K anye West may be making headlines these days for the sexually suggestive cover of his upcoming album “My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy,” which the rapper’s label is strongly suggesting be replaced due to Wal-Mart’s unwillingness to sell the album as is. But ‘Ye is certainly not the first artist to face album art censorship.
The Beatles walked the same line in ’66 when they posed with raw meat and doll parts on the cover of “Yesterday and Today,” and it’s no surprise Capitol canned the cover. Rockers including David Bowie and Lynyrd Skynyrd followed suit in the 1970s, with album covers that seem tame at first glance. Metal bands like Poison and Gun N’ Roses pushed the envelope in the ’80s, while the 1990s saw musicians of all genres facing cover censorship. In honor of Kanye’s recent beef, we present 20 controversial album covers.
Warning: The following slideshow features graphic images not suitable for children.