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.
Playboy still has street credit and that being a Playboy Playmate means something in 2018. This list celebrates the greatest Playmates of all time.
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.
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.
