Unflattering pictures of artists on album covers

Yesterday I was browsing albums by classic R&B singer Big Maybelle when I stumbled upon...



How was this approved? Was this the best they could do? Did somebody have it out for her?

Can you think of any other album covers that fail to capture an artist's good side?

By the way, for comparison here's a vastly superior portrait of Big Maybelle from another LP of the same era:

 

In 1991, EMI released this Fats Domino box set featuring an iconic, timeless shot of Fats on the cover.



In 2002, it was repackaged as part of the "Crescent City Soul" series with a shoddy facsimile of the old cover picture. Poor Antoine looks like he's suffering from some sort of allergic reaction:

 

Introducing The Beatles. Nuff said.

 

doesn't Neil Diamond's "Hot August Night" rule these threads every time they are started

 

Queen "News Of The World"...not flattering.

 

Mac Demarco, the cover photo from his "Only You" 7":

 

Larry Mullen Jr on Songs of Innocence

 

I know Mick Fleetwood in drag is supposed to be funny, but god almighty!

 

I would have thought, given the OP's handle that I wouldn't be the first, but....

 

And this was released in the UK: Fleetwood Mac - Mr. Wonderful

 

I was so fixated on front covers that I never stopped to think about backs! However, I was just about to post a latter-day TT album:

 

Yeah, that one too. Looks like he just got neutered.

 

Oh man, some of those Fleetwood covers are extraordinary difficult to look at. I always found this one to be pretty egregious as well. Wtf were they thinking?

 

Yeah, that one's even worse.
Just wrong on so many levels.

 

I agree. At least later they decided not to have Mick Fleetwood on the cover, but then we got this instead:

 

Also, this album cover doesn't quite show Peter Hammill at his best I think:

 

I know this was futzed with, but I find the result somewhat repellent:

 

This to me is a really lovely photo.

 

And the doll.....

 

I guess they couldn't fit the entire band in the photo:

 

Tiny Tim never had a flattering photo in his life.