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Some bands flame out gracefully — others crash and burn in the most spectacular fashion. Join us as we count down the pivotal moments that derailed some of rock's greatest acts! From frontman meltdowns and costly recording delays to toxic band rivalries and catastrophic albums, these are the turning points that changed everything. Which band's downfall hit you hardest? Let us know in the comments!
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00:09Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we'll be discussing those controversial career crossroad moments
00:15for big-time rock groups. The deaths of major songwriting contributors won't be taken under
00:20consideration for our criteria. The same goes for criminal convictions.
00:34Brian Wilson's Mental Health Struggles After Pet Sounds, Beach Boys.
00:48Following the 1966 masterpiece Pet Sounds, Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson aimed even higher with
00:55the ambitious Smile Project. However, the immense pressure to outdo the Beatles combined with
01:00escalating substance use and worsening schizoaffective symptoms pushed Wilson to a
01:05breaking point. The exact moment of ruin came in mid-1967, when Wilson officially shelved the album,
01:12devastated and overwhelmed. He retreated into decades of isolation, bedroom-bound depression,
01:18and more substance abuse.
01:32Without their creative engine at full power, the Beach Boys lost their cutting-edge relevance,
01:38transitioning from pop-rock innovators into a nostalgic touring act. It was a tragic halt
01:43to one of music's greatest minds. Scott Stapp's infamous Chicago performance, Creed.
02:05By 2002, Creed was a multi-platinum stadium powerhouse, but internal tensions were boiling over.
02:12The absolute breaking point occurred on December 29th of that year at Chicago's All-State Arena.
02:17Frontman Scott Stapp arrived on stage heavily intoxicated, slurring lyrics, passing out on the
02:22stage floor, and leaving the band to awkwardly jam without him. The performance was so disastrous that
02:34outraged fans actually filed a class-action lawsuit against the band for failing to deliver a real show.
02:40Though Stapp later apologized, the public humiliation destroyed the band's internal chemistry and
02:45completely tanked their reputation. Creed disbanded just a year later, permanently stained by a single,
02:52catastrophic night.
03:04Mick Jones fired and cut the crap. The Clash.
03:20The Clash may have been the only band that mattered, but internal politics tore them apart at their peak.
03:26After the massive success of combat rock, frontman Joe Strummer and manager Bernie Rhodes grew resentful
03:32of guitarist Mick Jones' sonic experimentation. The fatal moment came in September 1983,
03:38when Strummer officially fired Jones from the group. Stripped of Jones' essential songwriting chemistry,
03:44Strummer tried to soldier on, resulting in 1985's disastrous Cut the Crap.
03:58The album's awful drum machines and uninspired songwriting alienated fans and critics alike.
04:05Strummer later admitted that firing Jones was a massive mistake, but the damage was done,
04:10permanently tarnishing their legendary legacy.
04:25Tragedy after tragedy. Badfinger.
04:28The bright promise of Badfinger had dimmed by the summer of 1975.
04:34Bad luck, bad management, and bitter infighting had combined to wreck the hopes of a band once hailed
04:40as the next Beatles.
04:41The power pop trailblazers in Badfinger should have been global superstars,
04:46especially with the backing of the Beatles. Instead, their career turned out to be something
04:50of an industry tragedy. The precise moment of ruin came when the band signed a management
04:55contract with Stan Pauly. Pauly allegedly mismanaged their finances and skimmed millions,
05:00leading Warner Brothers Records to sue the band and pull their 1974 album from the shelves.
05:06Having discovered that a $100,000 advance payment was missing from an escrow account,
05:11Warner's stopped distribution of Wish You Were Here in mid-December
05:14and initiated a lawsuit against Badfinger Enterprises and Stan Pauly.
05:20Suddenly, the musicians found themselves completely broke, legally trapped, and unable to earn money.
05:25Despondent over the inescapable financial ruin and corrupt industry manipulation,
05:30primary songwriter Pete Hamm tragically took his own life in 1975,
05:36ending any hope for the incredibly talented group.
05:39It was unbelievable.
05:45I'm sorry.
05:49Life's a love beach. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.
06:02Prog Rock Titans, ELP, spent the 1970s selling out stadiums with complex, classical-infused epics.
06:09But by 1978, contractual obligations and a changing musical landscape forced them into a corner.
06:15The exact moment of their downfall was the release of Love Beach.
06:31The album abandoned their majestic boundary-pushing sound for generic, uninspired rock.
06:36Worse still was the cover art, featuring the trio looking like unbuttoned,
06:40chest-bearing disco stars on a tropical beach.
06:43Bands felt betrayed, and band members themselves were deeply embarrassed by the commercialized pivot.
06:48The backlash was immediate and severe, effectively killing their credibility
06:52and causing the legendary group to bitterly disband shortly after.
07:07The fallout from Kilroy was here.
07:10Styx.
07:11I've got a secret.
07:13I've been hiding.
07:15Under my skin.
07:18My heart is human.
07:20My blood is boiling.
07:21Styx was riding high on a streak of multi-platinum albums, but creative control had shifted heavily
07:27toward keyboardist Dennis DeYoung.
07:29In 1983, DeYoung pushed the band into a high-concept theatrical rock opera called
07:34Kilroy Was Here.
07:35I'm Kilroy.
07:38Kilroy.
07:40Kilroy.
07:41Kilroy.
07:42Kilroy.
07:42The project required the band to act out elaborate, cheesy sci-fi storylines on stage
07:48Before playing music, guitarist Tommy Shaw and James Young absolutely hated the theatrical
07:53direction, feeling it alienated their rock fan base.
07:56The mounting backstage resentment peaked during the tour, leading Shaw to quit the band on stage
08:01during the final night.
08:02The theatrical gamble fractured their chemistry permanently, alienating fans and splitting
08:07the classic lineup.
08:08Come and sail away, come and sail away, come and sail away with me.
08:15Self-Destruct.
08:16The Police.
08:18I'll send an S.O.S. to the world.
08:21I'll send an S.O.S. to the world.
08:24I hope that someone gets mad.
08:27The Police were the biggest band in the world in 1983, fresh off the massive success of Synchronicity.
08:33However, the trio's internal relationships were notoriously toxic.
08:37The definitive moment of ruin occurred in 1986, when they reconvened in the studio to record
08:43a new album.
08:44The tension exploded instantly.
08:46Another industrial ugly morning.
08:52The factory vowsha's built into the sky.
08:57Stewart Copeland and Sting fought bitterly over everything, culminating in an argument
09:01where Copeland physically broke his collarbone.
09:04Unable to cooperate long enough to record new material, they managed only a lukewarm remake of Don't Stand
09:10So Close To Me before walking away.
09:13Don't stand, don't stand, don't stand so close to me.
09:19The absolute refusal to work together killed a legendary band at the absolute zenith of their power.
09:25Jeff Tate splits from the band, Queensryche.
09:39Queensryche redefined progressive metal in the late 1980s, but decades of shifting dynamics led to a shocking
09:46physical confrontation on April 14th, 2012.
09:50During a soundcheck in Sao Paulo, Brazil, years of resentment boiled over.
09:54Frontman Jeff Tate became enraged after discovering the band had fired his wife and daughter from their management roles.
10:00Tate physically assaulted guitarist Michael Wilton and drummer Scott Rockenfield and, later,
10:05spat on them during the actual concert.
10:16The violent backstage meltdown severed all remaining professional ties.
10:21The band fired Tate shortly after, leading to an ugly public legal battle over the band's name that permanently fractured
10:28their dedicated fan base.
10:41Steve Perry's first departure, Journey.
10:44One night will remind you how it's outside or in all separate ways.
10:52Journey ruled the 1980s radio waves, fueled by Steve Perry's soaring vocals.
10:57However, the grueling stadium tours took a massive physical and emotional toll on the singer.
11:02The exact moment of ruin arrived in 1987.
11:05Following the Raised on Radio tour.
11:16Overwhelmed by personal grief from his mother's passing and severe burnout, Perry walked away from the band, forcing an indefinite
11:24hiatus.
11:25Though he briefly returned a decade later for 1996's Trial by Fire, a degenerative hip condition prevented him from touring,
11:32leading to his final exit.
11:45While Journey eventually found replacement singers to tour the hits, the magical era of their definitive frontman was permanently over.
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12:01Always on, always live.
12:03Are you not entertained?
12:06The delayed Chinese democracy, Guns N' Roses.
12:24Following the massive Use Your Illusion era, Axl Rose assumed total control of Guns N' Roses, gradually alienating Slash and
12:32Duff McKagan until he was the sole remaining original member.
12:36The exact moment that derailed the band's legendary momentum was Axl's decision to spend the next 15 years obsessively re
12:43-recording and tweaking the album, Chinese Democracy.
12:59Starting in the mid-1990s, Rose burned through tens of millions of dollars and a revolving door of elite musicians.
13:06By the time the album finally dropped in 2008, the musical landscape had completely shifted.
13:11The decade-long delay proved insurmountable, despite the quality of songwriting actually present within Chinese democracy.
13:19Do you like defending any of these controversial moments?
13:33Sound off in the comments.
13:34Sound off in the comments.
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