The Beatles – Yesterday and Today (1966)
In a bizarre move, The Beatles agreed that a disturbingly odd cover befitted their 1966 release of Yesterday and Today. They sat about in butcher attire, coated in meat and clutching dolls in their hands. The public did not appreciate this creative direction, leading to a costly blunder that resulted in Capitol Records reclaiming around one million previously released copies. This set the label back $250,000, and they did not manage to collect every copy, one of which can be sold for $15,000 today.
The Beatles Yesterday And Today
The Rolling Stones – Street Fighting Man (1968)
Street Fighting Man is another example of a popular record with a controversial cover. The Rolling Stones decided to feature a disturbing and violent scene on the record’s slip showing an altercation between policemen and a protestor. The image was taken from the 1968 Democratic National Convention protest. The band’s label took the record out of circulation and only 18 slipped through their fingers. A 2011 auction saw a copy sold for $17,000, and the rest have yet to be accounted for.
The Rolling Stones Street Fighting Man
