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As It Happens6:31He collected hundreds of the worst album covers of all time. Now they’re in a museum
They say you shouldn’t judge a book — or perhaps, an album — by its cover. But Steve Goldman did exactly that, and it kickstarted a unique hobby.
Nearly 40 years ago, he was in a second-hand record store when he stumbled across Peter Rabbitt’s 1979 album Roadstar. Goldman got the album, but not because he was a huge fan of the band.
“I bought it because it was such an extraordinarily bad cover,” he told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.
The cover features five rabbits surrounding an upside-down black magician-style top hat, with one bunny popping out of the opening. Then things get weird.
“The band’s faces [are] amateurishly and awkwardly superimposed on the rabbits,” said Goldman, who is based in Huddersfield, England.
The band says they hated the cover but only saw it after they broke up. Lead singer John Thompson described it as “the invasion of the bunny body snatchers.”
The 1979 album Roadstar by Peter Rabbitt is the record that kickstarted Steve Goldman’s collection of the ‘worst of the worst’ album covers. (Submitted by Steve Goldman)
But the joy Goldman got from the image inspired him.
“I said to my family, ‘You know what, I think I’m going to start collecting crap LP covers,’” he said.
Goldman says he has 700 of the “worst of the worst” album covers ever designed. Some of his collection is on display at the Mansfield Museum in England in the Worst Record Covers in the World exhibit, which runs until Aug. 29.
The audio-visual connection
Even though most people now stream music and often listen to playlists instead of albums, George Howard says album visuals still play an important role.
Howard, a professor of music business at Berklee College of Music in Boston, says album art can draw people in.
“Something that makes us pause, where you have to sort of scrutinize it,” he said. “That’s an important marketing gesture.”
Cinquanta by Maynard James Keenan is part of Goldman’s collection. (Submitted by Steve Goldman)
Howard pointed out that passionate fans, like Taylor Swift’s “Swifties,” often use their knowledge and enthusiasm to analyze the images Swift posts and search for “Easter eggs.” The conversations generated by fans can spread beyond the fandom into the public consciousness.
Conversely, bad album art can turn people away from listening to an artist’s work because they might assume the music is as poor as the visuals, Goldman says.
He points to Thundercat’s 2017 album, Drunk, as an example of a good album in bad packaging.
“[It] consists of his eyes staring out of a puddle and the rest of him submerged, and that’s a really good album,” Goldman said.
George Howard, a professor of music business at Berklee College of Music in Boston, says Drunk is an example of a good album with a bad cover. (Submitted by Steve Goldman)
Howard has worked with artists and record labels on designing album covers. He says artists tend to think deeply about the visuals that accompany their music and the message they’re trying to send.
“It’s not an afterthought, but it doesn’t mean that they get it right,” he said.
An artist’s creative vision
Howard says it wouldn’t make sense for an artist to deliberately create a “bad” album cover just to generate buzz.
“I think it would be overly bold for some artist to go, ‘I’m going to intentionally make a bad album cover in the hopes that people will talk about it,’” he said.
Oil & Vinegar by Dave McKenna is part of the Worst Record Covers in the World exhibit. (Submitted by Steve Goldman)
He cited Charli XCX’s album brat as an example of a risky choice, which ultimately paid off.
Summer 2024 was affectionately dubbed “Brat Summer” after the album. The lowercase font and the shade of lime green that donned the cover were popular in ads and social media posts following its release.
“That colour green almost became something that signified [the album],” Howard said.
Goldman says album covers like The Trials of Jayson Hoover by Jayson Hoover make people smile. (Submitted by Steve Goldman)
He notes that some AI tools or marketing firms would recommend avoiding that shade and the choice could’ve backfired, if the album hadn’t been a hit.
Howard says he admires the creative impulse artists have to try something new or make a statement, even if he’s personally not a fan.
“When someone does something that maybe doesn’t work, that’s kind of awesome, because they took a shot,” he said.
Sometimes art needs more time or analysis to be fully understood or appreciated, he added.
For Goldman, the best part of bad album covers is people’s joy.
“I think my biggest thrill comes from seeing the people’s reactions. Hanging low and just watching people laugh,” he said.