Sex is one of the tools used by musicians to sell their albums. Here we make a list of musicians who posed nude on their album cover.
1. Buckingham Nicks
Album cover of the self-titled, Buckingham Nicks
This musical act comprised of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham who both later joined the Fleetwood Mac in 1975. They both posed nude on their only studio album, which was self titled, which was released in 1973. The album was a commercial failure and it peaked at number 28 on the US billboard.
2. Marilyn Manson
Album cover of Mechanical Animals by the band Marilyn Manson
Yuck, I don’t know who wanted this. But the vocalist Marilyn Manson posed nude for the band Marilyn Manson’s third studio album, Mechanical Animals. It was released on September 15, 1998, by Interscope Records. The album has been certified platinum in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it the first Marilyn Manson album to do so. As of November 2010, Mechanical Animals sold 1,409,000 copies in the US.
3. John Lennon and Yoko Ono
This is not almost but completely nude. Both John Lennon and Yoko Ono pose nude on the first of their three experimental album, Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins. The debut album of the duo was released in 1968. It was recorded by the duo at John Lennon’s studio at Kenwood, St. George’s Hill, while his wife, Cynthia Lennon, was on holiday in Greece, to get respite from her husband who she was upset with. The cover made the album controversial and the parent record company EMI refused to distribute it. The LP record was sold in a brown paper bag, and distributed by Track and Tetragrammaton in UK and USA respectively. The album failed to chart in UK and reached number 124 in the US.
4. Prince
Prince nude on the cover of the album, Lovesexy
He posed nude on his tenth studio album, Lovesexy, which was released by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records on May 10, 1988. The album recieved mixed reviews and it caused some controversy for it’s cover. It reached number 11 on the Billboard 200.
5. Rihanna
Rihanna on the cover of the album, Unapologetic
She posed nude on her seventh studio album, Unapologetic, which was released by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records on 19 November 2012. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and became her first number one album on the chart. As of December 2014, Unapologetic has sold over four million copies worldwide.
6. Cher
Cher nude on the cover of her album, Prisoner
She posed nude for, Prisoner, which was the singer’s 16th studio album. It was released by Casablanca Records on October 22, 1979. The album was a commercial failure and failed to chart. The song ‘Hell on Wheels’ was released as the lead single and it peaked on Billboard Hot 100 at 59.
7. Liz Phair
Liz Phair on the cover of her album, Exile in Guyville
She posed nude on her debut album, Exile in Guyville. It was released by Matador Records on June 22, 1993. The album was highly critically acclaimed and was a moderate success. It is now thought to be one of the greatest albums ever made. It was ranked at 56 on Rolling Stone’s The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020.
