Playboy launched in December 1953 with a celebrity on the cover and in the pages Marilyn Monroe.
Around the turn of the ’80s, that changed. Playboy got hip to the value of naked famous ladies. Pictorials by Bo Derek, Barbara Carrera, and Kim Basinger were some of the earliest examples of celebrities who decided to “do Playboy” a phrase that is now a ubiquitous suggestion for every starlet with a movie or two under her belt. By the late ’90s, Playboy was full-on addicted to celebrities.
How do you pick the best from such an amazing group? It wasn’t easy. The formula was based on beauty and x-factor as well as celebrity status. Celebrity status didn’t always help you, though.
Here are the hottest Playboy Playmates of all time.
1. Pamela Anderson
Blonde bombshell Anderson has been posing for Playboy for three decades. She’s also been on more covers for the magazine than any other person, so picking one was a challenge and a privilege. Her tongue-in-cheek January 2007 shoot (pictured above) pretty much epitomizes her relationship with the brand.
Issue: October 1989, February 1991, July 1992, August 1993, November 1994, January 1996, September 1997, June 1998, February 1999, July 2001, May 2004, January 2007, January 2011
Which gorgeous Playmates didn’t make the list? Hiromi Oshima was one of the few blondes that caught the eye of Hugh Hefner, that’s enough for an honorable mention. How about Robin Givens, remember her? She was Mike Tyson’s sweetheart and then she wasn’t. Kim Kardashian did Playboy after her sex tape. It may be cold in Canada, but they do make great looking blondes; Jayde Nicole was a prime example of that! Finally, Jayne Mansfield graced the cover and pages of Playboy in 1963. She was the definition of sexy during her time and was Miss February in 1955. She didn’t make the list, which tells you how competitive this group is.
