The Worst Design of 2006: Music, Film, and Books

Nestled lovingly in the bosom of the many "Best of 2006" lists released over the past week are critics' stabs at identifying some of the most outrageous worsts in their fields. Below are a few "worst-of " lists or list components relating to visual design.

Music: Worst Album Covers Pitckfork Media's pick of the top 25 worst album covers had me sadly nodding my head over at their first pick - one of my favorite bands' worst pieces of cover art since Built to Spill was just a sparkle in Treepeople's eye. But it goes way, way downhill from there. One of my favorites, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, cuts out the annoying nuance of traditional bling assertion and shows us the products we've all been shopping for. NSFW and not for sensitive viewers.

Film: Worst Movie Posters
Short but sweet, Cinematical's list of the year's worst movie posters highlights advertising strategies destined to bomb.

Most Despicable Use of In-Game Advertising
Gamespot's Best/Worst of 2006 in computer games includes this juicy category for the many games that have chosen to push the envelope with in-your-face product placement and in-game billboard advertising.

Worst (and Most Misleading) Young-Adult Book Covers
Fuse #8 is a bit kinder than that - or the task would be too hard if so defined - so she chose to include the best young-adult books with the worst covers, and also takes a passing swipe at major books with the most misleading ones, in her newly-inaugurated Golden Fuse Awards. My favorite in that category is at left. Number of dragons in the dragon-festooned The Floating Island? I'll let you guess.

Timeless Best/Worst Lists

• Best and Worst Toddler TV Show Logos: Okay, only partially related, not all-new for 2006, and not worsts only, but an interesting design read!
• Worst NFL Team Logos: Editors' and readers' picks. Gee, how could anyone criticize a team logo that's just a big orange football helmet? Simplicity redefined!
• Worst Magazine Covers: Gawker's picks from the last four decades.