Dog Walk Draft Grades: Most Iconic Album Covers Ever Created
This was an interesting draft topic. John Rich was the guest and they mentioned he was a late fill-in, not disclosing who the original selection was. But I thought JRich had a solid showing in his first Dog Walk draft. There are no categories for this one, just the five most iconic covers. Not necessarily the best albums, but the most iconic. So here are the grades:
Team #1 (not on poll): C+
What an outrageous pander pick in the 5th round with 1989 by Taylor Swift to try and pull the Swiftee vote.
Unreal move by the now eliminated White Sox Dave. That had to be said first and foremost as I'm penalizing a full letter grade for that. Because this was honestly a strong draft. Dark Side of the Moon is a very good 1.1. I was never a huge Sublime guy and it seems this Drafter got himself into some hot water here as this isn't even the band's most famous album cover. Rumors is an unreal album and that cover is so distinct. Tragic Kingdom was a big album, but the cover was just meh for me.
Team #2: B-
Enema of the State was huge for any tween in the late 90s/early 2000s. Sad to hear that woman has a publicly available mugshot online! I thought that the rounds 4 & 5 were actually better than rounds 2 & 3 here with Marshall Mathers LP and Americana by the Offspring besting Straight Outta Compton and The Johnny Cash cover. I agree with John Rich's point that the NWA has more iconic photos you think of before the Straight Outta Compton cover which definitely dings this pick.
Team #3: A-
Abbey Road in my mind could be a 1.1 pick. The guys brought it up on the show, but just the amount of time that gets recreated online by tourists makes it probably the most famous album cover. The value at #3 is tremendous. College Dropout is a great one and following it up with Ready to Die is a great rounds 2 & 3. The Velvet Underground & Nico cover is a little more unknown to me personally, but I do appreciate the simplicity of it. The Band is a great cover that has this Drafter's chances hanging on by the skin of his teeth.
Team #4: C+
Led Zeppelin 1st Round struck me as odd at first, but hearing that Zeppelin also means blimp bumps this up a notch. As a Jersey guy myself, Born in the USA is as iconic as a cover gets, so that's a steal in Round 2. A Sailor's Guide to Earth has some awesome artwork, but was an off the grid pick. American Idiot being picked directly after Dookie is a tough look. The Gambler is alright for a 5th Rounder, but overall I didn't think this was a very strong draft.
Team #5: A-
Nevermind is a top 3 album cover in my mind, so great value at #5 overall. Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band followed by Who's Next wins the Classic Rock vote. Dookie's pick is good, but looks better with American Idiot right after. Licensed to Kill finishes off a very diverse and well rounded Draft. Well done.
Who do you think had the best draft? Vote here:
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