These musicians have become their own worst enemies. In this list, we will focus on artists who harmed their own careers through poor performances, controversial remarks, on-stage meltdowns, and self-imposed difficulties. Our selection includes Lindsay Lohan, The Sex Pistols, Fergie, Creed, Ashlee Simpson, and more! Who do you believe among these artists wrecked their careers the most? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
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00:00Oh, Axl, cool metal, dude.
00:02Rock and roll party.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks
00:08for the top 20 musicians who destroyed
00:10their careers on stage.
00:11Listen to me.
00:12Are you listening?
00:14OK, I'm trying to wipe the floor.
00:16Give me a second.
00:17Who do you know what it means to know the lock on the door
00:23has changed?
00:24Sing it!
00:25Let's play some basketball!
00:28For this list, we're taking a look
00:30at artists who sabotaged their own careers live
00:33with bad performances, controversial statements,
00:36live meltdowns, and other self-inflicted problems.
00:40These artists might have eventually made a comeback,
00:42but their careers must have been hindered,
00:44at least in the short run.
00:46Who's the artist you think destroyed
00:47their career on stage?
00:50If you like what you're hearing, be
00:51sure to check out the full song at the link below.
00:54Stay!
01:04Number 20, Creed.
01:06Part of what held this rock band back
01:08from even more monstrous success was
01:11the reputation they garnered as a horrendous live act.
01:14Yeah!
01:18Yeah!
01:20The group's frontman, Scott Stapp, is infamous for ruining sets, primarily due to his problems
01:29with substance abuse, sometimes forcing the band to end shows early, and other times performing
01:35so poorly that audiences wished they had.
01:38In 2003, four concertgoers were so outraged by a poor Creed performance that they actually
01:44sued the group.
01:46Even though the case was eventually thrown out, the incident cemented Creed's bad reputation,
01:51and the group never returned to their peak popularity.
01:54Number 19.
01:56Lindsay Lohan
01:57In the early 2000s, it seemed like every current or former teen celebrity was trying out the
02:02whole singer-actor double threat thing.
02:05However, for every Miley Cyrus, there are some like Lindsay Lohan, whose singing career
02:10never took off in the way that she'd hoped.
02:12You heard her say it's been her lifelong dream, all 18 years of it, to record her own
02:16album, and now she has.
02:17It's called Speak.
02:18It comes out tomorrow, and performing her hit single, Rumors, Lindsay Lohan.
02:23Responses to Lohan's work were mixed, and she did herself no favors when she appeared
02:27on Good Morning America to promote her single, Rumors.
02:31It was extremely obvious that the performance was lip-synced, and critics were quick to
02:35call Lohan out.
02:36Her label put out a statement assuring fans that while there was a backing vocal track,
02:41Lohan was singing as well.
02:43People were unconvinced, however, and the performance became a defining moment of Lohan's
02:47foray into music.
02:52Number 18.
02:53Carmen
02:54Carmen were a romantically involved, later husband-and-wife duo, who started making it
02:59big by performing covers on YouTube.
03:08The duo were eventually asked to perform on Saturday Night Live in 2012, and saying
03:12that it didn't go well would be a massive understatement.
03:15Audiences were left unimpressed by their performance, with many criticizing the duo's stage presence,
03:21vibe, and music.
03:22It was also unfortunate that Carmen happened to perform the night that Whitney Houston
03:26passed away, as people were feeling extra apathetic towards their type of sound.
03:31The reviews of their set were scathing, and what could have been the duo's breakout moment
03:35ultimately marked their fate.
03:38Number 17.
03:39The Replacements
03:40As a punk-turned-alternative band, it's somewhat unsurprising that The Replacements would have
03:44a reputation as a wildcard live act.
03:53The group were infamous for getting wasted at their own concerts, often turning sets
03:57into what felt more like drunken karaoke.
04:03While for some, this was part of the group's charm, it definitely turned off other would-be
04:07fans, and held them back from mainstream success.
04:17From getting banned from SNL for performing as some of the show's rowdiest and drunkest
04:22musical guests ever, to notoriously playing the worst set ever at the famous New York
04:26club CBGB, it could definitely be said that The Replacements were their own worst enemies.
04:32Number 16.
04:33The Sex Pistols
04:34At the height of The Sex Pistols' popularity in January 1978, the group went on an ill-fated
04:40North American tour that would inevitably lead to the dissolving of the band.
04:44Throughout the tour, tensions within the band led to rampant infighting, and the negativity
04:49translated into their live shows.
04:53At the end of the tour, during a concert in San Francisco, singer Johnny Rotten made it
04:57clear that he was finished with the project, as he spent the set mocking the audience and
05:02barely singing along to his band's music.
05:08The next day, he flew to New York and announced that he was leaving The Sex Pistols.
05:12The band was finished soon after.
05:15Number 15.
05:16Michelle Shocked
05:17Michelle Shocked was never a huge star by any stretch, but the alt-folk singer had a
05:22decently-sized following up until an infamous 2013 concert in San Francisco.
05:27True to her name, concertgoers were shocked when the singer made clear her feelings towards
05:32Proposition 8, the banning of same-sex marriage in California.
05:49Shocked expressed her belief that marriage is only legitimate between a man and a woman,
05:54and though she maintained that she was not homophobic, many were unconvinced.
06:17Shocked's career quickly fizzled out following these comments.
06:20Why Shocked thought that this would fly in San Francisco of all places is anyone's guess.
06:39Number 14.
06:40Guns N' Roses
06:41Despite their status as rock legends, Guns N' Roses have garnered a reputation as a
06:46live band whose performances can range from epic rock spectacles to sloppy, unrehearsed
06:51diva theatrics.
06:58Over the years, Guns N' Roses have played a number of sets that they'd probably rather
07:02forget.
07:03Some examples would be a concert in 1991 where a visibly inebriated Slash could barely play
07:09the opening riff to Welcome to the Jungle, and a 2010 performance in Dublin where the
07:20group were booed offstage in response to Axl Rose's volatile attitude towards the crowd.
07:35The group also has a habit of starting their shows hours late, which, paired with the inconsistency
07:41of their musicianship, has led them to losing a lot of their credibility.
07:45Number 13.
07:46Robin Thicke
07:47Following the release of his 2013 single Blurred Lines, Robin Thicke's career took off, crashed,
07:53then burned, all within a short span of time.
07:55The song itself, for which he was later sued by Marvin Gaye's estate, was part of Thicke's
08:00problem, with many critics arguing that the lyrics were misogynistic and trivialized
08:06However, it was Thicke's live performances in the months that followed that truly sank
08:10his career.
08:11Thicke performed an outrageously vulgar and unanimously loathed live rendition of Blurred
08:16Lines at the VMAs with Miley Cyrus, soon after Thicke's wife Paula Patton left him.
08:22In response, he begged her to take him back in subsequent live performances, and even
08:26released an album called Paula.
08:28This only turned even more people off the falling star.
08:31Pretty cringe, Robin.
08:33Number 12.
08:34Miguel
08:35Part of the reason that you don't hear from this once up-and-coming R&B singer anymore
08:39may be in part due to this incident.
08:41At the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, Miguel landed onto a couple of fans while attempting
08:46to stage dive, injuring two of them.
08:56One of the fans' lawyers spoke to TMZ about a potential lawsuit immediately after the
09:00incident, but that lawsuit never materialized.
09:04The other fan, however, did file a lawsuit against Miguel in 2015, in order to help cover
09:09the cost of her medical bills and lost wages.
09:12For any artist, a lawsuit is a bad look, and for Miguel, the stage dive incident became
09:17something that people still remember about his career.
09:28Number 11.
09:29Greta Van Fleet
09:30In 2018, Greta Van Fleet captured the world's attention with nostalgic rock anthems that
09:35hearkened back to the days of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.
09:39Ladies and gentlemen, Greta Van Fleet!
09:44At the height of their popularity in early 2019, Greta Van Fleet appeared on, you guessed
09:49it, SNL, to give America a taste of the rock showmanship associated with the bands that
09:54inspired them.
09:55The set, however, was disappointing, to say the least.
09:58The sound of the band was muddy, the songs seemed under-rehearsed, and the members all
10:02looked extremely nervous and sheepish on stage, making for an extremely awkward performance.
10:08Time will tell if the group is able to recover from the negative press that they received
10:12from this performance.
10:14Number 10.
10:15Eric Clapton
10:16One of the most prolific rock musicians of all time, Eric Clapton is famous for his role
10:20in bringing the blues to Britain.
10:22Still, you'd expect that someone with such fondness for blues music would have a better
10:26grasp of its history.
10:42In 1976, during a concert in Birmingham, Clapton launched into a crass and hateful rant involving
10:48various racial slurs, said that all foreigners should leave England, encouraged people to
10:53vote for a far-right politician, and used the slogan, Keep Britain White.
11:14This concert immediately sparked outrage throughout England, with many artists denouncing Clapton,
11:19and inspiring the Rock Against Racism movement.
11:41Number 9.
11:42Sly Stone
11:43Vocalist Sly Stone was the frontman of one of the most well-regarded funk acts of the
11:48However, the careers of Sly and his band, The Family Stone, imploded quickly in the
11:58mid-70s.
12:00The group became notorious for ruining live performances with members not showing, refusing
12:04to play, or passing out from drug abuse.
12:07While this already added a bittersweet taste to Sly's legacy, the vocalist dealt his
12:11career a death blow while performing solo at Coachella in 2010.
12:16Sporting a strange blonde wig, and clearly not in any mental state to perform, Sly performed
12:21a feeble and cheerless set with subpar vocal work and incoherent ranting.
12:26Regrettable, considering that this performance was intended to mark Sly's comeback.
12:42Number 8.
12:43Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake
12:45This one is just unfortunate.
12:53At the 2004 Super Bowl, musical guest Janet Jackson experienced what was later described
12:58as a wardrobe malfunction.
13:00At the end of their performance together, Justin Timberlake tore off Jackson's rubber
13:04bustier, briefly exposing her breast to millions of stunned audiences.
13:22While this finale was planned, Jackson's representative claimed it was supposed to
13:26expose her red lacy bra, not her breast.
13:29Dubbed Nipplegate, the incident prompted a proposed $550,000 fine by the Federal Communications
13:35Commission, had MTV banned from producing future halftime shows, and caused Jackson's
13:40music and videos to be blacklisted by television and radio stations, effectively ending her
13:45career.
13:46Number 7.
13:47The Everly Brothers
13:48Ah, brotherly love.
13:51Country pop legends The Everly Brothers were fundamental to the history of American music,
13:55with dozens of hits throughout the 50s and 60s.
13:58Sadly, the years were not kind to brothers Don and Phil, whose careers slowly declined
14:02up until one fateful night in 1973.
14:06When Don showed up to play the duo set at Winnipark, California, Phil was furious to
14:10find out that his brother was completely drunk.
14:13After a booking agent had to stop the show due to Don's condition, Phil smashed his
14:17guitar and stormed off stage, while Don proclaimed,
14:20I'm through with being an Everly Brother.
14:42They wouldn't reunite for another 10 years.
14:50They'd been strapped together, singing on one microphone for 20 years then.
14:54That's a long time for two young guys to be pushed together and held together.
14:58You know, you gotta find yourself and go do other things.
15:02And, uh, your own identity.
15:04Number 6.
15:05Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi
15:07Accepting the 2019 halftime gig was in and of itself a bad look for Maroon 5, Travis
15:13Scott, and Big Boi, as Rihanna, Pink, and Cardi B reportedly all passed on their offers
15:18to perform, so as to stand in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.
15:22On top of that, it was hinted that the performance was going to include a cover of Sweet Victory
15:27from Spongebob Squarepants.
15:29However, the performance only made a passing reference to the Spongebob episode before
15:33abruptly switching to sicko mode, further irritating an already skeptical national audience.
15:39While all the artists involved are still doing fine, they certainly earned some lasting ill
15:44will because of the halftime show that they probably shouldn't have played to begin with.
15:48Read the room, guys.
15:50Number 5.
15:51Fergie Fergie's solo career has waxed and waned
15:54since she spun off from the Black Eyed Peas.
15:57She's had some big hit songs, and though she never quite reached the heights of stardom
16:00that she was shooting for, she was never irrelevant either.
16:04However, after her performance of the American National Anthem at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game,
16:10it may be safe to say that things are over for the singer.
16:19Fergie's baffling rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner was shockingly bad, so much so that
16:24many of the All-Stars were having trouble containing themselves and could be seen holding
16:28back laughter on camera.
16:30Oh, say, does that star...
16:37The performance immediately became subject to severe ridicule.
16:40Let's play some basketball!
16:43Number 4.
16:44The Chicks
16:45I was just sort of pointing out, we're American, and we're even from Texas, and we don't agree
16:50with the president.
16:51During a 2003 concert in England, the vocalist of the Chicks, then known as the Dixie Chicks,
16:57denounced the U.S.'s invasion of Iraq and lamented that President Bush was from their
17:01home state of Texas.
17:03This went over fine in England, but triggered a major controversy in the U.S., where many
17:07felt that these comments were anti-American.
17:08At the time, it wasn't thought about necessarily what I meant, you know, whatever I say on
17:14stage always does have some meaning, but looking back on it, you know, everyone called me unpatriotic
17:20and said I didn't support the troops because I didn't support the war.
17:24Celebrities and fellow musicians slammed the group, people burned their records, and some
17:28radio and television stations boycotted their music.
17:31The sad things came, you know, just down the road, watching children at those rallies stomping
17:38on our CDs, or there was a mother holding her two-year-old son outside of a show protesting
17:45and telling our camera, screw them, screw them.
17:50For years, this controversy was a major obstacle for the Chicks' career, though it seems
17:55that the group have begun to make a well-deserved comeback, even changing their name in 2020
18:00due to its historic connotations.
18:02Number three, Sinead O'Connor.
18:05Clarity is key when you're making a point.
18:07And how the media, in fact, are engaging in massive breaches of human rights when it comes
18:10to how they go about writing about anyone who they either diagnose without qualification
18:18as being mental, or anyone they believe to be, you know, actually suffering from an illness.
18:23Just ask a late 80s icon, Sinead O'Connor.
18:26At the end of her infamous 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live, O'Connor ripped up
18:30a photo of Pope John Paul II and declared, fight the real enemy, in protest of the Catholic
18:36Church.
18:37While the act was O'Connor's response to various stories that had just come to light about
18:55corruption and misconduct within the institution, many viewers misinterpreted her call to action.
19:00It was seen as an anti-Catholic sentiment, and the backlash was brutal, with O'Connor's
19:05record sales in the U.S. suffering considerably.
19:19O'Connor continued to make music and perform, but her career has never fully recovered.
19:24Number two, Ashley Simpson.
19:26Another SNL mishap, though infamous for very different reasons.
19:30In 2004, Ashley Simpson was making a name for herself with a couple of big hits on the
19:34radio, until it all came crashing down during one calamitous performance.
19:39During Simpson's second song of the night, it was revealed that the singer had lip-synced
19:43her previous performance when the incorrect vocal track was played over the monitors without
19:47Simpson mouthing along.
19:59Unsure of how to react, a visibly shaken Simpson attempted to cut the tension by awkwardly
20:03dancing around until the show cut to commercial.
20:18While it's doubtful that Simpson's career would have set the world ablaze, this incident
20:21certainly removed all doubt moving forward, with media outlets mercilessly vilifying and
20:26mocking the young artist.
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20:53Number 1.
20:54Milli Vanilli
21:07Perhaps the most notable lip-syncing scandal of all time, German-French R&B duo Milli
21:11Vanilli shocked the world when the recording of their vocal track skipped during a 1989
21:16MTV Live performance.
21:22Already a bad look for the duo, things only got worse for them as this incident led to
21:38the revelation that all of the vocals for all of their live shows and albums were performed
21:43by other people.
21:44The group were subsequently torn to pieces by the media and former fans, compelling Milli
21:49Vanilli to return the Grammy that they'd won that same year.
22:10About their live performance, singer Rob Pilatus would later state, quote,
22:14I knew right then and there it was the beginning of the end for Milli Vanilli.
22:18Do you agree with our picks?
22:19Let us know in the comments.
22:21And hey, if you're a fan of the song playing right now, be sure to check out the music
22:24video for it right here.