Oh no they didn’t! Oh yes, we did! That’s right, we’re going to take a look at some album covers that have enraged, shocked, offended, confused and grossed out record executives and fans alike! This list could conceivably go on for quite some time, so we’ve kept a focus on hard rock and heavy metal, so it means you won’t see the controversial cover artwork like the Beatles’ Yesterday and Today, but we’ve still got plenty of covers that stirred the pot and then some!
Here, you’ll find both album covers that made it onto store shelves as well as ones that were nixed before going to retail. Cover artwork from bands like Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Scorpions, Aerosmith, Cannibal Corpse (a couple times) and yes, even Stryper all wound up in a bit of trouble due to various reasons ranging from nudity, religion, gore and everything outside and in between.
READ MORE: 30 of the Most Iconic Hard Rock + Metal Album Covers + 50 of the Worst
Take a look at the 50 Most Controversial Hard Rock + Metal Album Covers in the gallery above. Some of these covers are definitely Not Safe For Work, so don’t say we didn’t warn you!