The spirit of excess that haunts the best rock & roll comes out in a variety of forms, from groupie abuse to substance abuse to hotel room abuse. When you're making millions for jumping around like a jackass howling into a microphone, the rules and regulations of normal society no longer seem to apply. In the more than a half-century that rock & roll has roamed the Earth, the record industry has seen so many scandals that they're all starting to run together. If you're getting overwhelmed by all of this bad behavior, we've got a guide for you: UGO's Top 50 Rock Scandals. From the payola scandals of the 1950s to the panty scandals of the 21st Century, we've built a guide to studio shenanigans, tour trouble and backstage badness that will keep you busy for weeks. Without further ado, let's get to the show.
Top 50 Music Scandals
We list the top 50 music scandals of all-time.
 |
By K. Thor Jensen June 24, 2008 |
Janet Jackson Wardrobe Malfunction
Halftime shows are usually a God-given break in the action to dash off to the restroom and take a quick piss. However, for those of us with larger bladders, the NFL needed to do something to fill the time, so the tradition of having the biggest bands in America rock us through the breakpoint of the Super Bowl was born. Most of the shows in the last decade have been eminently forgettable medleys of hits by bands like the Rolling Stones and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but one Super Bowl was a little different. In 2004, Janet Jackson was set to perform with Justin Timberlake. The two put on a high-energy number that concluded with Timberlake putting his hand on Jackson's top and - ripping it off, revealing a bare breast clad with some sort of ornate nipple piercing. Cue FCC reprisals, irate complaints, and MTV never, ever being allowed to produce a halftime show again.
