Music was a great source of unity for the Yugoslavs, with people enjoying genres from folk to disco and heavy metal performed by artists from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds. Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Macedonians, Bosnians, and Montenegrins shared the stage to create beautiful music, alongside soulful Roma and Albanian artists who brought even more exotic and unique sounds.
This era is gloriously captured in these cheesy album covers, which, like most of the 70s and 80s stuff we see from any country, looks just ridiculous now. Don't believe us? Scroll down to below to check these vintage photos out for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments!
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what? She is first woman to show off her natural hair on legs. Kinda brave, imo.
Having visited most of the countries of the former Yugoslavia, I was interested and rather shocked to find that there is quite a lot of nostalgia for those times among certain members of the population, who look back fondly at a time of peace and relative prosperity under strongman leader Josip Tito.
Tito's death, followed by the eventual dissolution of the country into 6 independent states, reopened deep ethnic tensions that sparked a bloody conflict, the aftermath of which is still felt today.
Back in those days, it was all about the music. You could be famous without needing to look a certain way, like pop musicians seem to now.
While it's tempting to scroll through and mock these album cover artworks for their cheesy and 'ugly' looks, I urge you to at least check out the work of Šaban Bajramović.
Time Magazine voted Bajramović in the top 10 best jazz musicians ever, and his soulful voice, full of anguish and emotion, is a joy to behold.
Known as the 'King of Romani Music,' Šaban's work has been copied and stolen countless times, and you have undoubtedly heard him sing if you have seen any of Emir Kusturica's classic films Time of the Gypsies, Underground or Black Cat, White Cat.
Keep scrolling to check out these classic worst album covers for yourself, and be sure to check out some of the amazing music behind the cover art!
Oliver Mandic is our David Bowie, here is one of his old songs https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2mThijLXC0I
Pitty you can't translate these songs, titles are hilarious (I am Serbian btw), it's almost imporsible to translate it so that it stays in "spirit of language" but well I will try: 1. I'll fight those who listens to screaming 2. I am not Metalicca 3. Just withyou (no, I did not make typing mistake here) 4 Kill woman who doen't wash her hair (same, I just tried to type with spelling errors made in Serbian) 5. Drug, called madness 6. Give'er the soap, friends 7. whattadoyou need drugs, friend 8. woman, you need spelling book 9. you're wrong brother woman 10. I dunno mother why she listens to noise 11. we are just bathing
Never knew the 90ties are considered vintage now :-/@author can you please get yourself a pair of shiny NEW glasses? (or contact lenses)
I wanna put you in one of these great used cars we've got!
-Happens I forgot to put on a skirt coming to this photoshoot... -Doesn't matter, we'll think of a pose to make it look ok.
I'm pretty sure this guy is not a singer from former Yugoslavia.
And his Number 1 hit "'Scuse Me While I Scratch My Head", flip side is "I Think She Had Lice"
I promised myself I will never ever comment again on BP because I hate these downvotes. Like people are shaming me for telling my opinion on something. Even more ridiculous they actually erase my comment if people don't like my opinion. So I have to think like everyone else. But I will make exception here as someone who lived in Ex Yugoslavia and Serbia now. Look, all of these are from '80s, it was fashion then. Some of these are made by comedians and actors and children entertainers, so they are basically ridiculous on purpose. Some are really ridiculous, but as I wrote, those were times when it was considered "edgy" and "modern". We are also laughing at them now. And most importantly, what is actually most funny on some of these are song and album titles which are in Serbian so 99% of readers won't get it. I tried to translate one of those albums (24) just to show you how funny titles are but most of it got lost in translation.
Your comments made this article worth reading. Down voters when folk positively contribute are dorks. Watch me get down voted.
Thank you! :)
Biljana, there are some pretty sorry "cases" who pop up on Bored Panda once in a while. Please go on commenting. If you pay attention to them, they get their way and I don't think we should let them. Instead of feeling hurt because of thoughtless or intentionally bad comments, see if you can feel sorry for them instead. They are the ones who are clueless about interacting with other people and no, I for one would not like to live their lives.
Darling, where were you when i was being murdered?? I once got 1000 likes and in no time i got to merely 200. Since then, i've stopped caring and just read people's comments in solitary.
I liked you comments! Those song titles are hilarious! I visited the former Yugoslavia a few times back in the 80's. I always enjoyed my time there, wonderful people.
Ignore BP downvoters. There is a minority that will downvote any rational thought if it goes against a far left agenda (without giving a reasoned rebuttal). If you have something to contribute, then do it. I agree with Driver, your comments really helped out the article and made it better.
I agree, there is that minority who just click the arrow. I will not down vote unless I give a reason why, hopefully in a tactful way. I also welcome negative comments, when they are specific and well thought out. This give and take of thoughts and ideas, agreed upon or not, is how we grow and learn
Maybe the purpose of downvoting is to discourage trolls, but still, when you have honest opinion about something and people vote you into delete it messes with your head. I felt like a bad person for having an opinion that was not popular at all.
They also downvote when it goes against a far right agenda. It seems to be a case of which side was offended first.
Then there is you: Ignoramus incarnate.
The problem with downvoters is that they don't get that people have the right to have a different opinion from theirs. Even if we clarify that we're not interested in changing their minds, they make great effort to change ours. And if we don't reply to them, they believe that they have won the argument with success. Some even do it to gain others' attention and petty likes. Now i bet that i too will be downvoted (again).
Biljana every country that existed in the 80's has photos such as these, and they are all laughable even if you can't read them. The 80's will continue to bring us joy for years to come all around the world.
Agree. I see some are deleted already. They were funny though but most of the time intentionally. It seems that was reason they were removed. IT was about unintentionally funny covers. But people weren't afraid to laugh at themselves then and to look silly, which is completely fine.
Not all panda's have the same sense of humor, but it's also strange that one person's comment gets downvotes by the score while another person making a very similar if not almost identical comment gets all the upvotes. I also saw that someone called a person a foul name and got upvotes. When that person countered the insult they got downvoted like mad. Double standards are a problem on BP....
Sixties and seventies, actually... Hi from Croatia... 😉
Hi Biljana! In my twenties I worked on the border with Serbia (in Romania), and that was in mid eighties. There was excellent music, I lived with Bijelo Dugme, Vesna Smijanac, Lijepa Brena, Riblija Corba, Novije Fosili and so on. I love your language (I still manage in it a little bit) and I still listen almost on a daily basis Serbian music (I'd better say ex Yugoslavian music). These pictures?...Well, that was the fashion, it's buls**t, the music remains and it was soooo gooood!!
80s were awesome, although I was barely a teen then, but still! I feel nostalgic for old Yugoslavia.
You are awesome. I like your posts. Just be in the present. Use the Internet to grow your power, including visualization of the world you want to create. The just ignore the haters. Except once in a while I jump in when it's the croat-serb bashing. I like to walk the high ground until they just run out of insults. Pozdrav iz Nujorka.
Thanks! Eh that's people affected by politicians. We should all walk high ground.
I find covers from these eras equally hilarious no matter the country of origin.
Translate all of them. I loved reading the one you did.
Thank you, Biljana! Spot-on!
Ultimately it's a public website and to allow strangers to affect you like that is silly.
Agreed but they still do.
Thank you!
Thanks for your post and comment very entertaining
A couple of these albums had titles in russian. Were they slavic albums, or actually russian albums that got lumped in? (Like how #27 is from Spain.)
They did not have Photoshop back then and the only people who had plastic surgery were in bad need for it to get back to looking more "normal", either from deformations or from bad burns or other accidents. So, basically, they look like normal everyday people from a different decade. What absolutely ridiculous pressure young people grow up with now. Just take a look at the two Trump women in the White House: both of them have the same nose even though they are not related at all... (Future comment: "Oh, daaahling, your daughter looks JUST like you! You simply HAVE to tell me who your surgeon is!")
OMG, this comment is gold! Yeah, plastic surgeries were to fix scarring from accidents or missing limbs, today is mostly pure banality.
Compare these unbeautiful talented people with so many beautiful untalented celebs of today.
I promised myself I will never ever comment again on BP because I hate these downvotes. Like people are shaming me for telling my opinion on something. Even more ridiculous they actually erase my comment if people don't like my opinion. So I have to think like everyone else. But I will make exception here as someone who lived in Ex Yugoslavia and Serbia now. Look, all of these are from '80s, it was fashion then. Some of these are made by comedians and actors and children entertainers, so they are basically ridiculous on purpose. Some are really ridiculous, but as I wrote, those were times when it was considered "edgy" and "modern". We are also laughing at them now. And most importantly, what is actually most funny on some of these are song and album titles which are in Serbian so 99% of readers won't get it. I tried to translate one of those albums (24) just to show you how funny titles are but most of it got lost in translation.
Your comments made this article worth reading. Down voters when folk positively contribute are dorks. Watch me get down voted.
Thank you! :)
Biljana, there are some pretty sorry "cases" who pop up on Bored Panda once in a while. Please go on commenting. If you pay attention to them, they get their way and I don't think we should let them. Instead of feeling hurt because of thoughtless or intentionally bad comments, see if you can feel sorry for them instead. They are the ones who are clueless about interacting with other people and no, I for one would not like to live their lives.
Darling, where were you when i was being murdered?? I once got 1000 likes and in no time i got to merely 200. Since then, i've stopped caring and just read people's comments in solitary.
I liked you comments! Those song titles are hilarious! I visited the former Yugoslavia a few times back in the 80's. I always enjoyed my time there, wonderful people.
Ignore BP downvoters. There is a minority that will downvote any rational thought if it goes against a far left agenda (without giving a reasoned rebuttal). If you have something to contribute, then do it. I agree with Driver, your comments really helped out the article and made it better.
I agree, there is that minority who just click the arrow. I will not down vote unless I give a reason why, hopefully in a tactful way. I also welcome negative comments, when they are specific and well thought out. This give and take of thoughts and ideas, agreed upon or not, is how we grow and learn
Maybe the purpose of downvoting is to discourage trolls, but still, when you have honest opinion about something and people vote you into delete it messes with your head. I felt like a bad person for having an opinion that was not popular at all.
They also downvote when it goes against a far right agenda. It seems to be a case of which side was offended first.
Then there is you: Ignoramus incarnate.
The problem with downvoters is that they don't get that people have the right to have a different opinion from theirs. Even if we clarify that we're not interested in changing their minds, they make great effort to change ours. And if we don't reply to them, they believe that they have won the argument with success. Some even do it to gain others' attention and petty likes. Now i bet that i too will be downvoted (again).
Biljana every country that existed in the 80's has photos such as these, and they are all laughable even if you can't read them. The 80's will continue to bring us joy for years to come all around the world.
Agree. I see some are deleted already. They were funny though but most of the time intentionally. It seems that was reason they were removed. IT was about unintentionally funny covers. But people weren't afraid to laugh at themselves then and to look silly, which is completely fine.
Not all panda's have the same sense of humor, but it's also strange that one person's comment gets downvotes by the score while another person making a very similar if not almost identical comment gets all the upvotes. I also saw that someone called a person a foul name and got upvotes. When that person countered the insult they got downvoted like mad. Double standards are a problem on BP....
Sixties and seventies, actually... Hi from Croatia... 😉
Hi Biljana! In my twenties I worked on the border with Serbia (in Romania), and that was in mid eighties. There was excellent music, I lived with Bijelo Dugme, Vesna Smijanac, Lijepa Brena, Riblija Corba, Novije Fosili and so on. I love your language (I still manage in it a little bit) and I still listen almost on a daily basis Serbian music (I'd better say ex Yugoslavian music). These pictures?...Well, that was the fashion, it's buls**t, the music remains and it was soooo gooood!!
80s were awesome, although I was barely a teen then, but still! I feel nostalgic for old Yugoslavia.
You are awesome. I like your posts. Just be in the present. Use the Internet to grow your power, including visualization of the world you want to create. The just ignore the haters. Except once in a while I jump in when it's the croat-serb bashing. I like to walk the high ground until they just run out of insults. Pozdrav iz Nujorka.
Thanks! Eh that's people affected by politicians. We should all walk high ground.
I find covers from these eras equally hilarious no matter the country of origin.
Translate all of them. I loved reading the one you did.
Thank you, Biljana! Spot-on!
Ultimately it's a public website and to allow strangers to affect you like that is silly.
Agreed but they still do.
Thank you!
Thanks for your post and comment very entertaining
A couple of these albums had titles in russian. Were they slavic albums, or actually russian albums that got lumped in? (Like how #27 is from Spain.)
They did not have Photoshop back then and the only people who had plastic surgery were in bad need for it to get back to looking more "normal", either from deformations or from bad burns or other accidents. So, basically, they look like normal everyday people from a different decade. What absolutely ridiculous pressure young people grow up with now. Just take a look at the two Trump women in the White House: both of them have the same nose even though they are not related at all... (Future comment: "Oh, daaahling, your daughter looks JUST like you! You simply HAVE to tell me who your surgeon is!")
OMG, this comment is gold! Yeah, plastic surgeries were to fix scarring from accidents or missing limbs, today is mostly pure banality.
Compare these unbeautiful talented people with so many beautiful untalented celebs of today.