10 Classic Albums With Terrible Album Covers

Phil Collins was making a pretty gutsy move in the early '80s with his record Face Value. Not only was he putting out songs that reflected the sad state of his marriage, but it was also his first proper solo outing out of the confines of Genesis. Though fellow Genesis alumnus Peter Gabriel hit the ground running with his debut solo effort, Face Value is a great collection of tracks with a very questionable packaging.

Granted, there is something to be said about an album called Face Value to only feature the artists' face, but this entire album cover reeks of wasted potential. Whenever you strike out on your own, you have a unique opportunity with your album cover to show a different side of yourself that reflects the music within. On the other hand, staring into Collins' dead-eyed stare just makes you feel more uncomfortable rather than inviting.

This wouldn't be too bad for a solo release, but someone in Collins' camp must have thought it was genius, considering the rest of his solo catalog is comprised of nothing but profile shots of his mug. Phil deserves a lot of credit for being able to balance Genesis and a solo career at the same time, but an album cover this lackluster shows you that he had to sacrifice liberties somewhere.