10 Most Controversial Album Covers Of All Time
7. Suede - Suede (1993)
In 1993, a cover that presented two gender-ambiguous figures lock-lipped in passionate kiss should not have garnered so much controversy. But much like it did in the scandalous Wilde trial almost a century previous, traditional society still got its kicks from demonising same-sex relations, expelling disgust for such immorality. That's the thing though, its unclear whether this saliva-swapping shot features two men, two women or one of each and this delightful androgyny really got to the curmudgeons. The extreme difficulty in definitively assigning a gender to each of the subjects pictured, outrages (and probably secretly aroused) these stuffy guardians of morality.
Of course, Suedes is a debut that knowingly basks in such glorious subversion with its explicit references to gay sex and disseminations of debauchery and depravity. On the record, theatrical flamboyance is Brett Andersons modus operandi, his advocacy of profligacy and trashy venture relayed in both appearance and language, making strait-laced listeners wince in horror. Come on guys, what DOES it take to turn you on?