37 Wild Album Covers from Back When Graphic Design Was Just a Suggestion

When I was a kid, I used to flip through my parents' massive vinyl collection—mostly 60s and 70s stuff with the occasional "This Is Pop!" or "Best of 1985!" compilation jammed in there for flavor. And while the music was often iconic, the album covers? Pure chaos.

These weren't just design choices. These were fever dreams pressed onto cardboard sleeves.

Some featured full-on nudity—like, no attempt at metaphor. Others had racial caricatures so offensively bold they somehow made it through multiple approval stages and still ended up in someone's living room. And then there were the weird ones. The really, really weird ones. Floating heads, possessed puppets, men in capes holding ferrets, entire bands photographed mid-blink—it was the wild west of visual branding.

Looking back, these covers feel a bit like the early days of the internet. Everyone had access. No one had restraint. And the results were as unhinged as they were unforgettable.

So if you've ever wanted to see what music looked like before focus groups, welcome to the most unfiltered era of album art you'll ever witness. These 37 covers are weird, wacky, and sometimes straight-up cursed—and I wouldn't change a thing.

Author image for John Summers John Summers
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  • 01

    I'll skip this party

    SNATCH IF THE PARTY'S IN YOUR MOUTH... WE'RE COMIN'
    via FAUST44
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  • 02

    I think he wants you to takeoffyourclothes

    KOLB othes takeoff yourclothestakeoffyourclothestak
    via FAUST44
  • 03

    Big smile

    THE REY CARDS besame mucho RREN MIVERCLOUD SLF HMT
    via FAUST44
  • 04

    Nice hair

    Cheezburger Image 10503596544
    via FAUST44
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  • 05

    I'm sorry, what?!

    Oh My God, They Baked His Face"
    via FAUST44
  • 06

    Why are you like a Falafel?

    Liberman & Paul Worldwide-Records 119369 YOU'RE LIKE A FALAFEL TELL ME WHY
    via FAUST44
  • 07

    Don't we all?

    i love to get high the natural way jackie &moe
    via FAUST44
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  • 08

    Don't take the dog!

    NEW PATIOVED I'll Take The Dog Jean Shepard and Ray Pillow 245 in Tin Lio Geote The
    via FAUST44
  • 09

    Dancing with Dinosaurs

    Dancing with you THE EMERALDS GNPS 2086 STEREO Crescendo
    via FAUST44
  • 10

    Look at them Beans!

    CBS Johnny Cash Look at them beans!!! Arounit Cowboy ing Beer Har Have You GorPlanned Down At Olippin Springs Down The Road! Go Look Al Them Beans
    via FAUST44
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  • 11

    Animal Kwackers

    002 ANIMAL KWACKERS A
    via FAUST44
  • 12

    That's not very nice

    "EVERYTIME YOU GO OUTSIDE, I HOPE IT RAINS" Brian Bate
    via FAUST44
  • 13

    We all love carpet squares!

    CARPET Melody House MH-31 SQUARE
    via FAUST44
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  • 14

    The sect sing sick song... and now she's dead

    Columbia EMI I WANT MY BABY BACK MIDNIGHT HOUR LEADER OF THE SECT. NOW SHE'S DEAD THE SECT SING SICK SONGS 1 mono
    via FAUST44
  • 15

    Howdy partner

    TIMOTHY P and RURAL ROUTE hot on the trail
    via FAUST44
  • 16

    Not in front of the children, wendy!

    NOT IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN Wendy Craig PHILIPS Not In The Children The Sound Of Children Turn Around When You Become A Man PHILIPS
    via FAUST44
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  • 17

    Interesting take

    A SOUL STIRRING SERMON BY REV. DR. JAMES WADE "THE WHOLE CHURCH SHOULD GET DRUNK" PSALM 128. A Song of "degrees. BLESSED is every one that feareth the LORD; that walk- eth in his ways. B¹ PSALM 103. A Psalm of David. OLESS the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his boly name. PSALM 104. BLESS the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. PSALM 123. A Song of degrees. UNTO thee lift I up mine eyes. O thou that dwellest in the hea
    via FAUST44
  • 18

    Somehow, NOT Weird Al's father

    2 Be Record Set STEREO AS ADVERTISED ON TV T Stopped for a Beer Polka City 377 FRANKIE YANKOVIC AND HIS YANKS
    via FAUST44
  • 19

    Hits of the Blitz

    HIS MASTER'S VOICE Hits of the Blitz * Vera Lynn with Tony Osborne and His Orchestra stereo Hits of the Blitz VERA LYNN
    via FAUST44
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  • 20

    Fascinating listen

    Actual STENODISC VOLUME 507 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD 150, 160, 170, 180 WPM Business Letters DICTATED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS KEANE RECORDS 1439 NO. WESTERN AVE., HOLLYWOOD 27, CALIF.
    via FAUST44
  • 21

    Definitely not a plastic toy

    ET EDDIE TOWNS CHAGIC 12" TED-2631 BEST FRIENDS 120
    via FAUST44
  • 22

    Strike a pose Gary!

    Down To Busine CARY Get to Get Away Little Red Book g Can Se Ma GARY Getting Down to Business phone
    via FAUST44
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  • 23

    He's cookin'!

    Canaan TEDDY HUFFAM GEMS AND THE COOKIN
    via FAUST44
  • 24

    Poor Moe

    GA 10005 MOE BANDY STEREO I JUST STARTED HATIN' CHEATIN' SONGS TODAY FEATURING: HONKY TONK AMNESIA GRO
    via FAUST44
  • 25

    They don't seem happy about it

    THE VIRGINS
    via FAUST44
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  • 26

    Oh my...

    WANTE SONGS FOR SWINGIN' SELLERS PARLOPHONE
    via FAUST44
  • 27

    Toilet Rock

    MACLEAN MACLEAN A CARLY TOOMPO co archou! WARNING! THIS ALBUM COULD BE OFFENSIVE To NARROW. MINDED PEOPLE/ CONTAINS DIRTY WORDS! Loile Rock they found her JOHNNY MARISS 3230-10 P GRT
    via FAUST44
  • 28

    I'm already running

    Don't Let Me Touch You MARTY ROBBINS
    via FAUST44
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  • 29

    And again once again

    And Again Once Again THE LINKS Links-LP-503 So
    via FAUST44
  • 30

    They Blew it

    Calvin and Betty Boles "We Lit the Candle of Love, And We Blew it' 99. YUCCA RECORDS
    via FAUST44
  • 31

    Someone help them out of the river

    The Cooper Family STEREO
    via FAUST44
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  • 32

    This is peak 70s

    HE IS SO GREAT Roger Isenberg ARTRONICS 2072 stereo
    via FAUST44
  • 33

    Sounds wonderful

    Dr. MURRAY BANKS TELLS How To QUIT SMOKING in Six Days or DROP DEAD in Seven!
    via FAUST44
  • 34

    Pants not included

    Westminster Gold WGS-8240/STEREO/WESTMINSTER GOLD SENES The Nimble Fingers of Jean Pierre Jumez
    via FAUST44
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  • 35

    I know a shortcut

    DAN SHEAFFER-3 ng the HOW FAR IS IT TO HELL? With Sound Effects & Narration By Dan Sheaffer STEREO LPS-297
    via FAUST44
  • 36

    Tractor Harp

    EMI RAYMOND au theatre DEVO OS des variétés locoverlover.com
    via FAUST44
  • 37

    Finger lickin' good!

    STEREO Colonel Sanders' TIJUANA PICNIC So Tender So Tasty Kentucky Fried Chicken Kentucky Fried Chicken tacky Fried Chickes *MARK 15 A GEORGE GABABIDIAN PRODUCTION
    via FAUST44

Tags

1990s 90s memes retro nostalgia 80s music Nostalgia Overload 80s 90s kids 90s memory lane nostalgia memes millennial-nostalgia 1980s
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