I'm not talking about how ugly the cover art is. I'm talking about how (un-)user-friendly the physical packaging is.


My vote goes for Bjork's Family Tree. Every time I open this thing, I start cursing. CD's falling out. Papers falling out. Nothing protective of the CD's themselves at all.

Plus the whole series of 3" discs in there is an idea that sounds neat on paper, but is really stupid and pointless when you get right down to it.


What do YOU think the worst CD packaging ever is?

I ordered the Pet Shop Boys PopArt through Barnes & Nobles a couple yrs back. It was a complete mess. The DVD came with 50 what looks like bad photocopied pictures taken from the videos. They aren't even in a mini book or binder. It was just loose pictures falling all over the place.

the DVD is great and I love it, but the packaging was either bootlegged or something cause its the tackiest thing I've ever seen.

lazycrockett said:

It's a picture book of stills from the videos with the credits in the 2 middle pages.

N.E.W.S..... lol

P2daP said:

Apparently, I didn't need to click on this link...unless we're tallying votes.

I feel you on Family Tree..

I MUST give a shout-out to the official Crystal Ball:

You know the packaging is bad when you dread putting it back together, and as a result avoid listening to it.

CinisterCee said:

I wish I had the booklet

Something about Pearl Jam's Vitalogy used to really bug me, but I can't even remember the design of it now...

The original version of The Herbie Hancock Box consisted of the most horrible packaging treatment any boxset has ever recieved. I actually owned a copy of this set and the first day I took it out of the cellophane wrapper, I opened the door and the discs fell from the filmsy side holders. You couldn't even hold the discs by its edges and somehow the discs and box would become scratched and filled with fingerprints. Closing the box was also difficult and I eventually put the scratched discs in a case and replaced the box set with the improved 2004 version. Classic, innovative music, but the worst packaging ideas from a major label: Sony!

CinisterCee said:

Retailers hated it too. It was an annoying shape with a thick booklet that wouldn't fit in any traditional shelving. I kinda like it now, but it did come to mind.

Musicology. I hate digipaks with no place to hold the liner notes...

ABeautifulOne said:

I would prefer no liner notes, to a digipack that does not hold liner notes.

3121 improved on this by having a digipack wit a pocket.

CinisterCee said:

The 3121 pak was neat though... I also like Beyonce's pocket for the deluxe B'day because I never knew it was there when I first opened it.

The new JB Number Ones comp is terrible. (One) is correct though, it was put together in (one) day.

CinisterCee said:

Excellent concept...poor execution.

CinisterCee said:

It's too big. And it's upright.

Lewis Taylor's Lost Album reissue and Prince's Musicology are 2 of the worst in recent years.

PANDURITO said:

But was it in book form? you know staples or something. All I got was 50 separate pieces of paper!!

GangstaFam said:

lazycrockett said:

Yes, book form.No staples but glued to the cover.
It has 20 sheets which makes 38 pages of pics (and yes they look like taken from a TV. That's Art for you)+ 2 central pages of credits, + the cover made of a bit thicker paper.
The cover is orange striped on one side and black and gray on the other, like the Pop/Art concept.

Prince's N.E.W.S, it easily tears, which made me transfer the cd to a jewelcase with a copied booklet to at least give it some substance.

CinisterCee said:

OMG! you are SO the new me!

Dayspring said:

PS, my Björk buddy was over ay my place for the first time and we were discussing getting digital albums instead of the real deal, but that SOME artists you NEED to have. I said Björkwas the one for me.

He was standing in front of the CD library and said 'HA! No Medulla!' I just walked over to my LP's and took the Medulla vynil out. Maaaaan, some stuff just works better on vynil, dunnit?

We both fingered it. Vynil just fingers better. I love the grooves, the labels, the size (heh, Nathan/Colin) and the fact that art design translates better on that 12" canvas.

Well given that a release by Runzelstirn & Gurgelstock was packaged in actual shit, as in excrement, my vote would probably go for that one.

novabrkr said:

novabrkr said:

1st place...

2nd place goes to Crystal ball

novabrkr said:

That's truly disgusting. I'd rather not listen to it at all than to have to go through cleaning off the shit. Is it human or animal feces? Because animal would be a little more tolerable than human. That being said, it's nasty either way. Yeah, this is definitely the worst ever.

Kate Bush's "Aerial" doesn't offer the best protection for the cds. I wouldn't say it's the worst though. NovaBreaker just provided that one.

CinisterCee said: