The 20 Best Music Magazine Covers Of 2012 [PHOTOS]

20. XXL Freshman Issue 2012

No matter what your personal opinion is on the publication’s selections, the XXL Freshman issue is still one of the few magazine covers that will always get people talking. Looking back on the past year, Future, French Montana, MGK, and Macklemore made serious dents in the game while the others are still finding their footing. Still scratching our heads on Roscoe Dash, though.

19. FADER – Chief Keef

From the best of times and the worst of times, Chicago was in the limelight of Hip-Hop for all of 2012. One of the main people smack dab in the middle of it was GBE’s Chief Keef. This cover managed to do what tons of viral videos couldn’t do; make Keef look like a normal 16-year-old.

18. VIBE – Maybach Music Group

VIBE managed to get the regenerated Maybach Music Group on the cover of their publication. We like Meek, Wale and Rawse, but we really marked out when Guuuuunplaaaaaay landed on the gate fold.

17. XXL – Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre  

Once you sign a deal with Interscope/Aftermath, it’s almost guaranteed you will score yourself a XXL Cover. What makes this one different is their latest shining star, Kendrick Lamar, had the overseeing eye of Dr. Dre behind him. Like 50 Cent, Game and Eminem before them, this cover line was right on the money.

16. Dazed And Confused – Azealia Banks

If your cover gets banned somewhere, you are almost guaranteed for it to be pretty damn cool. Breakout star, Azealia Banks, landed herself on the cover of Dazed And Confused blowing condom bubbles. She’s so kooky.

15. BIllboard – Birdman and Slim 

Cash Money is an army, and Birdman & Slim are the aging generals. With 50,000,000 records sold and three of the biggest stars in music under their umbrella, who else would you have cover the “Urban Power Issue?” Yeeawwlready know, pleighboi.

14. The Source – 2 Chainz “Man Of The Year”

Looking like the King of Zamunda, it was hard to make a case against Tity Two Necklaces as the Man of the Year. In his princely garments, 2 Chainz became the first Source “Man of The Year” not named Rick Ross.

13. RESPECT – Drake 

Even without putting out an album, Drake managed to keep a stranglehold on the game in 2012. He graced YN’s publication and talked it up about his killer verses and why he avoids the beef.

12. XXL – Chris Brown

Breezy Bad Azz doesn’t do the whole press thing, for obvious reasons. But he was given a pen and a ton of real estate to write his own cover story for XXL. Brown also gives himself the mushface, probably something a ton of people would like to do to him personally.

11. XXL Magazine – Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose

Was the cover lien a little cheesy? Sure. But who cares? Wiz and his boo-boo Amber Rose and the first appearance of their impending RoseBud graced the cover of XXL. Between making almost $11,000,000, dropping two mixtapes, an album and becoming a dad, 2012 was pretty sweet for young Khalifa, man.

10. Complex – Nas

It was a hot summer for Nas, and that was foreshadowed in this cover of Complex. With a box of vinyls that crate diggers probably drooled over when they saw this cover, this picture was so New York, Weezy probably didn’t like it.

9. FADER – 2 Chainz

Captain Tity Boi finally came of age as an underground darling to a legitimate rap superstar in 2012. FADER, as they usually do, gave the ball to 2 Chainz and let him run it into the end zone.

8. SPIN – Azealia Banks 

She’s got more magazine covers than #1 hits, but who cares? This rapper/fashionista was a style muse in 2012 even if her songs didn’t catch on as much. She still hasn’t released a full length album, so 2013 a lot can change.

7. Rolling Stone – Rick Ross

This will always be remembered as the first cover which Rick Ross finally admitted to be a correctional officer. The story itself even paints Mr. Roberts as a complete caricature. But who cares, look how happy he looks! Rungh!

6. SPIN – Waka Flocka Flame

So simple, yet so awesome. It makes us think why doesn’t Waka Flocka Flame use this as an album cover or something? It was perfect. Hair out, crazed look and “WAKA!” in big bold letters. Bravo, Spin.

5. Complex – G.O.O.D. Music

Although slightly sacrilegious, Complex cover of the G.O.O.D. Music crew brought together Big Sean, Common, 2 Chainz, Kid Cudi, Q-Tip, Pusha T, John Legend, and Kanye West in anticipation of Cruel Summer. Although Kanye West kept his word of not doing any press, the rest of the crew broke down one of the most anticipated compilation albums in Hip-Hop.  

4. The Source – Kendrick Lamar “Rookie Of The Year”

Whenever a crown is placed upon a rapper on a magazine cover, nothing more needs to be said. 2012 was the year of Kendrick Lamar and The Source’s stamp as the “Rookie Of The Year,” sealed the deal. This is King Kendrick Lamar.

3. Complex – Jeremy Scott and A$AP Rocky

No magazine quite captures Hip-Hop and style quite like Complex has in the past couple of years and this cover encapsulates that. With Jeremy Scott on one side facing off with A$AP Rocky, this cover was definitely poster worthy. 

2. Complex – Justin Bieber

Complex did it again with their tenth anniversary issue by grabbing the biggest pop star on the planet to cover it’s magazine. Before his heavily Hip-Hop inspired album, Believe, dropped; Complex beat the piss out of the pretty boy and threw it on the cover. Please believe it!

1. GQ – Rihanna 

It’s pretty difficult to go wrong with butt-naked Rihanna. GQ knew what they were doing when they named Rihanna as the “obsession of the year.” Wearing nothing but a leather jacket, a short haired Rih-Rih stopped every red-blooded male dead in their tracks with this shot. That reign just wont let up.