The 50 worst album covers of 2013

Days of album art may be long gone, but that doesn't mean horrific covers are a thing of the past

11:33 18th October 2013

In these download days, it could be assumed that the album cover was a dead artform, but unless you're Kanye West, a decent album artwork is still part and parcel of getting your new album out of the studio, through the label and into people's homes.

Admittedly, most album covers will only be viewed on a mobile phone handset or non-brand specific MP3 player, but that's still no excuse for some of the stinkers that have offended our eyes in 2013 so far. There have been some intentionally terrible album covers from the likes of Action Bronson and Earl Sweatshirt (mission achieved, well done the rap world), but desperately earnest album covers from the likes of James Blunt and Matt Cardle have been equally terrible.

We're not judging the music content here, and in fact there are some bloody brilliant albums in this collection, it's just, some of them are so bloody ugly...

Lucy Spraggan - Join The Club: Maybe it would have worked if Spraggan wasn't so very clearly recoiling from her own card-tossing actions...
James Blunt - Moon Landing: It's the stuff of nightmares, right?
Dannii Minogue - The Very Best Of: There's a good idea in there somewhere - sadly, it was given to an intern to put into practice
Avril Lavigne - Avril Lavigne: Well, wouldn't you look this way if you woke up next to Chad Kroeger of Nickelback every morning?
Kanye West - Yeezus: Less is more? Nope. He just couldn't be arsed (much like the album itself)
Matt Cardle - Porcelain: So. Much. Face
Diplo - Revolution: A visual representation of how the once cutting-edge producer is becoming a parody of himself
Tyga - Hotel California: Initially we weren't sure whether this was amazing or awful, eventually deciding on the latter
Action Bronson - SAAAB Stories: We are not sure what is going on here and quite frankly don't want to know
Jay-Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail: "Let's just stick a grainy black and white image of two statues on there, that'll look deep and interesting"
Jessie J - Alive: Never has an album artwork made the viewer feel such a strong urge to punch themselves in the face
Stooshe - London With The Lights On: Bad photoshop, bad styling, bad everything
will.i.am - #willpower: Sums up will.i.am in one image - raging egomaniacal tosspot. That's without even mentioning that hair
Haim - Days Are Gone: Great album - lazy instagram artwork.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito: KILL IT. KILL IT WITH FIRE.
Christopher Owens - Lysandre: Oh Myspace.
Theme Park - Theme Park: Is this an album or an advert for C&A?
Tyler, The Creator - Wolf: We know this is supposed to look shit, but yeah...it does
Drake - Nothing Was The Same: Nothing was the same after Drake got off with that baby
Limits Of Desire - Small Black: Your guess is as good as ours...
Gucci Mane - Trap God 2: What's going on in the kitchen? We don't want to know
Polyphonic Spree - Yes It's True: Yeah, we remember our first crack at Photoshop too
The Dismemberment Plan - Uncanney Valley: If you judge a book by its cover, then this must be one hell of a horror story
My Bloody Valentine - MBV: The album was worth the wait, the sleeve was not. MS Paint at its finest
Gary Barlow - Since I Saw You Last: Concrete proof that 'duck-face' isn't just something for teenage girls on Instagram
Cher - Closer To The Truth: There's so much blur on the artwork, Damon Albarn should sue for copyright infringement
Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines: Design aside, it's the slightly apologetic look on Thicke's face that troubles us. Apologetic for what? Oh yeah, being a massive misogynist, that's what
Blue - Roulette: Such a shame it wasn't Russian.
Adam Ant - Is the Blueback Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter?: Clearly took longer on the name than the artwork.
Josh Groban - All That Echoes: Who feels like punching something?
Justin Bieber - Believe Acoustic: His right arm's disappearing here. How do we make this happen to the rest of him?
Twenty One Pilots - Vessel: Bert and Ernie are looking a bit rough.
The Blackout - Start The Party: Stop the party, it looks terrible.
Darwin Deez - Songs For Imaginative People: If he's trying to suggest his music is criminal he's succeeded.
Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell: This was released in January.
Tim McGraw - Two Lanes Of Freedom: If only they had cameras these days that could take the annoying reflections off your photos.
New Order - The Lost Sirens: Straight out of a nightmare I once had about B&Q.
Voivoid - Target Earth: We get it, you like things to have claws at the end.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II: It's not the nudity we object to, it's how awful the rest of the picture is.
Union J - Union J: Couldn't be bothered to come up with a name for the album, even less thought went into the cover for it.
Pusha T - My Name Is My Name: If you scan it at Lidl you'll find this artwork's worth about 2p.
Ellie Goulding - Halcyon: There's always a camera around when you're having the worst hair day of your life. Typical.
Dizzee Rascal - The Fifth: Maybe he'll have got the hang of it by the sixth.
Statovarius - Nemesis: I don't like the look of this girl, I think she's trouble.
Bon Jovi - What About Now: Guys we're about to do the art, oh sod it we'll just paint over them.
Kenny Chesney - Life On A Rock: Thanks for the postcard Kenny. Probably don't bother next year though eh?
Polica - Shulamith: Well I'm never buying that shampoo again.
Bo Bruce - Before I Sleep: Look at those cold dead eyes. Like a really posh shark.
Puscifer - Donkey Punch The Night: We see what you've done there lads.
Jason Derulo - Tattoos: Christ, that's nasty. Who draws tattoos on themselves above the age of four?