2013 In Review: The 10 Worst Album Covers Of The Year

Carl Williott | December 20, 2013 5:30 am

2013 worst album covers drake jason derulo miley cyrus bangerz jhene aiko

We’ve spent the past month celebrating the best things about pop music in 2013, but now it’s time to call out a few worsts — sorry, Santa, but we can’t be nice all the time. Our list of the worst album covers is one of my favorite year-end features. Why do I love it so? For one thing, it’s hard to agree on what makes bad music, but it’s very easy to unite in agreement over what makes a bad photo or ugly artwork. As the 10 terrible covers below will prove.

Secondly, I love pondering how these things happen. How do such visual abominations get through so, so many layers of approval before getting slapped onto a CD cover? Who cares! We’re here to chide them, not deconstruct them! Let’s get to it.

Mac Miller — Watching Movies With The Sound Off

We might as well start things off with one of the most eye-catching ones of the bunch. Eye-catching in the way a rusty fish hook can be eye-catching.

Miley Cyrus — Bangerz

We get it, but also, we don’t get it? Why set the listener up with a preconceived vision of Miami Vice cheeze-chic if that aesthetic is nowhere to be found in the actual music? It’s one of those silly covers that makes it hard to take the music seriously at first. (See also: Tyler, the Creator‘s Wolf cover.)

Tags: Ariana Grande, Best Music 2013, Big Sean, Drake, Jason Derulo, Jhene Aiko, John Mayer, Mac Miller, Miley Cyrus, The Wanted