BEST: Rainbow Children, LotusFlower, SoTT
WORST: Rave, NPSoul, Prince

I really liked the original/alternative cover to ATWIAD also and thought it was way better than what we got.

It's weird. For as visual an artist as Prince was and how much he valued art and creativity, a lot of his album covers came off as sort of low effort. The decision on SoTT to feature him off center and out of focus was a really interesting move though. It has the effect of making it look like he's leaving the stage having just wrecked the entire thing and making his way out.

That said, I think the cover of If I Was Your Girlfriend Single is the best cover he did on anything.

[Edited 6/19/21 7:54am]

peedub said:

Best: lovesexy

Worst: either love symbol or emancipation

I'm thinkin' like you.

EDIT: Though I do like the cover. It was fun to wonder what it was all about, and then later see it come to life in the '7' video.

[Edited 6/20/21 10:18am]

Worst: LOVESEXY (but not for the usual reason)

When John and Yoko posed in the nude on Two Virgins, they increased sales by adding a curiosity factor: the album was packaged in a plain brown wrapper with only their faces showing.

Unfortunately, the Lovesexy cover (while really not salacious) limited its sales potential because it was either not displayed or not sold by many retailers, thus diminishing its reach. A plain brown (or plain purple) cover would have been beautiful. Make them pay to see the beautiful photo.
.
.

[Edited 6/20/21 10:26am]

Romeoblu said:

My favourite is Parade. I think the worst is Musicology.

I agree. The photo itself looks all fakey and two friends have used to to demonstrate that some of P's poses were "creepy". Another Afshin pose.

Too hard to come up with the best, but either of the HITNRUN albums are the worst.

Wolfie87 said:

Best: Sign o the Times, Around the World in a Day, 1999, Parade, Purple Rain

Worst: Emancipation, Musicology, NPS

OMG - why has no-one said "Grafitti Bridge" for the worst cover - it is *awful*.

The artwork is a mess, the font is a mess, the layout is a mess - it is a godawful mess in every dimension.

It's so awful is still makes me made how bad it is 30+ years after it was released!

meejaboy said:

OMG - why has no-one said "Grafitti Bridge" for the worst cover - it is *awful*.

The artwork is a mess, the font is a mess, the layout is a mess - it is a godawful mess in every dimension.

It's so awful is still makes me made how bad it is 30+ years after it was released!

I actually like the GB cover and think it is more successful at doing what it is trying to do than Around The World In A Day's cover (which is similar in spirit and composition).

Wolfie87 said:

Why the hate for The Love Symbol cover? That is the cover that introduced the iconic Symbol. Your eyes are only drawn to the Symbol. What am I missing?

The symbol had been plastered all over his stuff everywhere. GB cover has it in full display on his collar, for example. It's the first time you see the version that became his name, yes.

But the stilll from the music video is dumb. And I think that because you end up realizing eventually that it's just a still from a music video and it comes across as pretty cheap. Basically, the album has no real coheisve or iconic image outside of the symbol itself which is sad because it's an epic album.

-

best : The Black Album

and do not argue

-

Vannormal said:

-

best : The Black Album

and do not argue

-

The question is, how much more black could it be? And the answer is, none... none more black.

Let's get right down to brass tacks - the best is the boldest...

.

LOVESEXY.

.

simple but aesthetically perfect

.

Next on the list...

.

objectively I would say PARADE (probably).

.

but personally, I will always love GRAFFITI BRIDGE, beautifully painted.

.

also top five...

.

Around the World in a Day.

.

Sign o the times.

.

Other highlights: Rainbow Children, Batman, and the lenticular Planet Earth is pretty cool.

.

Now let's talk worst... shooting fish in a barrell.

.

THE VAULT OLD FRIENDS 4 SALE is boring as can be (unlike Chaos & Disoder, which is actually pretty awesome)

.

EMANCIPATION is really god-awful.

.

Someone mentioned MUSICOLOGY which is total dogcrap.

.

CRYSTAL BALL is a horrible cover.

.

PLECTRUMELECTRUM is a lousy cover.

.

Newpower Soul is pretty bad.

Best:

Parade

SOTT

D&P (hologram version)

Come

Rainbow Children

3121

Worst:

n.e.w.s.

musicology

Lotusflow3r

Emancipation

-

(I silently agree fully.)

-

CAL3 said:

Let's get right down to brass tacks - the best is the boldest...

.

LOVESEXY.

.

simple but aesthetically perfect

BEST:

• Dirty Mind
• Around the WOrld in a Day
• Parade
• Sign O' The Times
• Lovesexy
• Rainbow Children
• Lotusflow3r
• Art Official Age

WORST:

• Diamonds & Pearls (hologram version)
• Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic
• Planet Earth
• 20Ten

I'm surprised so many people listed the D&P hologram cover as a favorite. To me, that was super cheesy and commerical, not remotely artistic or dignified.

[Edited 6/22/21 15:43pm]

LoveGalore said:

meejaboy said:

OMG - why has no-one said "Grafitti Bridge" for the worst cover - it is *awful*.

The artwork is a mess, the font is a mess, the layout is a mess - it is a godawful mess in every dimension.

It's so awful is still makes me made how bad it is 30+ years after it was released!

I actually like the GB cover and think it is more successful at doing what it is trying to do than Around The World In A Day's cover (which is similar in spirit and composition).

You must be referring to Around The World In A Day's alternative cover,
cuz I sure can't see any similarities with the released one.

On one hand you have undisputable creativity, balanced composition, and impeccable font choices,
and on the other some el cheapo airbrush mess, showing severed heads, chopped upside down trees,
executed in a style that was already dated in 1986 and usually reserved for
American trucks or Italian supercars posters, only tolerated in kids’ bedrooms.

Even the Auerswald Model C gets punished for no reason.
LotusFlow3r is just as disturbing.


The orange barf of Emancipation (but you soon realize it's Rembrandt compared to what lurks in the booklet),
the nightmarish Planet Earth and Skipper Smurf® get close.

I give a break to 20Ten, at least it's a genuine attempt to put the graphic artist back in charge.

[Edited 6/22/21 16:55pm]

lurker316 said:

Only one choice for best: Lovesexy. So bold. So revealing. So human.

Nothing more to say.

eyewishuheaven said:

Vannormal said:

-

best : The Black Album

and do not argue

-

The question is, how much more black could it be? And the answer is, none... none more black.

You can see yourself in...both sides.

Kind of looks like black leather

I love SOTT and ATWIAD . . . so much to see and discover on those covers.

Covers that I know are iconic: DM, Controversy, 1999, PR, Parade, D&P.

Strange opinion, but the PlectrumElectrum cover is quite nice (even though I hate the album).

Worst: Planet Earth, Musicology, The Vault, Emancipation, Newpower Soul (a whole other argument), 20Ten (which sucks because I adore the album).

OldFriends4Sale said:

funkman88 said:

Princes best is of course the stunning Diamonds & Pearl's followed closely by the Purple Rain cover which is just iconic cuz appolonia in doorway glowing in the aftersex from Prince showing her 23 positions Worst is Lovesexy by far ...the baked light skinned vampire look was played out by 1988 and hip hop was taking over...what say u is the best & worst?

the Lovesexy cover. Hip Hop had nothing to do with Prince. Why hip hop? There are so many other genre of music, why connect it to Hip Hop. The album music was nothing close to Hip Hop. It was uniquely Prince

.

I think it's a beautiful cover. I appreciate it so much more than I did before

BEST Purple Rain/Around the World in a Day/Sign o the Times

Worst: Black album but more likely NPS

Im just saying it was out of place at the time when hip hop a harder form of music was dominating and u come out with a soft cover

PJMcGee said:

I do like Lovesexy. It was bold. I just wish his bottom half didn't look airbrushed into a cartoon. Dude wasn't that hairy, was he?

Yes. He was. Even Eddie Murphy commented on his hairy butt through the fabric in the butt-out suit.

funkman88 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

the Lovesexy cover. Hip Hop had nothing to do with Prince. Why hip hop? There are so many other genre of music, why connect it to Hip Hop. The album music was nothing close to Hip Hop. It was uniquely Prince

.

I think it's a beautiful cover. I appreciate it so much more than I did before

BEST Purple Rain/Around the World in a Day/Sign o the Times

Worst: Black album but more likely NPS

Im just saying it was out of place at the time when hip hop a harder form of music was dominating and u come out with a soft cover

The cover matches the music inside. Why turn Prince into a "harder" guy?