Top 20 Infamous Moments in Music History

While he initially gained fame for creating some of the world’s biggest boy bands, Lou Pearlman’s real legacy lies in his financial crimes. Pearlman first struck gold with the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, but much of his money was made insidiously. By convincing shareholders to invest in fake companies he created, Pearlman was able to defraud them out of over a billion dollars. His success in music only fueled these fraudulent schemes. However, it didn’t take long for Pearlman’s lies to catch up with him, as he was ultimately arrested and sentenced to 25 years behind bars in 2008. To this day, $300 million of what he stole is still missing— and since he died in 2016, it may never be found.

Celebrities risk a lot by sharing their political beliefs. Given the sensitive nature of politics, someone somewhere is bound to disagree, even if the opinion is valid. The Chicks learned this first-hand when they boldly condemned President George W. Bush for his invasion of Iraq following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Their stance caused an uproar across the country. Many of their fans turned on them, and they were essentially blacklisted in the industry. Although they initially apologized for their remarks, they rescinded it and stood by their beliefs. In recent years, though, many of their dissenters have acknowledged that they were right, allowing them to make a well-deserved comeback.

Two of the biggest rock bands touring together— what could possibly go wrong? A 1992 Montreal show became the ultimate response to that question. The concert started out poorly, with Metallica’s James Hetfield being burned by pyrotechnics. His injuries were so severe that he had to be hospitalized, causing the entire group to leave as well. While this could’ve been forgiven, things went from bad to worse as Guns ‘N’ Roses took over two hours to continue the show. The crowd’s patience was already waning— and when Axl Rose cut their set short and made a snarky comment, it snapped completely. Approximately 2,000 fans rioted, causing around $600,000 in property damage and destroying the tour’s legacy before it even finished.

A performer taking on a stage name is nothing new— but this was completely unprecedented. Prince had already been known for eclectic behavior, but in 1993, he outdid himself when he announced he had changed his name to a symbol. It combined elements of the male and female symbols, forming what became known as Love Symbol #2. This was a protest against his record label, as he felt they owned his original name. While his reasoning was understandable, his work faltered commercially as a result. It wasn’t until he switched record labels at the end of the century that he reverted to Prince, reclaiming the name from those he felt had stolen it in the first place.

Tragedies at concerts are unfortunately not uncommon. With so many people enclosed in one area, it can be hard to police them all, which can result in disaster. One such incident occurred during a 1979 show by The Who in Cincinnati, Ohio. A miscommunication on when the doors would open caused a large crowd to amass outside the venue, with only one entrance being utilized. When some heard a sound check, they mistakenly thought the show had begun and immediately surged forward in an attempt to get inside. This resulted in nearly a dozen deaths and 26 injuries. In the aftermath, the city banned unassigned seatings at shows for over two decades, and the band never returned to Cincinnati until 2022.

By now, this is considered a modern legend. Throughout his career, Ozzy Osbourne has demonstrated just how crazy he can be, resulting in several controversies that have helped keep him relevant amongst the general public. One of his most infamous— even for him— was when he allegedly bit the head off a live bat during a show in 1982. What happened that night is largely contested— while the media claimed it had been alive, the teenager who brought it insisted it was already dead. Osbourne didn’t help the conflating stories by saying that it had bitten him first. Regardless of who bit who, it’s become one of the most well-known moments in pop culture history, with Osbourne even making merch to commemorate the event.

Presented by Apple as, “the largest album release of all time,” the free release of U2’s 2014 Album, “Songs of Innocence,” to all iTunes subscribers was met with some pretty harsh criticism. The thinking behind the promotion seems clear: who doesn’t like U2? Who wouldn’t want a free album? On paper, that looks great. In reality, though, people were too busy complaining about it to listen to it. Many users were upset because they did not consent to the album being automatically downloaded to their devices, while fellow artists criticized the free release for devaluing music. To counter the backlash, Apple dedicated a page to removing the album, and have not yet released another album in the same fashion.

If there’s one genre that’s earned its current reputation, it’s black metal. In the 1990s, many artists involved in the scene decided to make some of the darker themes in their music a reality. This resulted in several churches in Norway being set on fire. By 1996, over four dozen had been attacked, and each solved case had been carried out by a fan of the genre. Supporters weren’t the only ones taking part— some artists, like Burzum’s Varg Vikernes, were convicted and sentenced to prison for their involvement. In recent years, those who approved of the arson have doubled down in their support— with some newer artists praising the attacks and even implying that more will eventually occur.

Although some may believe that artists being canceled for their comments is a new phenomenon, it’s been apparent within the culture for decades. John Lennon and the rest of the Beatles learned this for themselves after Lennon remarked that the band was more popular than Jesus. While the quote caused no offense in the United Kingdom, America was another story entirely. The backlash ranged from radio stations refusing to play their music to members of the Ku Klux Klan protesting their shows. The situation became so overblown that the band stopped touring altogether. When Lennon was tragically murdered in 1980, his killer even cited the controversial quote as one of the reasons behind the crime.

Not every scandal is rooted in malice. Madonna has always been unafraid of pushing boundaries within her music and her own self-expression. In the late 1980s, she shocked the nation when she released the music video to her single “Like A Prayer”. It featured a primarily black cast and was littered with religious imagery, two aspects that ended up offending several Christian groups. Even the Pope at the time spoke out against the piece, calling it sinful and encouraging people to boycott Madonna. Several TV stations banned the video, with MTV being the only one to keep it in their lineup. Madonna played into the controversy perfectly, cementing herself as a true icon and proving that thick skin is essential to surviving the business.

At one point, his transgressions were some of the industry’s most open secrets. Despite the countless allegations against R. Kelly in his first decade of fame alone—including an illegal marriage to an underaged Aaliyah— he went largely unchecked. Although he had a few brushes with the law, for the most part, he was able to enjoy his fame and fortune without facing any real consequences. It wasn’t until a new wave of accusations in the 2010s— including one that he was running a sex cult— that he was finally boycotted on a mass level. Besides being deplatformed from several music hosting sites, he was also finally tried and handed a combined 31-year sentence in prison– where he sits to this day.

When their hit single “Girl You Know It’s True” began skipping and repeating itself during a 1989 MTV live performance, Milli Vanilli duo Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus attempted to play it cool. Meanwhile, the crowd didn’t seem to notice or care. It became, however, the catalyst for exposing the group and unveiling the true singers behind the Grammy-winning music. By the end of 1990, it was revealed Morvan and Pilatus were not the voices behind Milli Vanilli songs, and had in fact been lip syncing all along. The public condemned the group, stripping Morvan and Pilatus of their Grammy Award for Best New Artist. They also faced a collection of lawsuits, targeting the duo for fraud.

During the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, with an audience of over 140 million people, Justin Timberlake ripped Janet Jackson’s outfit, exposing her breast and some really nifty jewelry. Most may know this moment as: Nipplegate. The moment overshadowed the game, and caused some pretty instantaneous, pretty serious backlash. The FCC tried to levy heavy fines at CBS, but more importantly, they rampantly increased television censorship. This alone has divided public opinion, as many were upset about the “wardrobe malfunction” and appreciated the FCC’s censorship efforts, while others believe it is a violation of free speech. The New England Patriots, meanwhile, defeated the Carolina Panthers 32 to 29.

Considering the star power and incredible talent each of these artists demonstrate, one would hope “Imma Let You Finish” won’t serve to define Kanye or Swift. When accepting the award for Best Female Video, 19-year-old Swift was interrupted by West who took the mic and insisted Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” was one of the best videos of all time. The audience booed, viewers sat stunned, and Beyoncé looked on in horror. Of course, Queen B later graciously gave Swift the moment she deserved, however, West could not escape universal criticism for his actions, even drawing harsh remarks from President Barack Obama. Kanye did issue an apology, although some lyrics from “The Life of Pablo” suggest he may have different feelings.

The original Woodstock Festival was billed as 3 Days of Peace & Music. Its 1999 reincarnation, not so much. During Limp Bizkit’s performance of “Break Stuff,” fans took the title to heart and tore apart parts of the stage. They also lit fires during the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ set, and while Metallica was on stage, a man died after collapsing in the mosh pit. Fat Boy Slim, meanwhile, was interrupted when a truck drove through the crowd while the Tragically Hip were booed just for being Canadian. Worst of all, New York police investigated several alleged instances of sexual assault, and there was reporting of widespread destruction and burglary of vendor booths. Ultimately, law enforcement agents were needed to quell and disperse the crowd.

Symbols of angry urban youth, NWA rocked the world when they dropped their debut album “Straight Outta Compton.” Rapping about gang violence, drugs, racial profiling, and police brutality, NWA reflected the raw realities of growing up in the inner-city. The FBI, however, took exception to the group’s music, specifically “F*** tha Police.” The bureau sent their label, Ruthless Records, a letter accusing the group of advocating for violence and assault, and warning them not to perform inflammatory songs. In addition to the FBI, many local law enforcement officers refused to provide the group with security. The dispute, however, brought the group publicity, which they used to their advantage and which only added to their notoriety.

Metallica’s Grammy loss to Jethro Tull certainly stirred debate, but it was their suing of peer-to-peer file sharing site Napster in 2000 that rocked the foundations of music. After discovering unreleased music available on the system, Metallica sued Napster for copyright infringement and racketeering, seeking 10 million dollars in damages. It was the first highly publicized case against a file sharing site, and served to encourage other artists to take a stand against illegal downloading. It also, however, drew some criticism from the public. While many viewed the case as an important step towards protecting artists, especially those less established in the industry, some criticized Metallica for simply being greedy.

To clarify the terminology here, payola describes the bribery of a radio station to promote specific songs as part of their daily schedule. In the late 50’s, congress launched an investigation into payola, accusing several major names in the music industry, most notably DJ Alan Freed and TV’s Dick Clark. Freed, the man who gave rock and roll its name, lost his job and saw his career fade as a result of the scandal, while Clark barely escaped unscathed. The public was disturbed both because of big public figures being implicated and at the thought that they were manipulated. Some in the industry, however, believed the practice helped smaller labels establish themselves, and encouraged the rise of rock n’ roll.

This case was proof that not everyone is who they seem to be. At one point, Phil Spector was lauded for his production skills, and worked with several iconic artists. That legacy was effectively destroyed after he was apprehended following the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. While he initially tried to pass it off as an accidental self-inflicted death, the truth soon came out. He was arrested and freed on a bail of $1 million dollars, and the eventual trial was televised for all to see. After multiple court cases, Spector was finally dealt a 19-year sentence. His subsequent appeals were overturned, and eventually, he died in prison— bringing an underwhelming end to someone who was once highly regarded in the industry.

Facing criticism over high ticket prices, The Rolling Stones decided to conclude their 1969 tour with a free one-day festival. After struggling to secure a location, California’s Altamont Speedway was chosen at the last minute, creating a logistical nightmare. Ultimately, motorcycle gang Hell’s Angels was hired as security, but failed spectacularly. By the end of the one-day festival, a man was murdered, three people died in accidents, and four babies were born. The Grateful Dead, meanwhile, considered the scene too violent and elected not to play despite helping to get the festival off the ground. This left the Stones, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the Flying Burrito Brothers to fend for themselves.



Which infamous moment in music do you think had the biggest impact on the industry? Let us know in the comments below.