The 10 Most Shocking Music Moments of the 2000s

9. Chris Brown arrested for assaulting Rihanna, 2009

They were a young, gorgeous and ultra-talented supercouple, one of those pairings that seemed both opportunistic and perfectly understandable. When we found out that Chris Brown had beaten his girlfriend Rihanna, it was sad and surprising and shockingly real for two people who had previously seemed almost cyborg-like in their perfection. The accompanying police photos were particularly unsettling. Since then, both have done confessional interviews explaining that fateful evening and both have released new albums. Many speculated that Brown's guy-next-door image would be irretrievably tarnished by the incident, but his first single is moving steadily up the charts. Go figure.



8. Great White fire, 2003

Once upon a time in the '80s, Great White was a very popular hair metal band with hit songs like 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy.' But in 2003, the band would become known for a very different reason. At a club in Rhode Island, the band's pyrotechnics caused the foam soundproofing to catch fire. The resulting inferno caused 100 deaths, including the band's guitarist. It was a horrifying event and a scary thought for anyone who had ever gone to a crowded, sweaty rock venue a little (or a lot) inebriated with no idea of where the fire exits were. It was that thing that just never happens, until it did.



7. Vibe Awards melee, 2004

Snoop Dogg and Quincy Jones were about to award Dr. Dre a lifetime achievement award at the 2004 Vibe Awards when 26-year-old Jimmy James Johnson approached Dre to ask for an autograph. Then Johnson slugged him. As a consequence of the sucker punch, G-Unit rapper Young Buck stabbed Johnson and the whole place erupted. The footage was crazy: a full-scale brawl complete with flying chairs, flying fists and fleeing guests. Certainly it was an unexpected disturbance, but I mean, did that guy really think he could get away with punching Dr. Dre? Come on now...



6. ABBA turn down a billion dollars to reunite, 2000

Reunions by band members that previously hated each other were at an all-time high this decade (see the Jesus and Mary Chain, Smashing Pumpkins, the Police, Van Halen). It seemed no one was above forgiving and forgetting in order to receive a massive paycheck. A notable exception was uber-successful band ABBA, who turned down one billion dollars to do a reunion tour. And they don't even all hate each other. Not that Benny, Bjorn, Agatha and Frida need the money, but it still seemed surprising in the wake of the many artists who did the previously unthinkable.


5. Michael Jackson dies, 2009

From his first, breathtaking moonwalk at the Motown 25th Anniversary in 1983, Michael Jackson shocked, fascinated and amazed the public. There was 'Beat It,' the 'Thriller' zombies, 'Bad' and 'Black or White.' There was Bubbles the chimp, the hyperbaric chamber, the Elephant Man's bones and Neverland Ranch. Then, amid child-abuse allegations, the shock was accompanied by dismay and distaste. When he passed away from cardiac arrest in June 2009, it was a shock once again. MJ had been a massive part of pop culture for the last 30 years or so, and it was strange to see that come to an end.



4. Kanye West ruins Taylor Swift's VMA moment, 2009

Kanye West has never been known for his restraint. He's shot off his mouth since he first made a splash with 'The College Dropout,' particularly when he felt that someone else had gotten the accolades he deserved. But this was the first time he'd gone ballistic over a perceived slight against someone else -- in this case, Beyonce. Why he felt it necessary to defend a woman who has received universal critical and public acclaim, is a multiple Grammy and VMA winner and made $87 million last year is beyond us, but then Kanye doesn't need reasons to be a mouthpiece. Taylor was shattered, Beyonce handled it masterfully -- everyone came out on top except for Kanye himself, who is on a self-imposed exile from the public eye. Smart move, Mr. West.



3. Britney Spears/Madonna/Christina Aguilera kiss, 2003

It wasn't the first time Madonna shocked the world. She first got fingers wagging with a jaunty little tune called 'Like a Virgin' that scandalized parents everywhere. Then there was the burning crosses in her 'Like a Prayer' video, the 'Sex' book, the pointy cone bras, etc. But her crowning moment of shock was when she smooched Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 MTV VMAs. These days girl-on-girl action is commonplace in all areas of the entertainment industry so it doesn't seem that big of a deal, but the trifecta of female desirablility on the stage at the time was what everyone was discussing (and downloading) the next day. (Sorry, Glambert, you were a few years too late.)



2. Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, 2004

Justin Timberlake has had one hell of a decade -- he shed his boy band image without turning off his old fans, established himself as the new King of Pop and, through his bits with the Lonely Island, proved he's really funny, to boot. But he did make one false move and it involved an exposed female body part during a massive television event. In the infamous 2004 Superbowl half-time show, Justin pulled off a part of Janet Jackson's costume to reveal a nipple-pierced breast (instead of a sexy bra as had been planned). Post-show, outrage ruled the airwaves and everybody had to apologize profusely. Justin bounced back beautifully, but Janet never really recovered from the gaffe.



1. Britney shaves her head, 2007

This column could easily have been Britney's shocking moments of the decade. From her nearly nude, boa constrictor-draped performance at the 2001 MTV VMAs, to her frequent barefoot gas station bathroom jaunts in 2004, to being hospitalized for psychiatric assessment in 2008, Britney has kept the world engrossed in her every move. It was the pinnacle of all her WTF? moments when she walked into a hair salon, took an electric razor and sheared off her famous blonde locks (er, extensions). We all wondered, has she lost it for good this time? Few would have predicted her meteoric comeback only a couple years later, but if we've learned anything from the '00s, it's that no one is over for good.



Honourable mentions: Phil Spector is arrested for murder (2003), Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon marry (2008), Whitney Houston's "crack is wack" interview with Diane Sawyer (2002), Eminem and Elton John duet at the Grammys (2001), MJ dangles his baby over a Berlin balcony (2002).

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