Rolling Stone released their “50 Worst Album Covers of All Time” list about a month ago. Yes, it seems a bit late to complain about a list a month after it was released, but I have two good excuses: the list was released on my birthday, and I was basically “off the radar” when it came out, and there’s little news due to the Democratic National Convention this week. So, cheers to everyone, and get ready for some silly complaints!

As someone who has published many lists, I will be upfront that one of the main purposes of publishing a list is to get people talking about it. When people talk about it and share it with their friends, it leads to more discussion, which leads to clicks and website traffic, which allows people like me to collect a paycheck every two weeks.

Now, there’s a slightly dark secret about lists that I want to share that some may not like. Have you ever read a list, come across an entry in it, and thought, “Oh! That’s not right” or “That’s too low/highly rated!”? There’s a good chance that the rating was done intentionally to provoke a reaction. I have no problem admitting that I have deliberately falsified some ratings to cause a little controversy. It’s never anything outrageous, but it will often come across as “accidental.” If someone who wrote a list said they wouldn’t dare do such a thing, they’re lying, and they probably did.

I noticed this coincidence three times. Rolling Stone‘s “50 Worst Album Covers of All Time” which featured some really bad album covers and was a very entertaining read. One ranking that immediately caught my eye was No. 37’s revolver by the Beatles. (Let’s face it: any criticism of the Beatles always leads to a fuss.) The main complaint about the cover, designed by Klaus Voormann, is that its execution is sloppy. There is more than a little truth to that, but the cover of Revolver is not even the worst cover in the Beatles’ catalog. That honor goes to the original “Butcher Cover” artwork for the 1966 album. Yesterday and todaywhere the Fab Four wear white coats and are covered with raw meat and headless, naked baby dolls.

Australian photographer Robert Whitaker is responsible for the bizarre image. As for the inspiration behind it, Whitaker explained that he wanted to portray the Beatles as normal “people of flesh and blood.” He said in 1966: “All over the world I saw people worshipping four Beatles like idols, like gods. To me they were just normal, standard people.”

That’s a nice thought, but there must be a less disturbing way to express it.

Then there are the other two random moments from the list: No. 41’s Metallica (“The Black Album”) by Metallica and No. 25 Slippery when wet by Bon Jovi. Apparently these two album covers were not added to the list because they badbut for boring. “The Black Album” was recorded with Spinal Taps Smell the glovewhile Slippery when wet was discussed from the perspective of a band and a record label that couldn’t agree on artwork.

Perhaps it was the boredom of the covers compared to the content of the albums themselves that prompted the author to include them. However, there were many other options to choose from instead Metallica And Slippery when wet. Again, their inclusion seemed very random, but as mentioned, randomness obscures the true purpose of eliciting a reaction from the reader. For the sake of time, here are the two bad covers I would have included on the list instead.

First, the cover of the Rolling Stones album from 1986 Dirty work should have made the cut. The fact that it was the ’80s doesn’t matter; the Rolling Stones shouldn’t be wearing coordinated Day-Glo outfits. If you need an explanation as to why that is, I’m not sure I can help you, and I can’t believe you’ve made it this far in this article.

The second is the cover of the 2008 Guns N’ Roses album Chinese democracy. Honestly, you can say that this cover is boring and not bad. However, considering Chinese democracy was in the works for almost 20 years and the cover only shows a sepia-colored bicycle, it’s bad! Whatever Is this?! The more I look at it, the more offended I am.

So what did we learn today? Lists can be fun and annoying at the same time. Keep that in mind the next time you read one. And if something seems “random,” it’s probably intentional and not so “random.”

Erica Banas is a news blogger who has been covering the world of rock/classic rock since 2014. The coolest event she has ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? Come on!) She also knows etiquette and is exceptionally kind. #TransRightsAreHumanRights