2. New York, March 24, 2008

When this cover appeared, the chattering classes of the magazine world hailed it as the cover of the year, as did the American Society of Magazine Editors. And who's to argue? It's so spot-on in its timing and sentiment that it is, well, a no-brainer. When news broke linking New York governor Eliot Spitzer to a call girl, New York, hired noted conceptual artist Barbara Kruger who took a benign portrait by Henry Leutwyler and created scathing commentary by overlaying her signature red rectangle with white type. This cover hits Spitzer — and, by association, the male species in general — right where it hurts.

Connect to this TIME Story