Added by Sunnie on 6 May 2009 12:07

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Controversial artists

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Rating: List Type:

8.5

The Essential Michael Jackson - Michael Jackson

Sexual abuse accusations... And more.

7.2

Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Wainwright

Ex-addicted to methamphetamine, known for his strong personality and openly homosexual.

"Better pray for your sins. Better pray for your sins, 'cause the Gay Messiah's coming. No it will not be me. Rufus the Baptist I be. No I won't be the one." - Rufus Wainwright

7.9

Guns, God and Government World Tour - Marilyn Manson

Drug abuse, charged with sexual misconduct and more.

"In explaining things to people, I've come to terms with the fact that a lot of my goals are very Christian in the end. Because people no longer appreciate the taboos of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. I have to take them as far as they've ever been taken before, on a grand scale, in order for the world to realize we have to start over. It's very much like the mythology of the bible, the end of the world, and the antichrist and people are made to make a choice about their faith. I think certain elements of that are correct." - Marilyn Manson

7.1

Suedehead: Best of - Morrissey

Naturally polemical.
Take a look: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrissey

"Actually I despise royalty. I always have done. It's fairy story nonsense. The very idea of their existence in these days when people are dying daily because they don't have enough money to operate one's radiator in the house, to me is immoral. As far as I can see, money spent on royalty is money burnt. I've never met anyone who supports royalty, and believe me I've searched. Okay, so there's some deaf and elderly pensioner in Hartlepool who has pictures of Prince Edward pinned on the toilet seat, but I know streams of people who can't wait to get rid of them. It's a false devotion anyway. I think it's fascist and very, very cruel. To me there's something dramatically ugly about a person who can wear a dress for £6,000 when at the same time there are people who can't afford to eat. When she puts on that dress for £6,000 the statement she is making to the nation is: "I am the fantastically gifted royalty, and you are the snivelling peasants." The very idea that people would be interested in the facts about this dress is massively insulting to the human race." - Morrissey

Slayer - Reign In Blood: Still Reigning

And also:
www.slayer.net/images/extras/1024x768a_slayer.jpg

"It was never imagined how graphic the reality that Would be known as the end of creation
Would manifest itself
We believe all this chaos and atrocity can be traced
Back to one single event
We hold these truths to be painfully self-evident
All men are not created equal
Only the strong will prosper
Only the strong will conquer
Only in the darkness of Christ have I realized
God Hates Us All
- Darkness Of Christ, from the album God Hates us All (2001).

8.1

Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley

Condemned as depraved and labelled as "definite danger to the security of the United States".

"Some people tap their feet, some people snap their fingers, and some people sway back and forth. I just sorta do ‘em all together, I guess." - Elvis Presley

Sex Pistols Archive - The Sex Pistols

Drug abuse, "bad influence", "anarchy in the UK" and a lot more.

"Well, you know, like, I don't really give a f**k what the general public think." - Sid Vicious
* Reported in Julien Temple, The Filth and the Fury: The Sex Pistols (2000), p. 104.

942

8.4

Abbey Road - The Beatles

Drug abuse, accused of "anti-Americanism", accused of satanism for some.

"Christianity is dying and we (The Beatles) are more popular than Jesus now" - John Lennon

Mötley Crüe - Mötley Crüe

"The band has often been noted for their hard-living lifestyles; all members have had numerous brushes with the law, spent time in jail, suffered long addictions to alcohol and drugs, had countless escapades with women, and are heavily tattooed" - Wikipedia

7.5

Sinéad O'Connor (Best Of) - Sinéad O'Connor

"O'Connor's career took a political shift — especially in the United States — on 3 October 1992, when she appeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest. She was singing an a cappella version of Bob Marley's "War," which she intended as a protest over the sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, by changing the lyric "racism" to "child abuse." She then presented a photo of Pope John Paul II to the camera while singing the word "evil," after which she tore the photo into pieces, said "fight the real enemy," and threw the pieces towards the camera". - Wikipedia

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7.7

Madonna - Madonna

Known for exploring religious symbolism and sexual themes in her work.

"Be strong, believe in freedom and in God, love yourself, understand your sexuality, have a sense of humor, masturbate, don't judge people by their religion, color or sexual habits, love life and your family." - Madonna

At Worst...The Best of Boy George and Culture Club

7.5

At Worst...The Best of Boy George and Culture Club... - Culture Club

Drug abuse. Boy George's appearance caused shock in the middle of 80's and he is known for being openly gay and having a relationship with a member of his band (Jon Moss).

"Gay unions, what is that about? I haven't been invited to any ceremonies, and I wouldn't go anyway. The idea that gay people have to mimic what obviously doesn't work for straight people any more ... I think is a bit tragic. I am looking forward to gay divorces." - Boy George

8.6

Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 - Black Sabbath

Accused of satanism, bad behaviour, drug abuse. And a lot more.

"The biggest thing has been realizing how much people really do love the early Sabbath music. People have said it in the past but I've never really believed them before. I remember years ago when Metallica opened up for me, I went backstage and they were playing old Black Sabbath albums and I thought they were taking the piss! They said, 'No, we really love Sabbath.' I couldn't see that at the time--because towards the end of my time with Sabbath 20 years ago I thought what we were doing was boring and stupid, because we were boring and stupid, totally sick of what we were doing and totally out of our brains with drink or drugs when we were playing it." - Ozzy Osbourne

Forty Licks: the Definitive Rolling Stones Collection 1962-2002

8.8

Forty Licks: the Definitive Rolling Stones Collection 1962-2002... - The Rolling Stones

Bad behaviour, (lots of) drug abuse.

"Keith Richards is shooting heroin into his eyeballs and still touring alright! I'm getting mixed signals! I picture nuclear war and two things surviving; Keith and cockroaches! (does Keith Richards impression) "Where did everybody go-o? I saw a bright light and thought we were ho-ome..."
* Bill Hicks, 'Dangerous' audio 1990

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8.3

The Best Of The Doors - The Doors

They were considered a controversial band, due mostly to Morrison's cryptic lyrics and unpredictable stage persona. - Wikipedia

Many Sides of Jerry Lee Lewis - Jerry Lee Lewis

Lewis has been criticized by members of the disability rights community. In 1990, he wrote a first-person essay entitled "If I Had Muscular Dystrophy" for Parade magazine, in which he characterized those with muscular dystrophy as "being half a person". Many in the disabled community viewed his remarks as prejudicial, contributing to the idea that people with disabilities are "childlike, helpless, hopeless, non functioning and noncontributing members of society". Members of the disability rights community object to Lewis receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
In February 2000, Lewis stunned an audience gathered to honor his work at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival by saying he doesn't like female comics. Lewis said, "I don't like any female comedians. A woman doing comedy doesn't offend me, but sets me back a bit. I, as a viewer, have trouble with it. I think of her as a producing machine that brings babies in the world." He later defended the remark, saying it was taken wildly out of context, and added that he made 11 movies with comic character actress Kathleen Freeman. - Wikipedia.

Voters of this music list - View all

What makes a controversial musician?
Lyrics? Clothers? Behaviour? Influence of the media? It all mixed together with lots of sex and drugs?

You ought to love them or hate them. There's nothing in between.

Accepting suggestions. ;)