25 Hottest Album Covers of All Time

I have to admit upfront that these may not be the hottest album covers of all time because I really only concentrated on rock music with maybe a couple of exceptions. And I am sure there are some more obscure albums that I missed and probably even some popular ones. But still, these are 25 good ones I think you will find most of your top choices are probably included. So sit back and enjoy this journey into album cover artistry...

A little bit country... a little bit hotter than hell!

First up we have this classic album from country songstress Tanya Tucker. Looking at the cover, you might be thinking that while Tanya certainly is attractive, is it really that hot? Well, slide your peepers to the right and check out what was inside the gatefold sleeve of this vintage vinyl. If the black leather jeans on the cover do not do it for you, how about the skintight backless red jumpsuit and high heels on the inside?

Of course, if you were even a borderline Tanya Tucker fan, you also could mix in her sultry country twang as she sang about brown-eyed handsome men and or explained how nice it was to be with you. This was an explosive album in more ways than one and certainly led to any number of "small explosions" among Tanya's many male fans. As the last song implies heaven can be found in texas, maybe it's time to buy that cowboy hat!

"Here she comes again..."

Canadian rockers Bachman-Turner Overdrive, or BTO as they were known on Rock n' Roll Nights and the prior year's Street Action albums, tried to soldier on after Randy Bachman left the band and these two albums were not too shabby. But they did not live up to BTO's earlier hit-filled releases and pretty much capped off the bands career. They appear to have the same model on the covers so it is not hard to wonder exactly what went on between the two album cover scenes!

Whipped Cream and Other Delights is probably one of the best known album covers of all time. The cover art has been parodied several times and remains a favorite of album art aficionados. After all, what's not to like about a pretty girl covered in whip cream?

Liz Phair has never been one to shy away from controversy. From the time her debut album Exile in Guyville was released, Phair has made it a point to express herself however she sees fit. There were some complaints when her self titled album was released however as some fans seemed to feel the alt-rock goddess should be completely uncovered. I say the cover she came up with was fine by me.

White Zombie released two versions of this CD featuring several beautiful women in provocative poses. The version pictured above is the "censored" versions with painted on bikini. On the unedited cover the young lady had no bikini. The music on the "censored" versions was also, well, censored. That just bleeping bleeps me off. But either way, this was one supersexy piece of audio art.

Not just a playa... it's the Ohio Players!

The Ohio Players were known for their erotic cover art and while Honey is perhaps the epitome of this tradition, the band had plenty of other examples to choose from. Before they were signed to Mercury, they recorded four albums for the Westbound label -- Pain, Pleasure, Ecstasy and Climax -- all featuring a bald woman in various states of... well... I guess the album titles speak for themselves.The Ohio Players began to break on the national scene with these albums but may have been hindered somewhat by certain stores' refusal to stock the risque covers. The albums did well on the R&B charts (21, 4, 19 and 24 respectively) but were not as prominent on the pop charts (177, 63, 79 and 102) possibly due to the limits on their availability. It wasn't until 1974's Skin Tight, the band's Mercury debut, that they made a real splash on the pop charts, peaking at #11 (and hitting #1 on the R&B chart for the first time).

The Mocha Beans' In the Moog record is a great example of what has become known as bachelor pad music. Supposedly, the frisky bachelor would use this sort of thing to get their latest conquest in the moog... er, in the mood for love. Maybe it worked... maybe the bachelor just retired to his bed with a hot album cover to keep him warm.

Tattoo you!

The Scorpions were certainly no strangers to controversial album covers having already had their earlier artwork for the Virgin Killer album banned and an alternate cover of their Lovedrive album offered for retailers who shied away from the original gooey breast cover (pictured at left). Love at First Sting did not meet with that much resistance but there is no doubt the album's spicy cover was an attention grabber!

I bet you think this hub is about you...

Carly Simon was at her softly rocking best on this album that is a long time favorite among her many devoted fans. The gently seductive cover art is right in sync with the album's alluringly melodic nature, bringing the viewer in for a closer look just as the music draws the listener in for a deeper submergence in sound. An incredibly beautiful jacket for an amazingly beautiful record.

I know there are those who will disagree with the inclusion of Paris Hilton on this list because they refuse to admit that Paris is hot. But just look at the cover of this album... Oh sure, you can say it is just the skill of the photographer, but then can a photographer find beauty where there is none? No, the beauty must exist in the subject. And I will bet there are not many photographers who would have any difficulty finding beauty in this radiant goddess!

Who wouldn't want Barbi for a playmate?

Adorable Barbi Benton first became known through her appearances on the covers and in the pages of Playboy magazine, but she was never actually Playmate of the Month. She was, however, Hugh Hefner's live-in girlfriend from 1969 to 1976. She went on to star on the country music variety show Hee Haw and release several country music albums on the Playboy Records label that were mildly successful though she never managed to hit the big time. Barbi also appeared in numerous movies and television shows, primarily in guest starring roles.

When looking to embellish your album with a hot cover, who better to turn to than renowned pin-up artist Alberto Vargas. That's what The Cars drummer David Robinson suggested for the cover of Candy-O. The result was a classic cover from the artist who came out of retirement to do the cover at the request of his niece, a fan of the band.

Only the wild survive...

Wild Cherry, a funk rock band from Steubenville, Ohio, released several albums almost all of which had hot covers, usually depicting a pair of luscious lips and a cherry. The best of these was their debut which also featured their sole hit single, "Play That Funky Music", but what a hit it was! The song remains on the Billboard Top 100 songs of all time even after all these years.

Dave Brubeck was known for featuring lovely ladies on his album covers but Anything Goes! had a bit of a different take on this concept. Instead of featuring a smiling pretty girl, we are treated to a fantastic pair of legs.

Uh, yes, I do want some. Who wouldn't? Roxy Blue was one of the many glam metal bands to use sex to sell their music, not only in their lyrics and somewhat sleazy stage show but also in their racy cover art. This was one of the best covers though the band never really emerged from the sea of hair that was 1980's rock 'n' roll. Still, it is a great album with great tracks like "Rob the Cradle", "Sister Sister" and a cover of The Who's classic "Squeeze Box".

While Roxy Blue was wondering if we want some, Rough Cutt was apparently wanting us. Or maybe they were wanting the leggy blond portrayed in their sizzling LP jacket...

When it comes to hair metal, it really doesn't get any, uh... hairier... than Warrant. And Cherry Pie is certainly the hairiest of their albums. The band seemed to be targeting the sex drive of the average adolescent male and hit the bullseye with this ode to, um... cherry pie? Yeah, that's what they were talking about. I'm sure of it.

Tawny Kitaen or Marianne Gravatte?

That is the question that plagues many Ratt fans to this day. Which is hotter... the cover of Out of the Cellar with Tawny crawling towards the cellar door on all fours or Invasion of Your Privacy with Marianne in her underwear slowly getting dressed. A very tough decision, but I have to go with Marianne and in underwear. Maybe it would be a tougher decision had Tawny been in her underwear as well.

The Deftones went for broke with this one. If you want a hot cover, take one babe, insert babe in bikini, make wet, shoot from above. Simple formula but works every time! Great cover!

You know, the thing that bothers me here is not that this woman seems to have four arms but that three of those arms are on her right side. Shouldn't she have two arms on each side? I mean, what kind of lop-sided freak is she, anyway? But she is still hot, freaky arms and all, and when it gets right down to it in the world of rock and roll, hotness is what really counts. So I guess what we have to ask ourselves, is who wants to get their freak on?

Which one is the Christian woman?

Type O Negative released their Bloody Kisses album with two covers apparently in hopes of not offending people who were buying an album called "Bloody Kisses". Or maybe it was just to get the album in WalMart. Of course, any hope of not offending anyone probably went out the window as soon as those easily offended heard "Christian Woman"...

While anything involving Debbie Harry's tongue is certainly hot, this was always an odd cover to me. Sort of like those pictures of a mirror where the image is reflected on and on and on. What we have here is a picture of a vinyl picture disc that has a picture of Debbie giving a little hot tongue action to a standard black vinyl record. Of course, her hot tongue melts the vinyl. What else would you expect?

Before Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined forces with Fleetwood Mac to move that band from classic rock footnote to Seventies superstars, they released this album that caused a bit of an uproar. Some retailers felt the record label was pushing things a bit too far despite the fact that no "naughty parts" were actually revealed. Once the pair joined the Mac, success pretty much shushed the nay-sayers and the album became a staple catalog piece in record stores nationwide.

Shakira has become an international star with her brand of danceable Latino pop and a dynamic live show. A few of her covers have been hot, but the flesh-revealing outfit, deliciously suggestive title, and the obvious reference to original sin all combine to give this one the edge.

"She's a little runaway..."

Lita Ford got her start with the all-girl hard rock band The Runaways alongside leather-clad Joan Jett. After The Runaways disbanded, both Lita and Joan went on to enjoy greater success than they had gained in the band. For some reason, most people believe Joan was the more successful of the two, but Lita actually had more hit records over a longer period of time. The original cover for Out for Blood (above) was eventually replaced with the less controversial cover at right.