20 Most Shocking Music Scandals

20 Shocking Music Scandals

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most infamous, scandalous, or otherwise shocking situations that occurred within the music industry and had significant repercussions for the artists and other parties involved.

Taylor Swift Masters Dispute

In 2019, music mogul Scooter Braun purchased Big Machine, Taylor Swift’s former record label, for a whopping $300 million. This deal granted Braun the rights to the master recordings of Swift’s first six albums. The singer publicly expressed her frustration with the acquisition, stating that she had attempted to buy her masters, but found the label’s terms unfavorable. The controversy split the music industry and ignited a broader conversation about artists’ rights. Following a suggestion by Kelly Clarkson, Swift decided to re-record all six albums, so as to own the masters of the new versions. Starting in 2021, she put out the re-recorded albums, featuring several previously unreleased tracks. Dubbed “Taylor’s Version,” these albums received widespread acclaim, contributing to Swift’s unparalleled success.

Prince Changes His Name to a Symbol

Contractual disputes between music artists and their record labels have sometimes led to artists taking unconventional routes to free themselves. One notable instance involved legendary musician Prince who, in 1993, changed his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol, later known as the Love Symbol. This move was a protest against his record label, Warner Bros., which had denied the release of Prince’s music backlog and severely restricted his artistic freedom. As a result, the media began referring to him as “the Artist Formerly Known as Prince.” During this period, Prince began releasing albums more frequently as a strategic maneuver to break free of his contract. In 1998, he moved over to Arista Records and reclaimed his original name two years later.

Elvis the Pelvis

On June 5th 1956, Elvis Presley made an appearance on “The Milton Berle Show” that would continue to be talked about for decades. It wasn’t Presley’s first TV appearance, but it certainly was his most controversial. During a rendition of “Hound Dog,” the singer slowed things down and began sensually gyrating his pelvis. By today’s standards, it’s nothing of note. But back in 1956, it caused a huge uproar from the mainstream media and religious groups. For his provocative hip gyrations, Presley earned the nickname ‘Elvis the Pelvis’. A few months later, when he appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Presley was reportedly filmed only from the waist up, to keep the potentially swiveling pelvis out of sight.

Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” Music Video

Throughout her career, Madonna has consistently faced criticism for her art, often centered around its provocative themes and imagery. Perhaps her most controversial moment came with the release of the music video for her 1989 single “Like a Prayer.” The clip took an unconventional approach to addressing racism, incorporating religious elements like the stigmata and burning crosses. Parts of this video even appeared in a Pepsi commercial that was seen by approximately 250 million people worldwide. This sparked condemnation from religious groups, leading to calls for a Pepsi boycott. As a result, the company pulled the commercial and terminated its deal with Madonna. Despite the uproar, “Like a Prayer” became a massive success, topping the charts in several countries.

Judas Priest Subliminal Message Trial

On December 23rd 1985, James Vance and Raymond Belknap made a pact to take their own lives with a shotgun. While Belknap died instantly, Vance initially survived the self-inflicted wound, but also passed away three years later. The families of both men later filed a lawsuit against the heavy metal band Judas Priest, alleging that subliminal messages in their song “Better by You, Better than Me” had prompted the tragic acts. The trial unfolded in 1990, during which the band vehemently denied causing intentional harm to their fans. Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of Judas Priest, concluding that the alleged subliminal messages were merely coincidental and not a direct cause of the deaths.

Kanye West’s Antisemitic Remarks

Kanye West has often found himself in hot water for his controversial views and comments. In October 2022, after being locked out of his Instagram account for yet another contentious post, the rapper tweeted an antisemitic remark. The tweet sparked a huge backlash, leading to his suspension from the platform. Consequently, West faced several professional repercussions. He was dropped by his talent agency and lost a series of business partnerships with the likes of Adidas and Gap. Despite these consequences, West seemed unfazed. A few weeks later, he appeared on the “InfoWars” show with Alex Jones, where he doubled down on his troubling views. It wasn’t until December 2023 that West posted an apology in Hebrew on Instagram, addressing his antisemitic remarks.

Led Zeppelin’s Mud Shark Incident

At the peak of their success in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, English rock band Led Zeppelin gained notoriety for their tales of debauchery while on tour. One incident, in particular, which occurred in 1969 at the Edgewater Inn in Seattle became infamous and further contributed to Led Zeppelin’s controversial image. According to various sources, members of the band, particularly drummer John Bonham and manager Richard Cole, engaged in sexual activities with a groupie, which involved a two-foot-long mud shark. Although some specific details remain unclear, due to varying accounts, the incident became a controversial tale in rock history and still persists in the band’s legacy. Frank Zappa later immortalized it in his 1971 song “The Mud Shark.”

The Murders of Tupac Shakur & the Notorious B.I.G.

The relationship between hip-hop legends Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. was a complicated one. The two were initially close friends who worked and traveled together. However, things soured following a 1994 shooting involving Tupac, after which they both became embroiled in the heated East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop rivalry. In September 1996, Tupac was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Six months later, Biggie suffered a similar fate, this time in Los Angeles. Speculation quickly arose that both murders were linked, and possibly related to the rap feud. Despite extensive investigations, the cases went unsolved without any concrete leads until 2023, when Duane “Keefe D” Davis was arrested and charged in connection with Tupac’s murder.

Sinéad O’Connor Rips Up Picture of the Pope

On October 3rd 1992, Sinéad O’Connor appeared as the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live.” During her performance, O’Connor made an unexpected move that would define the rest of her career. She held up a picture of Pope John Paul II and tore it into pieces while urging the audience to “fight the real enemy.” This act was a protest against the Catholic Church’s mishandling of sexual misconduct cases involving children. While undoubtedly a noble cause, the move triggered a huge uproar, leading to O’Connor receiving a lifetime ban from NBC. Once a rising star with great promise, the Irish singer-songwriter’s career effectively came to an end. However, in the years since, public perception of her has largely changed.

2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show Controversy

Super Bowl XXXVIII was an intense game between the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots, culminating in the Patriots securing their second title in three years. However, most people only remember it for a controversial incident during the halftime show. Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake were performing together when he accidentally exposed her breast on live TV. Termed a wardrobe malfunction, the incident was broadcast to approximately 150 million viewers and had significant repercussions, particularly for Jackson. Her songs and music videos were blacklisted, and her invitation to the upcoming Grammys was rescinded. Beyond the immediate consequences, the controversy had a lasting impact on media censorship and highlighted the unequal treatment of female artists in the music industry.

Payola

The idea of corruption within the music industry is nothing new. It also takes many forms, one of them being payola, a term used to describe the taking of a bribe, financial or otherwise, in exchange for radio airplay. This practice was commonplace between record labels and DJ personalities for decades, until congressional investigations into payola directly impacted such beloved radio hosts as Dick Clark and Alan Freed. The latter was fired as a result of his association with payola, while DJs in general were no longer put in charge of directly influencing or deciding radio programming, and which music would be played on air.


The Chicks Call Out the President

During the early days of the Iraq War, Natalie Maines, singer for the popular country group then known as The Dixie Chicks, took the stage in England and spoke her mind. Maines introduced the band's song "Travelin' Soldier" with a comment which stated, in part, that the southern group was "ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas”. Reaction was swift and harsh for the Chicks after news of this statement reached the U.S. with some fans calling for a boycott of the band, while others sent Maines threatening letters. The uproar would eventually subside after Maines publicly apologized directly to the President, but the damage done was never really repaired.



2 Live Crew Arrested for Obscenity

These days, not much – in the music world or otherwise – shocks us, with much of society now desensitized towards sex or violence. This wasn't exactly the case back in the late eighties, however, a prime example being an incident involving the Miami hip-hop group 2 Live Crew. Their 1989 album "As Nasty as They Wanna Be" landed the group in hot water with Florida officials, after it was deemed obscene by a U.S. district court. 2 Live Crew were arrested after performing the material at a local club, and were forced to defend their right for free speech in court. The ruling was eventually overturned, in the process making "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" a bona-fide smash hit.

Milli Vanilli Lip Sync Scandal

The year was 1990, and the German pop group Milli Vanilli were riding high upon a wave of incredible success. The duo even nabbed a "Best New Artist" award from the Grammys that year, and seemed poised for MTV superstardom. Then, as they say, it all came crashing down. It was revealed that Milli members Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan hadn't actually sung any of the songs on their record, and lip synced all of their live performances. The Grammy was taken away, they were dropped by their record label and sales dried up. Not even an attempted comeback using Rob and Fab's real voices could save Milli Vanilli from becoming one of the decade's most infamous musical casualties.



Norwegian Black Metal and The Murder of Euronymous

It would be easy for the uninitiated to see the Norwegian Black Metal scene as something straight out of the cinema. Truth is stranger than fiction, however, as evidenced by the case of Euronymous, guitarist for the influential black metal band Mayhem. The musician, born Øystein Aarseth, was stabbed to death in his Oslo home by Kristian "Varg" Vikernes, a former band mate. Rumors flew as to the motives behind the killing, ranging from finances and jealousy to competing against other violent acts performed by other musicians within the black metal scene. Varg would serve nearly 15 years of a 21-year sentence, before being paroled in 2009.

Chris Brown Assault Charges

Rihanna and Chris Brown were a popular R&B "it couple" amongst their respective fans, until one incident changed things forever. Brown turned himself in to police in February 2009 on charges that he physically assaulted Rihanna during a verbal altercation. The incident would leave Rihanna with visible injuries to her face, and immediately caused a huge backlash against Brown, who up until that point had enjoyed sizable chart success. Brown canceled an appearance at the Grammy Awards that year, and saw a number of his lucrative endorsement deals go up in smoke. He would plead guilty to felony assault charges in June, and received a deal of five years probation, community service and counseling.

Gary Glitter Arrested for Possession of Inappropriate Material

1970s glam icon Gary Glitter earned himself a deserving fall from grace when it was revealed that he had been in the possession of inappropriate material involving youth. Glitter served a short prison sentence, after which he fled the UK and moved between various countries where he continued to engage in unlawful contact with minors. In November of 2005, Glitter was arrested in Vietnam for these activities and sentenced to three years in prison. Following his sentence, he was deported to the UK and added to the sex offenders registry. Since then, he has racked up even more sex crime convictions for previous incidents, and has been in and out of prison.

R. Kelly Video Scandal

In 2002, R&B singer R. Kelly was gearing up to perform at the Winter Olympics. At the same time, news broke in Chicago about a video which allegedly depicted him engaging in improper behavior with an underage girl. Kelly denied the accusations, yet a search of his Florida home turned up more evidence, which furthered a second case against him. His eventual trial was fraught with delays, but the jury ultimately acquitted the singer on all charges in June 2008. Kelly faced several other accusations over the years, but it wasn’t until the release of the 2019 docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” that serious consequences materialized. He was arrested and tried on multiple criminal charges, eventually receiving a combined 31-year prison sentence.

Phil Spector is Tried for Murder

By all accounts, Phil Spector was a legend of the music industry. A singer, songwriter and producer extraordinaire who enjoyed untold success and influence throughout his career. Spector's personal demons and eccentricities caught up to him, however, when he was put on trial in 2007 for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. The crime had occurred in Spector's California mansion four years prior and it would take two more years before a jury would convict the disgraced former icon. Spector was given a sentence of 19 years to life for the crime during which he claimed that Clarkson had accidentally ended her own life by "kissing the gun." In 2021, Spector died in prison from complications due to COVID-19.

Michael Jackson Accused of Sexual Misconduct

The life and career of Michael Jackson was filled with some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. Unfortunately, accusations of improper relations with minors began following the King of Pop, starting with the high-profile Jordan Chandler case in 1993. Jackson proclaimed and maintained his innocence, and even wedded Lisa Marie Presley the following year. However, many saw the marriage as a publicity stunt. Public opinion regarding Jackson's strange behavior with underage youth never truly went away, especially with a new trial on similar charges arising again in 2005. Up to and since his death on June 25th, 2009, the rumors have persisted.


Which of your favorite musicians have been at the center of a huge controversy? Let us know in the comments below.