4 of the Most Controversial Moments in Rock History

Part of what makes rock music such an attractive genre is all the drama that has historically happened via rock stars, bands, live performances, etc. There are too many controversial rock moments from the last century to count, but we think these four moments are worth revisiting; some of them as cautionary tales.

1. John Lennon’s Jesus Comment

Nowadays, this wouldn’t even make it to a modern list of controversial rock moments. But back in the 1960s, it was one of the most controversial moments to define an era. In 1966, John Lennon commented on the fact that Christianity was on the way out, and quite cheekily noted that more people at the time knew about The Beatles than Jesus Christ.

This caused an international uproar, especially in the United States. There were boycotts, protests, album-burning bonfires, the whole nine yards. Lennon later apologized. Miraculously, The Beatles didn’t implode then and there.

2. Jethro Tull Beats Metallica in Grammy Race

It was the win that shocked the world. Jethro Tull very surprisingly beat Metallica to win the newly-added Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Performance award at the Grammys in 1989. Even non-fans of metal were outraged. Though, it is worth noting that the snub didn’t affect Metallica all that much. They went on to have a very long and successful career and scored nine Grammy awards later on.

3. Jerry Lee Lewis Marries His Young Cousin

Jerry Lee Lewis didn’t have much luck in love, considering he was married seven times. And even though he’s known as an icon in rock and roll, his reputation has also been tarnished by the fact that he married his cousin… who was only 13 years old at the time of their wedding in the late 1950s. When this information came to light, Lewis’ career (rightfully) took a major hit.

4. The Monstrosity That Was Woodstock 99

It’s an event that most would love to leave in the past, but Woodstock 99 is worth remembering as a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when musicians incite “riots” at their performances. When Limp Bizkit took the Woodstock 99 stage to perform the song “Break Stuff”, the crowd went way beyond the expectations of the song. An explosion of violence, sexual assault, and destruction took place in the crowd. It didn’t end there, either. When Red Hot Chili Peppers performed, a fire broke out. Three people died during the event, and Woodstock was done for good.

Photo by Harry Benson/Express/Getty Images

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