‘Sticky Fingers’ Was The Rolling Stones’ Most Controversial Album— And It Had Nothing To Do with the Music

The Rolling Stones’ 1971 album Sticky Fingers is widely considered by fans to be one of their very best. “Wild Horses” and “You Gotta Move” are major hits still today. However, some people weren’t the biggest fans of the album’s cover; or should we say, covers. Two different versions of the Sticky Fingers album cover were pretty controversial, and one of them was even banned.

Neither album cover would bother most rock fans and casual enjoyers today. However, the original album cover for Sticky Fingers caused a bit of a ruckus when it was released in 1971. The cover featured an image of jeans with an actual working zipper attached to the LP sleeve, with an image of white briefs revealed underneath. It was conceived by none other than artist Andy Warhol and designer Craig Braun. Sticky Fingers also debuted the now-iconic Rolling Stones logo of a red lips and tongue.

Today, the cover is considered legendary and unlike any other record cover that came before it. Still, some people weren’t delighted about it. Specifically, General Franco-ruled Spain classified the cover as “obscene” and demanded that the record company change the artwork for the sleeve entirely if they wanted to sell it in Spain.

Why Was The ‘Sticky Fingers’ Cover Controversial Enough to Get Banned?

The record company did what Spain’s government asked; only they switched it with an arguably more obscene image. The second album cover portrays fingers sticking out of an open can of blood-colored sugar syrup next to what appears to be a pair of bolt cutters.

John Pasche and Phil Jude designed the new album cover. Spain still wasn’t satisfied and went on to demand that the song “Sister Morphine” be dropped from the album as well. All these demands led to the album not making it to the country until months after its initial release. However, some information has since been lost to history; some say the album was outright banned entirely in Spain for years regardless.

Things also weren’t looking good for Sticky Fingers in the Soviet Union. It wasn’t even released in Russia until 1992, shortly after the Soviet Union fell. Even then, the original cover was banned and replaced with a comical replica of blue jeans with a zipper, plus a Soviet Army belt buckle with the telltale sickle and star.

Censorship is wild sometimes, isn’t it?

Album artwork credit: Andy Warhol

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