# Your favorite group and favorite/least favorite album cover **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047 "2005-09-16T22:26:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/1 "2005-09-16T22:26:50Z")
As you know, I’m a big ELO fan. However, their album covers leave much to be desired. By far the worst is [On the Third Day](http://members.aol.com/ujlrf/images/thirddayus.jpg) followed by [Balance of Power](http://members.aol.com/flickydo/balance.gif). They are best known for [Out of the Blue](http://freeweb.supereva.com/cdcoverart/copertine/elo_out_of_the_blue.gif), which gave us the famous spaceship used in their 1977 tour. Somehow, the Borg got a hold of it in 2001 as can be seen on the cover of [Zoom](http://members.aol.com/jtkt1119/images/elo_zoom.jpg). I guess their best cover would be [Face the Music](http://members.aol.com/bflat33/facethemusic.jpg) or [Secret Messages](http://members.aol.com/jtkt1119/images/secretmessages_cd.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Innuendo\_Hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Innuendo\_Hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Innuendo_Hunter)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/2 "2005-09-17T00:52:16Z")
**The Beatles** Best: _Revolver_ Worst: _Magical Mystery Tour_ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/3 "2005-09-17T01:38:22Z")
**Bonzo Dog Band** Best: Tadpoles (the original die-cut version Worst: Keynsham **Traffic** Best: The Low Spark of High Heeled Boyw Worst: The British version of “Mr. Fantasy.” The US version is OK, but the Brit is just an ugly red color. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/4 "2005-09-17T01:45:14Z")
Rush! Best: **Moving Pictures** - great because of the triple play on words. Front cover: Men in coveralls are carrying paintings into a museum - moving pictures. A family is watching the proceedings, in tears, because the pictures are so moving. Back cover: A film crew is recording the proceedings, making a moving picture. Worst: **Grace Under Pressure**. I’ve never quite figured out what I’m looking at. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/5 "2005-09-17T10:05:25Z")
Genesis: Best: Hard to say. I’ll go with **Selling England by the Pound**. **Nursery Cryme** is also up there. Worst: I’m not counting the numerous rereleases of _From Genesis to Revelation_. I’ll say **Invisible Touch** has a fairly blah cover. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/6 "2005-09-17T11:04:30Z")
My favourite band: **Blur** Favourite album cover: [Parklife](http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/9057/parklife9fh.jpg), followed closely by [Modern Life Is Rubbish](http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/2298/modernlife9em.jpg) and [13](http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/7415/139bx.jpg). Least favourite: [Blur](http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/3045/blur8cc.jpg) (self titled) or [The Great Escape](http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/6193/greatescape4tg.jpg). I have to wonder if my negative reaction to these albums influenced my dislike of the cover art, though that would be weird. I think it’s just a coincidence. Their first album, Leisure, with [this](http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/9525/leisre6sp.jpg) cover art, is okay. My favourite CD single artwork was for [Chemical World](http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/966/chemworld7qp.png) - a hard-earned and expensive rare I procured shortly before buying the damned Anniversary Collection, which had the single with original album cover. :smack: At least I had the cool… uh… jewelcase. Fine, I had nothing, I blew $60 USD on five songs I would later have anyway. 😛 (three of which I already owned… yeah, I used to be pretty die-hard.) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/7 "2005-09-17T11:38:21Z")
Pink Floyd Best: Animals. (WYWH comes in a close second.) Worst: hmmm, I’ll have to go with Obscured by Clouds ---
**Author:** ![Flipstrip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f6c823/32.png) [@Flipstrip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipstrip)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/8 "2005-09-17T17:53:52Z")
Queen. Best album cover: News of the World Worst album cover: Hot Space ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/9 "2005-09-17T18:28:47Z")
It’s hard to single out one favorite band, but two strong candidates for that honor are The Kinks and Daniel Amos. **The Kinks** : Alas, judged strictly by their album covers, they just don’t rate very highly. Too many of their covers are uninspired, inappropriate (e.g. the cover for [Face to Face](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0001XLXBQ/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-3903696-6269637?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music), which is far more psychedelic than anything on the album), or downright ugly. The ugliest, which probably gets my vote for lowest cover-quality-to-album-quality ratio in all of rock, is for [Lola versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000002KOW/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-3903696-6269637?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music). On the other hand, I like the cover of [Phobia](http://kinks.it.rit.edu/posters/phobia.jpg) and am perversely fond of [Schoolboys in Disgrace](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0002IQI7Y/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-3903696-6269637?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music) I like the cover designs for **Daniel Amos** (a.k.a. DA)'s [Motor Cycle](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-images/B0006806G4/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0/002-3903696-6269637?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=music&index=0#gallery) and [Kalhoun](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00000AY4B/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-3903696-6269637?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music). Not as much the “naked man doing sit-ups” cover image for [Fearful Symmetry](http://www.nifty-music.com/images/cds/daniel_amos.1986b.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/10 "2005-09-17T18:39:12Z")
The Incredible String Band, naturally. Best: [5000 Spirits or Layers of the Onion](http://www.followthemusic.com/string.html). This is the album cover by which all other 60s era psychedelic album covers should be judged. Worst: [No Ruinous Feud](http://www.knott32.fsnet.co.uk/isbp/ruin.jpg). It sounds pretty much the way it looks, too. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/11 "2005-09-17T19:07:24Z")
[Duran Duran](http://www.duranduran.com/)\* In order of personal preference: 1. Rio (1981) 2. Duran Duran (Wedding Album) (1993) 3. Notorious (1986) 4. Astronaut (2004) 5. Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983) 6. Liberty (1990) 7. Greatest (1998) 8. Thank You (1995) 9. Pop Trash (2000) 10. Decade (1990) 11. Arena (1984) 12. Duran Duran (1981) 13. Medazzaland (1997) 14. Big Thing (1988) - View album covers under “Discography” ---
**Author:** ![ChaChaHeels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@ChaChaHeels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChaChaHeels)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/12 "2005-09-17T19:33:12Z")
Afghan Whigs Best:Black Love Worst:1965 ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/13 "2005-09-17T19:53:51Z")
> [@Innuendo Hunter](#): > > **The Beatles** > > Best: _Revolver_ > > Worst: _Magical Mystery Tour_ I entered this thread specifically to enter this worst–agree totally (I probably agree with your best, though I can’t forget Sgt. Pepper, obvious choice though it may be). In fact, as a side comment, I would wager that this album is unsurpassed in the differential between how good the music is (pop masterpiece) and how bad the cover is (garish doesn’t begin to describe it). Go on, I defy you. Find a bigger differential. Here are the songs just to remind you: 1. Magical Mystery Tour 2. The Fool On The Hill 3. Flying 4. Blue Jay Way 5. Your Mother Should Know 6. I Am The Walrus 7. Hello Goodbye 8. Strawberry Fields Forever 9. Penny Lane 10. Baby You’re A Rich Man 11. All You Need Is Love **Pet Sounds** is close. The most prominent cover feature is a herd animal’s ass. The album cover looks like my dad posed them and shot the photo. What an, um, _unspecial_ album cover for such a musical treasure. Anyway, carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/14 "2005-09-17T19:54:56Z")
I love Paul Westerberg, but the cover of his _Come Feel Me Tremble_ album is garbage. The image of him is fuzzy, as if it were a still from a cheap movie camera. I probably would not have minded that too much taken by itself, but the cover is also marred by a bright white square containing the title that blots out the lower half of his face. It would have taken no effort at all to move that square over to the other side of the cover for something far more aesthetically pleasing. The whole effect screams, “I couldn’t give two fucking seconds of thought to creating a halfway decent cover.” The music, on the other hand, is superb; it’s easily my favorite one of his solo records, and compares favorably with Westerberg’s work with the Replacements. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/15 "2005-09-17T20:12:41Z")
**Bela Fleck and the Flecktones**. Best: [Little Worlds](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000AKCLF/002-7456473-4940860?v=glance) Worst: [Live at the Quick](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005YVQ9/qid=1126988632/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-7456473-4940860?v=glance&s=music) ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/16 "2005-09-17T21:47:17Z")
**Belle and Sebastian** LPs: Best: [Legal Man](http://www.jeepster.co.uk/sleeveimages/sleevebig17.jpg) Worst: [Push Barman to Open Old Wounds](http://www.spex.de/web/pic/news/4255165432989.jpg) (worst title, too - and B&S have had some doozies) ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/17 "2005-09-17T21:48:29Z")
Well, that’s screwed up. “LPs” isn’t supposed to be there - _Legal Man_ is actually an EP. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/18 "2005-09-17T22:24:33Z")
I’m a little bit of a band-killer – as soon as I get interested in a band, they break up. So most of my favorites don’t have enough album covers to make a list. **Soul Coughing** best: [Ruby Vroom](http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd900/d995/d99524vwx0c.jpg) worst: [Irresistible Bliss](http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd600/d667/d667896tjq7.jpg) **The Pogues** best: [Peace and Love](http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd700/d754/d75420d853y.jpg) worst: [Red Roses for Me](http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd700/d756/d756591ovt7.jpg) **Pizzicato Five** best: [Voyage a Tokyo](http://home.wanadoo.nl/cmgs/Shibuya/cdpaginas/p5voyage.html) worst: [Made in USA](http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf600/f620/f62008e607k.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/19 "2005-09-17T23:13:33Z")
some favorite '70s-era bands \*\*Blue Oyster Cult \*\* (tough- most of their covers are pretty memorable) best- _Fire of Unknown Origin_ worst- _Club Ninja_ **Cheap Trick** best- _Dream Police_ worst- _The Doctor_ **Kiss** best- _Love Gun_ worst- _Asylum_ ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047/20 "2005-09-18T03:41:55Z")
**The Who** Best: Who’s Next Worst: Magic Bus **Led Zeppelin** Best: Physical Graffiti Worst: Led Zeppelin II [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-group-and-favorite-least-favorite-album-cover/322047.md?page=2)