The Most Talked About Playboy Covers

By ETCanada.com Staff. 28 Sep 2017 4:16 AM

In memory of Hugh Hefner and the impressive empire he built over time, we’re taking a look back at 12 of the most iconic Playboy magazine covers of all time.

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1 of 12

December 1953
Playboy
The very first Playboy issue obviously goes down in history. What most people might not know, however, is that Marilyn Monroe never actually posed for the issue. Hef took nude photos of the rising star from a calendar photoshoot she did and created a stir by bringing them to the centrefold.
June 1962
Playboy
Though some say this was the first time a bikini was featured on the cover, and note how tastefully it was done, others are quick to point out that if you cover the top half of the photo, including the model's bellybutton, the image looks a little less, um, safe for work.
March 2006
Playboy
If this image looks familiar, that's because it is-Playboy cut an image from an "Into the Blue" poster featuring Jessica Alba and ran it on its cover. Fearing that the magazine had harmed her reputation and career, Alba filed a lawsuit.
September 1996
Playboy
Another star who didn't actually pose for her cover shot? Uma Thurman. The magazine bought photos of the A-lister lounging topless on the beach and ran them with this peeping Tom-esque visual. Yikes!
October 1971
Playboy
Darine Stern made history in October of 1971 when she was the first black model to be featured solo on a Playboy cover. Her iconic pose would be re-created years later, by an equally big household name.
November 2009
Playboy
Marge Simpson was the first cartoon character to ever pose on the cover of Playboy. In the spirit of firsts, she did her best to mimic Darine Stern's cover from 1971.
November 1972
Playboy
It wouldn't be a Playboy magazine roundup without mention of the best-selling issue of all time. In November 1972, Swedish model Lena Soderberg helped sell over 7 million copies.
September 1979
Playboy
When the magazine decided to feature young women from Ivy League schools posing inside its pages, campus feminist groups and administrations were downright outraged.
August 1989
Playboy
Playboy was at it again in 1989, featuring women from Wall Street in this issue. You guessed it-seven of the nine women who posed lost their jobs shortly after the issue was released.
August 1994
Playboy
When an NYPD officer graced the cover and posed nude inside (for which she earned $100,000), she was fired from her job for unauthorized off-duty employment and improper use of her NYPD uniform.
November 1980
Playboy
Hands down one of the most controversial covers to date, this issue featured US government employees posing semi-nude and left two female US Navy workers honourably discharged from service.
May 1964
Playboy
Blonde Playmate Donna Michelle recreated the iconic rabbit logo on this Playboy cover, which goes down in the books because it later became a postage stamp.

The Most Talked About Playboy Covers

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