10 Infamous Crimes Committed by 90s Rock Stars

Infamous Crimes Committed by 90s Rock Stars

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at 10 Infamous Crimes Committed by 90s Rock Stars.

For this list, we’ll be considering prominent rockers of the ‘90s who were implicated in egregious and shocking crimes.


Which of these incidents shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments.

Liam Gallagher (Oasis)

If you’re at all familiar with Oasis, you’re well aware the brothers that formed the band are often a step away from beating each other to a bloody pulp. However, Noel isn’t the only one who’s faced Liam’s wrath. While on tour in Australia in March of 1998, Liam didn’t take kindly to a fan named Benjamin Jones who tried to get a photo with the British rocker. According to the police report, Gallagher responded by punching and head-butting the fan, which resulted in a broken nose. Due to the seriousness of the injury, Liam faced up to 10 years in prison for his actions, but the charges were eventually dropped with Jones settling with the Oasis singer out of court.

Courtney Love (Hole)

Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love are defining figures from the era of Grunge music, and their bands Nirvana and Hole respectively are about as iconic as you can get. These groups broke the mold of 90s rock by touching on complex and dark subject matter, including gender issues and body image. Unfortunately, both suffered from substance use disorder, and it’s here where many of Love’s legal issues began. After an overdose in 1994, Love was charged with possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia. Only 24 hours later, Cobain would be found dead at their Seattle home. Sadly, this was just the start of Love’s legal troubles who has since faced charges of assault, disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment.

Jimmy Chamberlin (The Smashing Pumpkins)

Going from one iconic rock band to the next, The Smashing Pumpkins were tremendously influential in the realm of alternative rock, but were also playing with fire as recreational opiate users. While touring the US in 1996, an overdose led to the death of Pumpkins keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin. Jimmy Chamberlin, the band’s drummer and Melvoin were in a separate hotel to the rest of the band, and after both went unconscious under the influence of illegal substances, Chamberlin would wake up hours later to find his friend and bandmate unresponsive. Because Chamberlin was in the presence of Melvoin at the time of his overdose, the drummer was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, but later reached a plea deal over the incident.

Tripp Eisen (Static-X)

The crimes committed by this former Static-X member are nothing short of horrific. Static-X, if you are not aware, is a heavy metal band that rose to fame during the nu-metal craze of the 90s. Fast forward to 2005 when the band’s main guitarist Tripp Eisen is facing a sex scandal involving two different minors, and he is promptly booted from the band. The band’s swift action towards Eisen was certainly the right move and it was only the beginning of Eisen’s downfall. He would do time in prison for his actions, for both the original charges and a parole violation.

Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots)

Once the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots, Weiland’s one of a kind vocal delivery and charismatic stage presence made him part of the elite class of 90s rock frontmen. As with other rockstars on this list however, Scott Weiland’s life and legal history is sadly intertwined with substance use disorder. Having been arrested for buying illegal drugs in 1995, he would soon face charges of domestic violence and DUI. Throughout all this, the singer was making his mark on gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums with Stone Temple Pilots, but was eventually booted from the band. That didn’t stop him from continuing on with Velvet Revolver for several years, before the vocalist’s unfortunate death from an overdose in 2015.

Scott Stapp (Creed)

While not a Christian band, Creed’s music does contain some religious and moral messages, which made it all the more surprising that the band’s lead singer Scott Stapp was at one time under the eye of the United States Secret Service because he threatened to assassinate Barack Obama. This all appeared to be a psychiatric episode of some kind, wherein the “My Sacrifice” singer was apparently riding a bicycle around his neighborhood carrying hundreds of CIA documents and other paraphernalia. While far from being his first run in with the law, the threat probably was not 100% genuine considering Stapp’s mental state at the time.

Marilyn Manson

The severe allegations of abuse made against Marilyn Manson in 2021 by actor Evan Rachel Wood and many others are disturbing to say the absolute least. But that’s just the latest string of controversies the industrial musician finds himself in. Back in 2001, he was charged with criminal sexual assault of a security guard. This case was eventually dropped, but it was a sign of many more things to come. As of writing Manson faces 5 lawsuits alleging abuse in addition to the aforementioned Wood case. While the results of these remain to be seen, Manson was dropped by his record label and talent agency in 2022, making the career he once had, basically over.

Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

It’s never fun to learn that some of your favorite artists are guilty of downright deplorable acts. Red Hot Chili Peppers were about as big as you could get in the 90s and onward, and songs like ‘Californication’ epitomize 90s culture. But not long after that song’s release in 1999, lead singer Anthony Kiedis published a memoir where he detailed, among other things, a sexual relationship with a young woman who Kiedis learned was a minor at the time. It was a shocking admission of guilt. Unsurprisingly, Kiedis soon after asked members of his family not to read the book.

Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit)

In 2021, a pair of documentary series about the Woodstock ‘99 music festival and subsequent riot arrived on streaming platforms, with one red-capped figure featured prominently in both: Limp Bizkit lead singer Fred Durst. While it’s clear that his ‘break stuff’ chants had an effect on the crowds, Durst didn’t get charged with any crimes at the time, as the festival was a giant organizational failure. But it was characteristic of the nu-metal singer who in 1999, kicked a security guard in the head and was arrested after the show. He also ran down a few people with his car in LA in October of 2006. It’s surprising he’s never been sent to an anger management class.

Varg Vikernes (Burzum & Mayhem)

While the crimes of the rock stars mentioned here are certainly shocking, if there were one case that was truly infamous, it would be that of Varg Vikernes. Vikernes fronted up several Norwegian black metal acts in the 90s, most notably Burzum. Before that though he was part of another group called Mayhem. When Mayhem’s lead singer suddenly took his own life in 1991, the guitar player of the band, who went by the name Euronymous, exploited this sad turn of events, using it to enhance the band’s macabre image. More drama ensued, leading to the fatal stabbing of Euronymous in 1993 by Vikernes, who claimed the killing was in self defense.