Photos : From Ozzy Osbourne to Taylor Swift, these are the biggest music scandals of all time
The Milli Vanilli scandal broke in 1990 when it became known that the two frontmen of the pop group, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, had not sung themselves during their performances. Instead, it was studio singers who had recorded the songs.
Elvis Presley's hip swing became legendary in the 1950s and was part of his characteristic performance style. Today it would no longer be worthy of a headline, but back then Elvis Presley's dancing style was considered scandalous and drove everyone crazy (both positively and negatively).
The conflict between Taylor Swift and Kanye West began in 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards. While Taylor Swift was accepting her award for ‘Best Female Video’, Kanye West stormed the stage and interrupted her, saying that Beyoncé had the better video. Later in the evening, Beyoncé then gave Swift the opportunity to make up for her speech.
The scandal surrounding the Sex Pistols and the Queen reached its peak in 1977 when the punk band released their controversial song God Save the Queen, which specifically criticised the British monarchy. But it wasn't just the lyrics that caused outrage: the song was released on the day of Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee and the band gave a concert right next to the celebrations.
Lou Pearlman was the manager and founder of successful boybands such as the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. While he was responsible for the rise of these groups in the 1990s, it later emerged that he had defrauded investors of hundreds of millions of dollars over many years and financially exploited his bands. In 2008, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
'Nipplegate' occurred during the halftime show of the 2004 Super Bowl, when Timberlake tore off part of Jackson's costume during the finale of the song Rock Your Body, briefly revealing her breast. It is still not clear whether it was an accident or intentional.
The well-known singer R. Kelly became embroiled in allegations of sexual abuse of minors in the 1990s. He was able to continue his career and was never convicted. However, a documentary in 2019 changed everything and showed the full extent of his machinations. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2022.
The song Jeanny by Falco caused a major scandal in 1985. The song, which is told from the perspective of a man stalking a young woman, was criticised for glorifying rape and violence against women. The dark atmosphere and the interpretation of the lyrics sparked fierce controversy and many radio stations refused to play the song.
Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera's performance at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards caused one of the most famous scandals in pop culture. During the opening show, Madonna surprised the audience by kissing both Britney and Christina on stage.
The encounter between Ozzy Osbourne and a bat took place during a concert in 1982. During the show, a fan threw a live bat onto the stage, which Ozzy, believing it to be a rubber toy, picked up and bit off its head. Osbourne had to abandon the concert and was hospitalised to receive a rabies vaccination.
The term ‘Row Zero’ became widely known last year. It is an area directly in front of the stage to which invited guests have access. Bands are said to have used it to recruit groupies.
Donna Summer, one of the biggest soul divas, also makes it onto our list with the song Love to Love you Baby. The moaning that can be heard in the song did not go down well at all in 1975.
The French musician Bertrand Cantat, then singer of the band Noir Désir, became known worldwide for domestic violence in 2003. He beat his girlfriend, the actress Marie Trintignant, so severely that she died a few days later. In 2004, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison for manslaughter and failure to render assistance.
Britney Spears was incapacitated for 13 years due to mental health problems. Her father was her guardian at the time. This meant he had control over her life and her assets. Fans around the world protested under the hashtag #FreeBritney and demanded her release. In 2021, her guardianship was finally lifted after she testified against her father in court.
The death of Tupac Shakur shook the hip hop world. On 7 September 1996, 2Pac was attacked in a car in Las Vegas after a boxing event and shot several times. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital six days later. Tupac's murder remains unsolved to this day, however police arrested a suspect in 2023.
A third song makes it onto the list: Relax by Frankie goes to Hollywood. The lyrics of the song were perceived as sexually explicit and provocative, especially in relation to homosexuality and S&M. In many countries, the song was censored or even banned as it was thought to negatively influence young people and undermine moral values. Hard to imagine today.
Michael Jackson's untimely death in 2009 leaves much room for speculation, as some believe it to be a suicide, others an overdose.
During Nirvana's 1992 VMA performance, Kurt Cobain thought the piano on stage belonged to Axl Rose and spat on it. The feud between Nirvana and Guns N' Roses was already in full swing at the time. However, it later transpired that the piano was actually intended for Elton John, who was also due to perform at the show.
In 2009, Chris Brown made headlines after assaulting his girlfriend, Rihanna, in their car. He pleaded guilty and was forced to go to therapy, as well as seek help for anger management.
In 2014, U2 signed a deal with Apple following the release of their music platform, Apple Music. Their album, Songs of Innocence, was automatically downloaded on the platform, and users got sick of being unable to delete it.
Openly queer rapper Lil Nas X made his solo debut in 2019 with the song Montero (Call me by your name). In the video, he can be seen doing a lap dance on what looks like the devil, which did not go down well with everyone.
In 2004, singer Ashlee Simpson performed on Saturday Night Live. However, she was caught lip-syncing and her band played the wrong song instead.
Member of iconic girl-band TLC, Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes was arrested in 1994 after burning down her ex-boyfriend's house. She received a $10,000 fine and five years probation.
Singers Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke performed together at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. However, their show left viewers shocked after a very suggestive dance between the two.
Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor made history in 1992 during a performance on Saturday Night Live. As a way to bring attention to systemic child abuse in the Catholic Church, she ripped up a photo of the Pope, causing outrage in the public for years to come.
American country singer Morgan Wallen was arrested in April 2024 after allegedly throwing a chair off a rooftop bar in a fit of rage. The chair landed by two police officers who charged him with three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of disorderly conduct. He pleaded guilty and is now trying to make amends.
In 2007, American producer Phil Spector was arrested and tried for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, four years prior. He was sentenced to life in prison, and he died in 2021.
British glam rock icon from the 1970s, Gary Glitter was arrested in 1997 after police found child pornography on his hard drive. Since then, he has been convicted of attempting to rape a girl who was under 13, as well as abusing others.
British heavy metal band Judas Priest has been through a tough time. In 1985, two young men decided to take their own lives. Their families took the band to court, believing their song Better by You, Better than Me had pushed the men to act. The band strongly explained they would never cause harm to their fans, and the court declared the band was innocent.
The Super Freak singer, Rick James, was arrested in the late 1990s for kidnapping. Along with his girlfriend Tanya Hijazi, he kidnapped and tortured a young man for six days. While out on parole, he kidnapped another man and kept him for 20 hours. He spent two years in prison.
