In the music industry, infamous moments are a dime a dozen. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most dramatic moments in modern music history.
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00:00Let's just keep ourselves together.
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most dramatic moments
00:08in modern music history.
00:10It is clear then that if music is free for downloading, the music industry is not viable.
00:17Number 20.
00:18Lou Pearlman's Ponzi Scheme While he initially gained fame for creating
00:22some of the world's biggest boy bands, Lou Pearlman's real legacy lies in his financial
00:28crimes.
00:29On paper, it was a business, an operating business with far-flung enterprises, including
00:37what we like to call the only airline in the world without a plane.
00:41Pearlman first struck gold with the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, but much of his money was
00:46made insidiously.
00:47By convincing shareholders to invest in fake companies he created, Pearlman was able to
00:52defraud them out of over a billion dollars.
00:55His success in music only fueled these fraudulent schemes.
01:06However, it didn't take long for Pearlman's lies to catch up with him, as he was ultimately
01:11arrested and sentenced to 25 years behind bars in 2008.
01:16To this day, $300 million of what he stole is still missing, and since he died in 2016,
01:23it may never be found.
01:30Number 19.
01:32The Chicks Bash Bush Celebrities risk a lot by sharing their political
01:37beliefs.
01:38Given the sensitive nature of politics, someone somewhere is bound to disagree, even if the
01:43opinion is valid.
01:45The Chicks learned this firsthand when they boldly condemned President George W. Bush
01:50for his invasion of Iraq following the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
01:57Their stance caused an uproar across the country.
02:00Many of their fans turned on them and they were essentially blacklisted in the industry.
02:05Although they initially apologized for their remarks, they rescinded it and stood by their
02:10beliefs.
02:19In recent years, though, many of their dissenters have acknowledged that they were right, allowing
02:24them to make a well-deserved comeback.
02:34Number 18.
02:35The Guns N' Roses and Metallica Montreal Riots
02:39Two of the biggest rock bands touring together, what could possibly go wrong?
02:45A 1992 Montreal show became the ultimate response to that question.
02:52The concert started out poorly, with Metallica's James Hetfield being burned by pyrotechnics.
02:58His injuries were so severe that he had to be hospitalized, causing the entire group
03:03to leave as well.
03:13While this could have been forgiven, things went from bad to worse as Guns N' Roses took
03:18over two hours to continue the show.
03:21The crowd's patience was already waning, and when Axl Rose cut their set short and
03:26made a snarky comment, it snapped completely.
03:40Approximately 2,000 fans rioted, causing around $600,000 in property damage and destroying
03:46the tour's legacy before it even finished.
03:50Number 17.
03:51Prince Changes His Name
03:53A performer taking on a stage name is nothing new, but this was completely unprecedented.
04:01Prince had already been known for eclectic behavior, but in 1993, he outdid himself when
04:06he announced he had changed his name to a symbol.
04:17It combined elements of the male and female symbols, forming what became known as Love
04:22Symbol No. 2.
04:24This was a protest against his record label, as he felt they owned his original name.
04:36While his reasoning was understandable, his work faltered commercially as a result.
04:41It wasn't until he switched record labels at the end of the century that he reverted
04:45to Prince, reclaiming the name from those he felt had stolen it in the first place.
04:54Number 16.
04:55Stampede At The Who Concert
04:58Tragedies at concerts are, unfortunately, not uncommon.
05:02With so many people enclosed in one area, it can be hard to police them all, which can
05:06result in disaster.
05:12One such incident occurred during a 1979 show by The Who in Cincinnati, Ohio.
05:17A miscommunication on when the doors would open caused a large crowd to amass outside
05:22the venue, with only one entrance being utilized.
05:26When some heard a sound check, they mistakenly thought the show had begun and immediately
05:30surged forward in an attempt to get inside.
05:42This resulted in nearly a dozen deaths and 26 injuries.
05:46In the aftermath, the city banned unassigned seatings at shows for over two decades, and
05:52the band never returned to Cincinnati until 2022.
06:11Number 15.
06:13Ozzy Osbourne Bites Off A Bat's Head
06:15By now, this is considered a modern legend.
06:19Throughout his career, Ozzy Osbourne has demonstrated just how crazy he can be, resulting in several
06:25controversies that have helped keep him relevant amongst the general public.
06:33One of his most infamous, even for him, was when he allegedly bit the head off a live
06:37bat during a show in 1982.
06:40What happened that night is largely contested.
06:43While the media claimed it had been alive, the teenager who brought it insisted it was
06:48already dead.
06:49Osbourne didn't help the conflating stories by saying that it had bitten him first.
07:03Regardless of who bit who, it's become one of the most well-known moments in pop culture
07:08history, with Osbourne even making merch to commemorate the event.
07:16Number 14.
07:18U2 Puts Their Album On Everyone's iPhone
07:21Presented by Apple as the largest album release of all time, the free release of U2's 2014
07:28album Songs of Innocence to all iTunes subscribers was met with some pretty harsh criticism.
07:40The thinking behind the promotion seems clear.
07:43Who doesn't like U2?
07:45Who wouldn't want a free album?
07:54On paper, that looks great.
07:56In reality though, people were too busy complaining about it to listen to it.
08:01Many users were upset because they did not consent to the album being automatically downloaded
08:06to their devices, while fellow artists criticized the free release for devaluing music.
08:11To counter the backlash, Apple dedicated a page to removing the album, and have not
08:16yet released another album in the same fashion.
08:23Number 13.
08:24Mayhem Church Burnings
08:26If there's one genre that's earned its current reputation, it's black metal.
08:38In the 1990s, many artists involved in the scene decided to make some of the darker themes
08:43in their music a reality.
08:45This resulted in several churches in Norway being set on fire.
08:58By 1996, over four dozen had been attacked, and each solved case had been carried out
09:04by a fan of the genre.
09:06Others weren't the only ones taking part.
09:09Some artists, like Bersam's Varg Vikernes, were convicted and sentenced to prison for
09:14their involvement.
09:26In recent years, those who approved of the arson have doubled down in their support,
09:32with some newer artists praising the attacks and even implying that more will eventually
09:37occur.
09:38Number 12.
09:39The Beatles Are More Popular Than Jesus
09:43Although some may believe that artists being cancelled for their comments is a new phenomenon,
09:48it's been apparent within the culture for decades.
09:52John Lennon and the rest of the Beatles learned this for themselves after Lennon remarked
09:56that the band was more popular than Jesus.
10:12While the quote caused no offence in the United Kingdom, America was another story entirely.
10:23The backlash ranged from radio stations refusing to play their music to members of the Ku Klux
10:28Klan protesting their shows.
10:31The situation became so overblown that the band stopped touring altogether.
10:35When Lennon was tragically murdered in 1980, his killer even cited the controversial quote
10:41as one of the reasons behind the crime.
10:48Number 11.
10:50Madonna's Like A Prayer Music Video
10:52Not every scandal is rooted in malice.
10:55Madonna has always been unafraid of pushing boundaries within her music and her own self-expression.
11:05In the late 1980s, she shocked the nation when she released the music video for her
11:10single Like A Prayer.
11:12It featured a primarily black cast and was littered with religious imagery, two aspects
11:17that ended up offending several Christian groups.
11:23Even the Pope at the time spoke out against the piece, calling it sinful and encouraging
11:28people to boycott Madonna.
11:30Several TV stations banned the video, with MTV being the only one to keep it in their
11:35lineup.
11:36Madonna played into the controversy perfectly, cementing herself as a true icon and proving
11:41that thick skin is essential to surviving the business.
11:51Number 10.
11:53The R. Kelly Assault Scandal
11:55At one point, his transgressions were some of the industry's most open secrets.
12:06Despite the countless allegations against R. Kelly in his first decade of fame alone,
12:11including an illegal marriage to an underaged Aaliyah, he went largely unchecked.
12:16Although he had a few brushes with the law, for the most part, he was able to enjoy his
12:21fame and fortune without facing any real consequences.
12:25It wasn't until a new wave of accusations in the 2010s, including one that he was running
12:30a sex cult, that he was finally boycotted on a mass level.
12:43Besides being deplatformed from several music hosting sites, he was also finally tried and
12:48handed a combined 31-year sentence in prison, where he sits to this day.
13:05Number 9.
13:06Milli Vanilli Lip Sync Scandal
13:09When their hit single, Girl You Know It's True, began skipping and repeating itself
13:13during a 1989 MTV Live performance, Milli Vanilli duo Fab Morvan and Rob Palaitis attempted
13:24to play it cool.
13:25Meanwhile, the crowd didn't seem to notice or care.
13:29It became, however, the catalyst for exposing the group and unveiling the true singers behind
13:34the Grammy-winning music.
13:36By the end of 1990, it was revealed that Morvan and Palaitis were not the voices behind Milli
13:41Vanilli songs, and had in fact been lip syncing all along.
13:45The public condemned the group, stripping Morvan and Palaitis of their Grammy award
13:50for Best New Artist.
13:51They also faced a collection of lawsuits targeting the duo for fraud.
13:59Number 8.
14:00Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake at the 2004 Super Bowl Show
14:05During the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, with an audience of over 140 million people,
14:11Justin Timberlake ripped Janet Jackson's outfit, exposing her breast and some really
14:16nifty jewelry.
14:24Most may know this moment as Nipplegate.
14:28The moment overshadowed the game and caused some pretty instantaneous, pretty serious
14:33backlash.
14:34The FCC tried to levy heavy fines at CBS, but more importantly, they rampantly increased
14:40television censorship.
14:42This alone has divided public opinion as many were upset about the wardrobe malfunction
14:51and appreciated the FCC's censorship efforts, while others believe it is a violation of
14:57free speech.
14:58The New England Patriots, meanwhile, defeated the Carolina Panthers 32-29.
15:04Number 7.
15:05Kanye bum-rushes Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs
15:15Considering the star power and incredible talent each of these artists demonstrate,
15:19one would hope Imma Let You Finish won't serve to define Kanye or Swift.
15:24When accepting the award for Best Female Video, 19-year-old Swift was interrupted by West,
15:30who took the mic and insisted Beyoncé's Single Ladies was one of the best videos of
15:35all time.
15:39The audience booed, viewers sat stunned, and Beyoncé looked on in horror.
15:44Of course, Queen Bey later graciously gave Swift the moment she deserved, however.
15:49West would not escape universal criticism for his actions, even drawing harsh remarks
15:54from President Barack Obama.
15:56Kanye did issue an apology, although some lyrics from The Life of Pablo suggest he
16:02may have different feelings.
16:12Number 6.
16:13Woodstock 1999 riots
16:16The original Woodstock festival was billed as three days of peace and music.
16:21In its 1999 reincarnation, not so much.
16:33During Limp Bizkit's performance of Break Stuff, fans took the title to heart and tore
16:38apart parts of the stage.
16:47They also lit fires during the Red Hot Chili Peppers set, and while Metallica was on stage,
16:53a man died after collapsing in the mosh pit.
16:55Fatboy Slim, meanwhile, was interrupted when a truck drove through the crowd while the
16:59tragically hip were booed just for being Canadian.
17:03Worst of all, New York police investigated several alleged instances of sexual assault,
17:09and there was reporting of widespread destruction and burglary of vendor booths.
17:14Ultimately, law enforcement agents were needed to quell and disperse the crowd.
17:27Number 5.
17:28N.W.A. and the FBI
17:31Symbols of angry urban youth, N.W.A. rocked the world when they dropped their debut album
17:37Straight Outta Compton.
17:43Rapping about gang violence, drugs, racial profiling, and police brutality, N.W.A. reflected
17:49the raw realities of growing up in the inner city.
17:53The FBI, however, took exception to the group's music, specifically, Pfft!
17:58The Police.
18:04The bureau sent their label, Ruthless Records, a letter accusing the group of advocating
18:09for violence and assault, and warning them not to perform inflammatory songs.
18:14In addition to the FBI, many local law enforcement officers refused to provide the group with
18:19security.
18:20The dispute, however, brought the group publicity, which they used to their advantage, and which
18:25only added to their notoriety.
18:31Number 4.
18:32Metallica sues Napster
18:35Metallica's Grammy loss to Jethro Tull certainly stirred debate, but it was their suing of
18:40peer-to-peer file-sharing site Napster in 2000 that rocked the foundations of music.
18:57After discovering unreleased music available on the system, Metallica sued Napster for
19:01copyright infringement and racketeering, seeking $10 million in damages.
19:07It was the first highly publicized case against a file-sharing site, and served to encourage
19:12other artists to take a stand against illegal downloading.
19:24It also, however, drew some criticism from the public.
19:27While many viewed the case as an important step towards protecting artists, especially
19:31those less established in the industry, some criticized Metallica for simply being greedy.
19:52Number 3.
19:53Payola scandal
19:55To clarify the terminology here, Payola describes the bribery of a radio station to promote
20:00specific songs as part of their daily schedule.
20:13In the late 50s, Congress launched an investigation into Payola, accusing several major names
20:19in the music industry, most notably DJ Alan Freed and TV's Dick Clark.
20:25Freed, the man who gave rock and roll its name, lost his job and saw his career fade
20:30as a result of the scandal, while Clark barely escaped unscathed.
20:38The public was disturbed both because of big public figures being implicated and at the
20:43thought that they were manipulated.
20:45Some in the industry, however, believed the practice helped smaller labels establish themselves
20:50and encouraged the rise of rock and roll.
20:59Number 2.
21:00Phil Spector commits a murder
21:02This case was proof that not everyone is who they seem to be.
21:06At one point, Phil Spector was lauded for his production skills and worked with several
21:11iconic artists.
21:12That legacy was effectively destroyed after he was apprehended following the murder of
21:17actress Lana Clarkson.
21:26While he initially tried to pass it off as an accidental self-inflicted death, the truth
21:30soon came out.
21:32He was arrested and freed on a bail of $1 million, and the eventual trial was televised
21:37for all to see.
21:38After multiple court cases, Spector was finally dealt a 19-year sentence.
21:43His subsequent appeals were overturned and eventually he died in prison, bringing an
21:48underwhelming end to someone who was once highly regarded in the industry.
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22:15Number 1.
22:16The Rolling Stones play at Altamont
22:19Facing criticism over high ticket prices, the Rolling Stones decided to conclude their
22:241969 tour with a free one-day festival.
22:34After struggling to secure a location, California's Altamont Speedway was chosen at the last minute,
22:40creating a logistical nightmare.
22:42Ultimately, motorcycle gang Hell's Angels was hired as security, but failed spectacularly.
22:57By the end of the one-day festival, a man was murdered, three people died in accidents,
23:03and four babies were born.
23:04The Grateful Dead, meanwhile, considered the scene too violent and elected to not play
23:10despite helping to get the festival off the ground.
23:12This left the Stones, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the Flying
23:18Burrito Brothers to fend for themselves.
23:24Which infamous moment in music do you think had the biggest impact on the industry?
23:29Let us know in the comments below!