Music can be wild, and the 21st century has proven that beyond doubt. From shocking performances to tragic incidents, we're diving into the most jaw-dropping moments that rocked the music industry and captured global attention.
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00:00his legacy will forever be that of a convicted murderer
00:04who happened to write songs.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:07And today we're counting down our picks
00:09for the moments in the world of music
00:11from the year 2000 onward that got everyone talking.
00:14Apparently Michael Jackson
00:16suffered cardiac arrest this afternoon.
00:18He was rushed to UCLA Medical Center.
00:21Number 10, Fyre Festival fallout.
00:23We're gonna turn now to that trouble
00:25for the Fyre Music Festival,
00:26hit with a class action lawsuit
00:27from concert goers who spent thousands of dollars
00:29on what was supposed to be a luxury weekend of food,
00:32art, and music in the Bahamas.
00:33Didn't turn out quite that way.
00:35ABC's Gio Benitez in Miami with the details.
00:37Good morning, Gio.
00:39Hey, George, good morning to you.
00:40Those concert goers coming here to Miami all weekend long.
00:43Have you ever heard the old saying,
00:45if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is?
00:49That's likely what attendees
00:51of the ill-fated Fyre Festival might caution
00:53after being virtually abandoned
00:55on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma at the end of April.
00:58Coordinated by businessman Billy McFarland
01:01and rapper Ja Rule, the lavish music festival
01:04was intended to promote McFarland's Fyre Talent booking app.
01:08We got to the actual festival location, it was 10 o'clock,
01:10and right when we got there,
01:11we realized this was not gonna be a real thing.
01:14We found out every band had canceled that night.
01:16The festival's founders promised VIP accommodations,
01:20world-class music like Blink-182, Pusha T, and Major Lazer,
01:24and an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience.
01:27What did attendees get instead?
01:30Tents, a single local group playing for a few hours,
01:34and cheese sandwiches in styrofoam containers.
01:37McFarland was charged with wire fraud
01:39and served over three years in federal prison.
01:41You know what's not a joke?
01:43Mark Geragos, the celebrity attorney,
01:44has now filed a class-action lawsuit
01:46against the Fyre Festival,
01:48seeking damages in excess of $100 million.
01:51Meanwhile, we're told those concert goers
01:52are gonna get a refund and a free ticket
01:55to next year's event.
01:56Yeah, they're gonna try this again all over again
01:58on a U.S. beach.
01:59Number nine, Britney Spears' conservatorship.
02:02I've lied and told the whole world I'm happy
02:05because I've been in denial.
02:07I am traumatized, I can't sleep,
02:09I'm so angry, I cry every day.
02:12I was surprised by how unedited she was.
02:16I was surprised that she decided to take on
02:19the entire conservatorship,
02:21and in fact, the conservatorship system
02:23in the state of California.
02:24Spears, one of the most popular
02:26and influential musicians of the late 90s
02:29and early 2000s, found her career dogged
02:32by excessive media attention and public scrutiny.
02:35The singer suffered from a mental health crisis
02:38in the mid-2000s, which was rather predictably
02:41widely publicized.
02:43He loved the control to hurt his own daughter.
02:45100,000% he loved it.
02:48Through his attorney, Jamie Spears says
02:50he's sorry to see his daughter suffering
02:52and in so much pain,
02:53adding that he loves and misses her very much.
02:56When Spears was put on involuntary psychiatric hold
02:59in 2008, as a result, her father, Jamie,
03:03had her placed in what was supposed to be
03:05a temporary conservatorship.
03:07As music fans know all too well,
03:09the conservatorship stretched on until 2021,
03:13following two years of tireless activism
03:15and advocacy by Britney's supporters.
03:18Now to another case making national news
03:20for months now, and a late headline today
03:22involving Britney Spears and her fight
03:24to control her own money, her own earnings.
03:27A judge late today ending
03:28the nearly 14 year long conservatorship,
03:31giving her control over her life and her fortune.
03:34Number eight, Astro World Festival tragedy.
03:37I just remember just like trying to see
03:39if anyone would look to get out, to help me get out.
03:42And everyone was like doing their best
03:45to get out from the circle,
03:46but eventually everyone just fell on top of my body.
03:49Founded by rapper and Houston native Travis Scott in 2018,
03:53the Astro World Festival was intended
03:56to evoke feelings of nostalgia, freedom, and fun.
04:00Even built near the site
04:01of the defunct Six Flags Astro World location,
04:04canceled in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,
04:08Astro World returned in 2021,
04:11but it would hardly be a heroic homecoming.
04:13Instead, it's 2021 edition spiraled
04:17into a logistical nightmare,
04:18with fans surging the event's barricades
04:21and thus overwhelming the festival's intended capacity.
04:24I'm honestly just devastated,
04:26and I could never imagine anything like this just happening.
04:33I'm gonna do everything I can to keep you guys updated,
04:37just keep you guys informed on what's going on.
04:44Love you all.
04:45Almost as soon as Scott began performing,
04:47a deadly crowd crush ensued,
04:49causing 10 deaths and 25 hospitalizations.
04:54Although a grand jury declined
04:55to criminally charge the rapper,
04:57any future editions of the festival were quickly scuttled.
05:00My stand is that we forgive those people
05:04that did this thing.
05:05We also wanna hold them accountable
05:07to do something good about it, to make some changes.
05:10Number seven, Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke at the VMAs.
05:14♪ Don't take nothing from nobody, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
05:20There comes a time in every young pop star's life
05:23when they must shed their teeny bopper image
05:26and embrace a more mature adult persona.
05:29The former Hannah Montana herself
05:31clearly took this challenge seriously,
05:34using the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards
05:37as a springboard for her ambitious new era.
05:40What ensued was something the Disney Channel
05:42would surely take issue with.
05:45♪ If you can't hear what I'm trying to say ♪
05:48♪ If you can't breathe what I'm saying to you ♪
05:52Taking the stage with R&B singer Robin Thicke,
05:55the duo performed a raunchy medley
05:57of We Can't Stop and Blurred Lines,
05:59which was roundly panned by viewers,
06:02critics, and everyone in between.
06:04Although Cyrus was able to recover
06:06and regain her career momentum,
06:08Thicke's reputation took a serious, lasting hit,
06:11especially when coupled with other scandals
06:14and controversies.
06:16Number six, Chris Brown attacks Rihanna.
06:19I never, ever had problems with anger.
06:23No domestic violence with any of my past girlfriends.
06:26I never was that kind of person.
06:29I look at it and it's really like,
06:33how could I be that person?
06:35R&B singer Chris Brown had what was arguably
06:37the most promising career of any young musician
06:40in the mid-2000s.
06:42A highly talented singer and dancer,
06:44Brown's track to a bright future in the music industry
06:46came to a screeching halt on February 8th, 2009.
06:51For context, Brown was dating fellow singer Rihanna,
06:54and the two constituted a notable power couple.
06:57I am strong.
07:00This happened to me.
07:03I didn't cause this.
07:05I didn't do it.
07:07This happened to me and it can happen to anybody.
07:10There are a lot of women who've experienced what I did,
07:15but not in the public.
07:18On that fateful February night,
07:20Brown and Rihanna reportedly got into an argument
07:23that escalated and unfortunately resulted
07:25in her hospitalization.
07:27Turning himself into the Los Angeles Police Department
07:30that same evening, Brown pled guilty to felony assault,
07:33avoiding prison time by accepting a plea deal
07:37that placed a restraining order on him by Rihanna.
07:39I can see what damage it does mentally more than physical.
07:43Do you still love Rihanna?
07:45I have love for her.
07:47You have love for her?
07:48Yeah.
07:49Number five, R. Kelly indicted.
07:52Earlier today, Robert Kelly was indicted
07:54before a Cook County grand jury
07:57on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
08:00The hashtag MeToo movement ushered in a new era
08:03in the film industry,
08:04exposing two decades of reprehensible conduct
08:07by people in power.
08:08However, its ripple effects were felt
08:11across countless other industries
08:13and music was no exception.
08:15Sullen R&B legend R. Kelly had long been the subject
08:19of assault and abuse allegations,
08:21stretching back as far as 1991.
08:24However, the saga escalated dramatically
08:26upon the release of Surviving R. Kelly,
08:29which aired on Lifetime from 2019 to 2023.
08:33The docu-series, Heinous Revelations,
08:35finally blew Kelly's case wide open,
08:38attracting widespread attention
08:40and calls for Kelly to face justice for his actions.
08:43These were answered when the singer was formally charged
08:46with racketeering and trafficking,
08:48promptly ending his decades-long career.
08:51One time, one of his friends came to the studio
08:55and he's speaking to everyone
08:57and just a normal reaction, you speak back.
09:01Rob would get upset and say,
09:02you're not supposed to speak to them,
09:03you don't speak to anybody, you just look straight forward.
09:05If they speak to you, you don't say anything.
09:08Number four, Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift.
09:11Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you,
09:15I'm gonna let you finish,
09:16but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.
09:19Possibly one of the wildest moments
09:21ever captured on live television,
09:23this viral moment captured the internet's imagination
09:26and spawned thousands upon thousands of memes.
09:29For the uninitiated, country pop star Taylor Swift,
09:33maybe you've heard of her,
09:34won the best female video award
09:36at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
09:39for her ubiquitous hit, You Belong With Me.
09:41♪ Been here all along so why can't you see me ♪
09:47♪ You belong with me ♪
09:50Before anyone knew what was happening,
09:52eternal provocateur West bum-rushed the stage
09:56and cut Swift's speech short.
09:58The rapper expressed his outrage
10:00that Beyonce's Single Ladies video hadn't won the award.
10:03The ensuing public backlash was so intense
10:06that West was forced to apologize for it multiple times,
10:10which makes sense
10:11considering President Barack Obama's reaction.
10:13The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person,
10:16she's getting her award.
10:17What's he doing up there?
10:18Why would he do that?
10:19He's a jackass.
10:20No, no, this, all this stuff,
10:25I'm assuming all this stuff, where's the pool?
10:31Come on guys, cut the president some slack.
10:34Number three, Phil Spector takes Lana Clarkson's life.
10:38The jury in the above entitled action
10:40find the defendant, Philip Spector,
10:43guilty of the crime of second degree murder
10:45of Lana Clarkson.
10:46Even if you don't know the name Phil Spector offhand,
10:49chances are you're familiar
10:50with the venerated record producer's output.
10:53Spector was famous for his wall of sound technique,
10:56which added orchestral pop and bombast
10:58to pop and rock records,
11:00including those by The Ronettes, Ike and Tina Turner,
11:04and a little group called The Beatles.
11:06♪ Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be ♪
11:12The music legend's long and respected career
11:14crashed and burned following the revelation
11:17that he was responsible for shooting actress,
11:19Lana Clarkson at his mansion.
11:21Spector was eventually found guilty
11:23of second degree murder and sentenced to 19 years to life,
11:26eventually dying in 2021 of complications
11:30related to COVID-19.
11:32Following Spector's death, Lana Clarkson's family wrote
11:36that she was a warm, compassionate, kind, loving woman
11:39who would be 58 years old now.
11:41Number two, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake
11:44at the Super Bowl.
11:45♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
11:49♪ This is the test, no struggles, no progress ♪
11:53Remember when we said that Kanye and Taylor
11:55was once one of the wildest live television moments ever?
11:59We think it's probably fair to say
12:01that Janet and Justin at the Super Bowl probably tops it.
12:04Jackson, who was the event's scheduled halftime act,
12:07performed a medley of her hits
12:09before surprise guest Timberlake joined her on stage.
12:12♪ I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do ♪
12:14♪ I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do ♪
12:16♪ I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do ♪
12:18♪ I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do ♪
12:21In a move that shocked everyone,
12:23but probably Jackson herself most of all,
12:26a botched move by Timberlake
12:27revealed Jackson's right breast to the audience.
12:30The resulting media frenzy found Jackson
12:32inexplicably punished and blacklisted by the music industry
12:36while Timberlake got off scot-free, at least at the time.
12:40Social media backlash in the 2020s
12:42found him apologizing to both Jackson
12:45and his ex, Britney Spears.
12:47Timberlake posting on Instagram Friday,
12:49"'I am deeply sorry for the times in my life
12:51where my actions contributed to the problem,
12:54where I spoke out of turn
12:55or did not speak up for what was right.'"
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13:13Number one, Michael Jackson's death.
13:16Both the Los Angeles Times and CBS News
13:20are both now reporting that Michael Jackson has died.
13:24CNN has not confirmed that,
13:26but the LA Times and CBS News are reporting
13:30that Michael Jackson, 50 years old, the king of pop,
13:33has died, a very, very sad moment.
13:36Do you remember where you were
13:38when you found out that the king of pop had died?
13:40June 25th, 2009 marked one of the most significant days
13:44in the history of music.
13:46Jackson, who had reportedly suffered
13:48from mental health issues
13:49and substance use disorder for years,
13:51was found unresponsive by Conrad Murray,
13:54his personal physician
13:55at the singer's Holmby Hills residence.
13:57What was Michael Jackson doing in Los Angeles
13:59before he was taken to the hospital?
14:01What new information do you have for us?
14:02Well, we do know that he's been in Los Angeles
14:04preparing to undertake this major concert event
14:08that he was scheduled to perform in London this coming summer.
14:10I have to stop you for a second, AJ.
14:12CNN can now confirm from the LA coroner
14:15that Michael Jackson is dead.
14:17Jackson's sudden death came as a heartbreaking shock
14:21to music fans around the world
14:22who paid tribute to the fallen musician.
14:25Murray was found to be personally responsible
14:28for Jackson's death
14:29due to the multiple medications prescribed to him
14:31and was convicted of involuntary manslaughter
14:35in 2011 before being released in 2013.
14:38I love to push it, you know.
14:40It makes me feel my distance great.
14:42I said, well, if I'm gonna give you an agent
14:45that is gonna put you to sleep immediately
14:47and can be so quick to act,
14:50I don't want to ever to infuse such substance in my presence.
14:56Which moment on our list shocked you the most?
14:59Are there any 21st century moments that we missed?
15:02Be sure to let us know in the comments below.