If there’s one thing art has to contend with when it becomes iconic, it’s that it becomes ripe for imitation. Familiarity might breed contempt, but it’s also given birth to thousands of copies, tributes and knock-offs, from Andy Warhol’s tins of soup to the million different t-shirts featuring variations on the Mona Lisa.
As the twentieth century’s most popular pop icons, The Beatles have had their fair share of imitators, and their classic sleeve artwork has been spoofed more than most. From Please Please Me to Let It Be, those covers have been copied, tweaked and butchered.
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Bands as famous as Genesis, Def Leppard, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kiss have paid direct tribute, presenting new releases wrapped in familiar, Beatle-centric art. Others have been more disruptive, co-opting the originals for their own, more peculiar needs.
Here are 14 one of the best Beatles album spoofs and tributes.
