The 25 Hottest SI Swimsuit Issue Covers Ever

This year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue has Kate Upton on the cover and it's caused quite the frenzy during the couple of weeks it's been out. Once again, SI nailed it with the perfect model for the front of its most celebrated issue, adding another success to the edition's untarnished repuation of almost 50 years. Instead of hauling through all 48 covers, though, why not go straight to the best ones? Check out The 25 Hottest Swimsuit Issue Covers Ever for the best history lesson of your life.

RELATED: Swimsuit Models Bare All (No Makeup)

Year:1966
Photographer: Howell Conant
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in a number of pictorials in the '60s; started her own interior design company Kemble Interiors.

Bippus certainly leaves us in a sunny disposition with her red floral bikini piece and. This picture continues to inspire legions Facebook profile pictures every summer.

Year: 1994
Photographer: Walter Iooss
Fashion Resumé: Rachel Hunter: Modeled in a campaign for Ultimo; modeled in pictorials for Cosmopolitan and Playboy.

Elle Macpherson: Modeled in campaigns for Christian Dior, Azzedine Alaia, H&M and Victoria's Secret; modeled in pictorials for Cleo, Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Maxim and Playboy; walked the runway for Ralph Lauren, Azzedine Alaia, John Galliano, Valentino, Christina Dior, Zeki Triko, Victorio and Lucchino, Thierry Mugler, Liverpool and Louis Vuitton; founded lingerie line Elle Macpherson Intimates.

Kathy Ireland: Branded her own line of socks and created her own clothing line for K-Mart.

The blonds in black bikinis gave us three reasons to buy this issue as soon as it hit shelves. Two out of the three also taught us the true meaning of MILF as Hunter and Ireland were pregnant during the shoot.

Year: 1999
Photographer: Antoine Vargas
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Bebe, Christian Dior, Dillards, Escada, Furla, J.Crew, La Perla, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria's Secret; modeled in pictorials for Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, FHM, GQ, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Maxim and Harper's Bazaar; walked the runway for Chantal Thomass, Sonia Rykiel, Giorgio Armani and Victoria's Secret.

Before she rocked body paint as X-Men's Mystique and played in Ugly Betty, Rebecca Romijn posed for the cover in the sexiest chainmail outfit in history.

Year: 1993
Photographer: Paolo Curto
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Elizabeth Arden, Almay, Diesel, Ellen Tracy, L'Oreal, Liz Claiborne and Victoria's Secret; modeled in pictorials for Cleo, Flare, Vogue and Elle, Cosmpolitan; walked the runway for Norah Farah and Victoria's Secret.

The gorgeous blond bombshell graced the cover in a white one piece peek-a-boo swimsuit that proudly displayed her flat stomach and athletic body.

Year: 1988
Photographer: Marc Hispard
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Christian Dior, Azzedine Alaia, H&M and Victoria's Secret; ,odeled in pictorials for Cleo, Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Maxim and Playboy; walked the runway for Ralph Lauren, Azzedine Alaia, John Galliano, Valentino, Christina Dior, Zeki Triko, Victorio and Lucchino, Thierry Mugler, Liverpool and Louis Vuitton; founded lingerie line Elle Macpherson Intimates.

Swimsuits have gotten skimpier but the models in the '80s still knew how to blow us away. Take, for instance, Elle pulling down her now-demure black one-piece to tease readers with her cleavage.

Year: 1978
Photographer: Walter Iooss
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in pictorials in the '70s

Little is remembered about Maria's career besides the fact that she's the mother of Jordana Brewster, best known as Mia Torretto of The Fast and the Furious franchise. Regardless of her relative anonymity, it's impossible to erase this image of her soaking wet on the cover.

Year: 1980
Photographer: John G. Zimmerman
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for CoverGirl, Chanel, Prell, Nu Skin, Yardley of London, Halston, and Gottex; modeled in pictorials for Glamour, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, In-Style and Playboy.

Christie was the first model to appear on three consecutive covers and she was featured exclusively in Sports Illustrated’s first calendar. This cover, with her in a white bikini that peeks perfectly on her bottom half, is the most unforgettable.

Year: 2000
Photographer: Robert Erdmann
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Alfani, Cache, Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Rolex, Sak's Fifth Avenue and Victoria's Secret; modeled in pictorials for Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, FHM, GQ, Glamour, Maxim and Harper's Bazaar.

Sometimes called “The Chameleon” for her constantly changing looks, Pestova has been on the cover of the issue three times. Our favorite? When her bikini top is nonexistent and replaced with beads.

Year: 1998
Photographer: Robert Erdmann
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Abercrombie and Fitch, Ellen Tracy, Givenchy, H&M, INC, Jordache, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria's Secret and Zeki Triko swimwear; modeled in pictorials for Vogue, Elle, GQ and Harper's Bazaar; designed clothes for men featured in mail-order catalog Otto, shoes for Birkenstock, clothing for Jordache, lingerie for Victoria's Secret, and her own jewelry line Mouwad; hosted Project Runway and Germany's Next Top Model; walked the runway for Structure, Victor Alfaro, Phillipe Tracy, Zac Posen and Victoria's Secret.

It’s not a stretch to call this cover the classiest of all swimsuit editions. Heidi still oozes sex appeal but the modesty of her black and white one piece leaves you wanting more.

Year: 2002
Photographer: Jeff Bark
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for bebe, Ungaro, Replay jeans, Victoria's Secret and CoverGirl; modeled in pictorials for GQ, Glamour, Maxim, Elle and Shape.

Not only was Yamila Diaz-Rahi the first Latin-speaking spokesmodel for CoverGirl, but she also won us over in a red-hot bikini on this cover.

Year: 1975
Photographer: Walter Iooss
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Revlon; modeled in pictorials for Elle, Vogue UK and Harper's Bazaar; created an accessory and wig line for Revlon; worked as a judge on True Beauty.

Cheryl's bikini-clad body made the cover in 1970, 1973, and 1983, garnering her a reputation as one of the original supermodels. This pink bikini pin-up is regarded as iconic '70s pop culture imagery.

Year: 2006
Photographer: Raphael Mazzucco
Fashion Resumé: Veronica Varekova: Modeled in campaigns for Chanel, Christian Dior, Dooney & Bourke, and Victoria's Secret.

Daniela Pestova: Modeled in campaigns for Alfani, Cache, Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Rolex, Sak's Fifth Avenue and Victoria's Secret.

Elsa Benitez: Modeled in campaigns for Victoria's Secret, Dolce & Gabbana, I-N-C, J.Crew, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino and Jones New York.

Carolyn Murphy: Modeled in campaigns for Dolce Gabbana, Max Mara, Gucci, Prada and Calvin Klein.

Usually, one cover star is enough, but the magazine decided to blow our minds with a wave of sex appeal from newer starlets and past cover models, with the veterans still looking as good they did back in the '80s.

Year: 2007
Photographer: Cliff Watts
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for L'Oreal and Tommy Hilfiger; started fashion line House of Deréon with her mother; walked the runway for Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

There was no one better to break the traditinal model mold of the Swimsuit Issue than Beyoncé. The superstar became the first non-model, the first non-athlete and the second African-American woman to ever be featured front and center.

Year: 2008
Photographer: Raphael Mazzucco
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Victoria's Secret, Guess?, Tommy Hilfiger, Bath & Body Works and True Religion; modeled in pictorials for GQ, Maxim, Glamour, Marie Claire, Elle and Vanity Fair.

Complete swimsuits aren't necessary when it comes to landing the coveted cover of the Swimsuit Issue, hence Marisa Miller's bikini bottom and shell-necklace top. The cover drew a record 228 million pageviews to the site.

Year: 2001
Photographer: Stewart Shining
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Victoria's Secret, Dolce & Gabbana, I-N-C, J.Crew, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, and Jones New York; modeled in pictorials for Elle, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar and Marie Claire; worked with photographer Steven Meisel and Bruno Aveillan.

The Mexican beauty's stint as host of Mexico's Next Top Model nor her appearance in Enrique Iglesias' music video for "Love To See You Cry" will ever overshadow the glory of this cover.

Year: 2009
Photographer: Raphael Mazzucco
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Subaru, Accessorize, Besni, Marco Bicego, Rampage and Garnier; modeled in pictorials for Elle, Maxim and

Two years after her debut as the first Israeli model to appear in the magazine, Refaeli made history again with her own cover. She caused some controversy when an image from the shoot was painted on the side of a Southwest airplane in a promotional deal with the magazine, which angered passengers who deemed the move "offensive to families."

Year: 1996
Photographer: Walter Iooss
Fashion Resumé: Valeria Mazza: Modeled in pictorials for Vogue, Glamour and Elle.

Tyra Banks: Modeled in a campaign for Victoria's Secret; modeled in pictorials for GQ; created and hosted America's Next Top Model and True Beauty.

Posing in matching leopard print bikinis, Valeria and Tyra look like they're having just as much fun as we did when we picked up this issue.

Year: 2004
Photographer: Walter Iooss, Jr
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Chanel, Charles David, Christian Dior, Dooney & Bourke, Emanuel Ungaro, Escada, Guess and Victoria's Secret; modeled in pictorials for GQ, Elle, Marie Claire, Vogue and Cosmopolitan; walked the runway for Chanel, Fendi, Lolita Lempicka, Salvatore Ferragamo and Ralph Lauren.

The blond bombshell on the cover of the issue's Hall of Fame Edition has been in the magazine a total of eight times, but our favorite shoot of hers will always be this cover. The patriotic red, white and blue bikini still makes us salute.

Year: 2012
Photographer: Walter Iooss
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Bare Necessities , Beach Bunny , Betsey Johnson, Dooney & Bourke, Guess, Jenna Leigh, RYGY Sport Swimwear and Victoria's Secret; modeled in pictorials for Esquire and Complex; walked the runway for Beach Bunny.

After being declared “Rookie of the Year” in the last issue, Kate takes the cover this year at just 19 years old. We love a young woman with ambition. It doesn't hurt that she's extremely attractive, either.

Year: 2003
Photographer: Walter Iooss
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Benetton, Bulgari, Cartier, Clarins, La Perla, Max Factor and Victoria's Secret; modeled in pictorials for GQ, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Harper's Bazaar; Walked the runway for Lolita Lempicka, Matthew Williamson, Gai Mattiolo, Erreuno, Custo Barcelona, Yumi Katsuma, Akadius, Dirk Bikkenbergs and Michino Koshino.

After several appearances in the magazine, Nemcova showed us more than we ever expected on her cover in a see-through, crochet bikini.

Year: 1986
Photographer: Brian Lanker
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Christian Dior, Azzedine Alaia, H&M and Victoria's Secret; modeled in pictorials for Cleo, Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Maxim and Playboy; walked the runway for Ralph Lauren, Azzedine Alaia, John Galliano, Valentino, Christina Dior, Zeki Triko, Victorio and Lucchino, Thierry Mugler, Liverpool and Louis Vuitton; founded lingerie line Elle Macpherson Intimates.

Elle has been on the cover a record five times and her nickname is “The Body” for a reason. She showed it off on her first Sports Illu

Year: 2010
Photographer: Walter Iooss, Jr.
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for American Eagle, Gap, Hollister, Victoria's Secret and Intimissimi; modeled in pictorials for Esquire, Glamour, Self , Ocean Drive, Plum Miami, Teen Vogue and FHM.

This cover was so hot that it launced Brooklyn's acting career. She's gotten roles as “the hot girl” in movies like Just Go With It and the upcoming comedy What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

Year: 1985
Photographer: Paolo Curto
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Estée Lauder; modeled in pictorials for Elle, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Self, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour; Appeared in the books Models and Sirens by Marco Glaviano, Fashion Photography by Patrick Demarchelier and Women by Herb Ritts.

After a successful cover run in 1984, Porizkova was asked to grace it again the following year. Her blue bikini shot in the land down under still impresses decades later.

Year: 1997
Photographer: Russell James
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in a campaign for Victoria's Secret; modeled in pictorials for GQ; created and hosted America's Next Top Model and True Beauty.

At the height of her career, Tyra Banks was the first African-American supermodel to get a solo Swimsuit Issue cover. Tyra later won VH1's award for "Supermodel of the Year," in part, no doubt, because of this stunning cover shot.

Year: 2011
Photographer: Bjorn Iooss
Fashion Resumé: Modeled in campaigns for Armani Exchange, El Corte Ingles, Guess, Intimissimi, La Senza lingerie, Lacoste, Luli Fama, Madeleine, Martini, Oceano by La Perla, Ory, Paciotti 4US, Replay, Triumph and Xti; modeled in pictorials for Paris Capital, Annabelle, Jalouse, Jack, Elle, GQ, Cosmpolitam, Esquire, Bolero, Harper's Bazaar and Tatler; walked the runway for Kristina Ti, Chloé, Luciano Soprani, Mango, Damat Tween and Pronovias.

Irina has been in every swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated since 2007, and this cover is by far her most breathtaking shot. It's the perfect summation for five decades of amazing covers, and a great sign of what's to come in the near future.