Best Magazine Covers Since 1965?
Category: Design...
Posted Thursday, October 27, 2005 at 02:57 PM [GMT-6]

The American Society of Magazine Editors has announced its list of the "40 greatest magazine covers of the last 40 years." [Note: Not all covers are office-safe. Taste-wise...well, YMMV.]

The January 22, 1981 cover of "Rolling Stone" was the top pick; this is the one with a photo of a naked John Lennon curled up next to a fully clothed (thank you!) Yoko Ono. The equally naked but much more pregnant Demi Moore's "Vanity Fair" appearance on the cover of the August, 1991 issue is #2 on the list.

The preceding link presents the list without comment or rationale. For an often-scathing critique of these choices, pop over to Under Consideration's "Speak Up" and read Dangling Listicles. If the covers fail to inspire, the comments might succeed in entertaining.

A whiffle of the periodical's pages to Jason Kottke

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Comments

Seems like a pretty "liberal" group of covers if you ask me. I didn't read the other link of critiques on the critique of covers, but I can assure you that many less artsy folks would not have chosen this list.

But then again, who else would be "qualified" to choose the best covers of all time? :-)

Posted by: Drew Nichols at October 27, 2005 08:41 PM

Drew, I think I've seen about half of these covers (probably because they caused stirs that were reported in newspapers or on the net) but the only one I ever owned was the National Geographic with that amazing photo of the Afghan girl. It's certainly not a collection that impresses me very much...but I'm probably not their target demographic anyway.

Posted by: Eric at October 27, 2005 09:49 PM

I couldn’t help but look. The experience was somewhat like looking at a bad car accident. You want to look but at the same time you wish you hadn’t. Curiosity is a dangerous thing. Like gazing at a bad accident there are the images that stir feelings of sadness due to the depravity of man and yet scenes that bring up feelings of respect, and appreciation for artistic beauty (i.e. the National Geographic). I assume that most of the collection is a reflection of our society. Too bad.

Thanks for posting this. I would never know about or seen them if you hadn't.

Posted by: Gene at October 28, 2005 12:18 PM

Gene, while you may be right that this collection is a reflection of how we are as a society, I think it should also be viewed within the perspective of who did the picking of these particular covers. That group probably does not represent mainstream America. After all, it's the group who hired the photographers and approved the photos that went onto the covers to begin with!

I, for one, am shocked at no inclusion of covers from MacAddict, Popular Mechanics, Car and Driver or Bicycling!

Posted by: Eric at October 28, 2005 02:11 PM

Yes, I whole heartedly agree, especially about MacAddict, and maybe Biblical Archeology. :)

Posted by: Gene at October 28, 2005 02:47 PM

...Biblical Archeology

Heh.

I'll bet you didn't get that subscription from Midland Christian! ;-)

Posted by: Eric at October 28, 2005 02:52 PM
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