8221; Retailers in Canada and Germany also refused to stock it, but Megadeth refused to supply an alternate cover.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"item-voting-stats-4\">\n<p>Ranked #<\/p>\n<p>4<\/p>\n<p>by<\/p>\n<p>339<\/p>\n<p>voters with<\/p>\n<p>a<\/p>\n<p>61<\/p>\n<p>% upvote rate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li role=\"listitem\" data-item-id=\"2212005\" data-testid=\"list-item\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" role=\"img\" src=\"https:\/\/imgix.ranker.com\/user_node_img\/111\/2212005\/original\/2212005-photo-u-49810538?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=crop&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;dpr=2&amp;w=500\" alt=\"Type O Negative - The Origin of the Feces (1992)\" width=\"500\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Photo:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Type O Negative is a Brooklyn-based goth metal band that&#8217;s known equally for its grim music and wry sense of humor. Its second album,\u00a0The Origin of the Feces, is an obvious parody of Charles Darwin&#8217;s\u00a0The Origin of the Species, and its original album cover featured a closeup of lead singer Peter Steele&#8217;s excrement.<\/p>\n<p>The album was eventually reissued with a blurred-out image, and another version followed that included a rendering of Michael Wolgemut&#8217;s 1493 painting \u201cThe Dance of Death.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Type-O Negative\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brooklynvegan.com\/type-o-negative-origin-of-the-feces-reissued-w-original-scratch-sniff-cover-art-exclusive-color-vinyl-here\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">re-released<\/a>\u00a0the album with the original artwork, as well as a scratch-and-sniff sticker.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"item-voting-stats-5\">\n<p>Ranked #<\/p>\n<p>5<\/p>\n<p>by<\/p>\n<p>278<\/p>\n<p>voters with<\/p>\n<p>a<\/p>\n<p>53<\/p>\n<p>% upvote rate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li role=\"listitem\" data-item-id=\"534447\" data-testid=\"list-item\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" role=\"img\" src=\"https:\/\/imgix.ranker.com\/user_node_img\/27\/534447\/original\/534447-photo-u1930823237?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=crop&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;dpr=2&amp;w=500\" alt=\"Van Halen - Balance (1995)\" width=\"500\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Photo:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Balance\u00a0was the last full studio album Van Halen released with Sammy Hagar as their lead singer, and the album itself is one giant metaphor for the band&#8217;s internal strife.<\/p>\n<p>After nearly calling it\u00a0The Seventh Seal, the band changed the album&#8217;s name to\u00a0Balance\u00a0to reflect its search for inner harmony &#8211; Eddie van Halen had recently become sober and clashed with Hagar&#8217;s hard-partying lifestyle, and the band&#8217;s longtime manager Ed Leffler had recently died.<\/p>\n<p>Photographer Glen Wexler, who designed the cover, came up with idea of nude conjoined twins playing on a seesaw in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Wexler\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20150815113325\/http:\/\/www.glenwexlerstudio.com\/files\/Resource_Balance.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">explained<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Other than the obvious expression of inseparable male and female characteristics, the realization of the idea began to focus on a number of ironies: the impossibility of the conjoined twins actually playing on the seesaw; the \u201ccalm\u201d twin actually being the aggressive one, pulling the hair of his sibling to create the appearance of an aggressive child; and having no one else to play with in a desolate post-apocalyptic setting, in which unusable playground equipment is the only object in sight. I also had the opportunity to \u201cdesign\u201d the twins to mimic the shape of the \u201cVH\u201d logo.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The cover was certainly controversial, so much so that Van Halen released an alternate version with one non-conjoined child in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vhnd.com\/2021\/01\/24\/van-halens-balance-released-on-this-day-in-1995-2\/#:~:text=The%20band%20needed%20to%20alter,extra%20track%20%E2%80%9CCrossing%20Over.%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Japan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"item-voting-stats-6\">\n<p>Ranked #<\/p>\n<p>6<\/p>\n<p>by<\/p>\n<p>288<\/p>\n<p>voters with<\/p>\n<p>a<\/p>\n<p>52<\/p>\n<p>% upvote rate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For decades, album cover artwork was one of the most popular visual media that reached millions of people.\u00a0The earliest album covers\u00a0date to the 1930&#8217;s, when the advent of 33\u2153 rpm&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chua-phan-loai"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1387"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1388,"href":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387\/revisions\/1388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogtamsu.com.vn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}