These artists couldn't sing their way out of these scandals. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the musicians who have stirred up the most controversy.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00Have you broken any laws when it comes to women?
00:02Absolutely not.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the musicians who have
00:08stirred up the most controversy.
00:11I want to put it all behind me.
00:1410.
00:16Ozzy Osbourne Since beginning his career in the 60's,
00:20the Prince of Darkness has upheld a reputation as an agent of chaos.
00:33He spontaneously bit off the head of a dove on stage in 1981 and did the same thing to
00:39a bat a year later.
00:41Ozzy also came under fire in 1982 when he urinated on a monument at the Alamo, though
00:47He would eventually apologize for doing so.
00:52His other publicized issues have included substance use disorder, which is said to have
00:57led to his firing from Black Sabbath, lawsuits over royalties, and accusations of his song
01:03lyrics inspiring young fans to take their own lives.
01:07But in spite of it all, Ozzy has remained a household name with devoted fans around
01:129.
01:18Tommy Lee Motley Crue's drummer has a long history
01:21of scandalous behavior.
01:27In the 1990's, Lee became infamous for his tumultuous marriage to actress Pamela Anderson.
01:33Not only did he serve time in prison for physically attacking the Baywatch star, but the couple
01:37made international headlines after their stolen private tape was leaked.
01:42This saga was chronicled in the Hulu miniseries, Pam and Tommy.
01:53As far as his other offenses, Lee, who sported a swastika tattoo, pummeled a Jewish photographer
01:59and poured beer over a black security guard in North Carolina.
02:03A 2007 altercation with Kid Rock at the MTV Video Music Awards, as well as a feud with
02:08his own son, further cemented Lee's unstable reputation.
02:138.
02:14Rick James This singer's funk legacy is unfortunately
02:18matched by his legal troubles.
02:28James' excessive issues with substance use disorder were never kept secret, but his heinous
02:33actions in 1991 were something no one could have predicted.
02:38During a drug-fueled binge, James and his then-girlfriend were accused of kidnapping
02:42a woman and subjecting her to torture for nearly a week.
02:52He served two years in prison as a result.
02:55He was accused of assaulting a number of other women throughout his career, prompting major
03:00lawsuits, at least one of which arose even after his 2004 death.
03:05Talk about getting super freaky!
03:077.
03:08Axl Rose The frontman of Guns N' Roses has led a career
03:15filled with meltdowns, wild antics and public feuds.
03:23Known for his volatile temper, Rose instigated the infamous Riverport Riot in 1991, during
03:29which he abruptly leapt off stage mid-concert and tackled audience members.
03:35The next year, Rose faced accusations of homophobia and racism over offensive lyrics in the song
03:41One in a Million.
03:45Further, he has a track record of showing up late for shows, when he shows up at all,
03:53and picking fights with people from all walks of life, including security guards, paparazzi
03:59and a plethora of celebrities.
04:06In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a musician who has been sued as many times as
04:11Rose, including an as-yet untried sexual assault suit.
04:166.
04:18Chris Brown Although he's been celebrated for his singing
04:21and songwriting, Brown's troublesome behavior has largely overshadowed his achievements.
04:30Take his notorious relationship with singer Rihanna.
04:33In 2009, Brown was convicted of physically assaulting Rihanna during a heated argument,
04:38an ordeal which, unsurprisingly, lost him a large chunk of his fanbase.
04:51But Brown's misdeeds continued from there.
04:54His laundry list includes various accusations of violence, such as a 2013 altercation outside
05:00a Washington D.C. hotel that led to a misdemeanor assault charge.
05:04He was subsequently busted for falsely imprisoning his former manager, Mike G, as well as threatening
05:09an ex-girlfriend.
05:11And let's not forget the time he was kicked out of rehab for throwing a rock at his mother's
05:15car.
05:16What a charmer!
05:195.
05:20Gary Glitter Once a 70's glam rock icon with hits like
05:24Hello Hello I'm Back Again, Glitter's life took a dark turn in the late 90's.
05:37In what has been referred to as a spectacular fall from grace, Glitter first came under
05:41fire in 1997 when he was revealed to have downloaded thousands of illegal images involving
05:48minors.
05:49After serving a few years in prison, he bounced around different countries, where his relationships
05:54with underaged victims earned him a criminal conviction.
06:04Further similar revelations followed in recent years.
06:08Glitter's actions have led to his near total erasure from the music industry, with many
06:12of his songs being banned from airplay.
06:23Although he's called himself the leader, we doubt anyone actually wants to follow in
06:27his footsteps.
06:294.
06:30Sean Diddy Combs This wildly popular rapper has been called
06:34a lot of things.
06:35From Diddy, to Puff Daddy, to P Diddy, and beyond.
06:43Unfortunately he's also done a lot of things to severely tarnish his public image.
06:48In 1999, Combs was involved in a nightclub shooting in New York City that left three
06:53people injured and led to a major trial.
06:59Other allegations of violence have been raised in ensuing years.
07:05More recently, numerous women have accused Combs of sexually and or physically assaulting
07:10them.
07:11He's also been taken to court for blowing up Kid Cudi's car, not to mention his alleged
07:15involvement in human trafficking.
07:173.
07:22Marilyn Manson A shock rocker and self-described poster boy
07:26for fear, Manson has faced significant backlash for his dark, provocative image.
07:38His name has popped up during a number of high-profile cases, with his detractors claiming
07:43his music and performances glorify death and murder.
07:46One of the most notable examples is his alleged connection to the 1999 Columbine shooting,
07:52with critics claiming Manson's work inspired the perpetrators.
08:11More recently, multiple women, including Manson's ex-fiancée, Evan Rachel Wood, have come
08:16forward with accusations of sexual abuse, grooming, and psychological torments.
08:29Perhaps taking his name from Hollywood's most prominent murderous cult leader was not
08:34the best idea.
08:352.
08:36Kanye West Oh yeah, when will you learn?
08:45While West achieved fame for his music, he's arguably just as well known for his tendency
08:49to land himself in sticky situations.
08:52It seems like every time we turn around, he's attracted more negative attention.
09:05The entertainment world stood still when Ye interrupted Taylor's 2009 Video Music Awards
09:10speech.
09:11How about his ad-libbing during NBC's Hurricane Katrina benefit alongside Mike Myers?
09:19These may be the first two Kanye moments that come to mind, but West has rocked the boat
09:24on numerous additional occasions.
09:26That includes disparaging the Black Lives Matter movement, calling slavery a choice,
09:31and making anti-Semitic remarks that have seriously damaged his image.
09:35Ye may consider himself a genius, but his actions suggest otherwise.
10:011.
10:02R. Kelly He may have once been known as the king of
10:05R&B, but Kelly's fame has been eclipsed by a long series of egregious scandals.
10:18Allegations of misconduct began surfacing in the 1990s, namely regarding his marriage
10:24to the teenaged Aaliyah in 1994.
10:27From there, accusations of predatory behavior continued to grow.
10:31A sickening truth was eventually revealed.
10:34Kelly had participated in human trafficking, racketeering, and sexual exploitation, among
10:40more troubling behavior.
10:51His career came to a screeching halt in 2019 following the release of a docuseries called
10:57Surviving R. Kelly, which explained his crimes in greater detail.
11:02Not only was Kelly sentenced to 31 years behind bars, but his once-thriving career
11:07has been permanently derailed.
11:13Which of these scandals did you find the most appalling?
11:15Let's talk about it in the comments.
11:32Here's what's next!