Who is the most offensive band 20th Century popular music?

and Creed fits well within the foregoing parameters -- so i stand by that answer

(i don't find zappa offensive tad, just boring)

Actually, I think the Stones are a good nominee - mostly because not only are they so well-known (thus affecting a wide swath of the general populace), but they're offensive on a variety of levels *over time*. They were offensive in the 60s with their androgyny and race-baiting, in the 70s with their excess and basically evil-rock-star behavior, and now in the 00's they're offensive because of their aging status and their blatant money-mongering....

I'm with Alex in NYC. If they're just trying to think up naughty things to say its less offensive than a band that passionately sings their evil.

There's also the problem of bands being less offensive when they're older. AC/DC and Kiss play the fuckin' Olympics now. Ice Cube is doin' Barbershop and Eazy-E's an angel according to Bone Thugs so NWA is out. Who pissed people off to their dying day?

Professor Griff!

now i really am sticking to my guns re: Creed!

And WHO likes Professor Griff?

yeah, but the right people don't love Creed.

besides, the Stones (and 2 Live Crew and the Pistols and NWA) also had lots of fans and still managed to be pretty offensive, yes?

TMFTML
http://intonation.blogspot.com

Other controversies have got more attention ("We're bigger than Jesus") and probably effected more people but I don't think there's ever been a band who's as morally corrupt as Mayhem.

I dunno, just sounds like they were a bunch of fuck-ups. Is that offensive or just stupid?

Both? Although after reading "The Lords of Chaos" I was left with the impression that Varg Vikernes (basist/murderer) is reasonably intelligent.

I can't imagine a band who's ever broken more taboos...suicide, canabalism, murder & burning churches all with in a small social circle? And thats just the surface...they (or alteast Vikernes) has worked closely with various neo-nazi groups, Euronymous (murdered guitarist) owned a record shop that also sold black magic & satanic paraphernalia, hosted satanic rituals etc. There's basically nothing truly offensive that one of them didn't do....surely this is MUCH worse than Eminem using the word "fag" ?!?

In principle, yes of course, but this only works if Mayhem have/had the huge global (pop-)cultural impact as Eminem. Which they don't, obviously.

Philip Glass Ensemble, hands down.

Is Candy-O the one with the Vargas cover, because that probably would've been enough

See: R. Kelly, Chocolate Factory

Who gets to decide what's offensive? Appealing to all genders, races, classes and orientations was definitely too much for a lot of people to handle.

I get this image of him putting strings on a kid and playing it with his bow. *hides*

That was offensive?

It wasn't just the band, Sex Pistols *FANS* were attacked in the streets; and not even just by young hard cases either - I was even spat at in broad daylight in the middle of the high street of my home town in 1977 by some sweet little old dear who could have been my grandmother, just because I had a GSTQ T-shirt on.

Not the most offensive band in 20th Century music maybe, but they sure did seem to upset an awful lot of people at the time.

stewart his name was BERNARD BROOKE-PARTRIDGE: age 16 i committed it to the black book of my year-zero mind as a capital offence against punk — he actually died very shortly after (though not i hasten to add as a result of anything i had done...)

the story of the rites of spring riots is very questionable: there was definitely a big noisy fuss at the first performance (at a vanue notorious for its let's-fuck-stuff-up audiences), but strav himself always noted that this was the ONLY ruckus it ever caused in performance, and in fact attributed it more to nijinsky's choreography (which was apparently somewhat michael clark-ish!!) (ie peasant-y and lewd)

Seems to me the Pistols didn't get much shock-reaction from the US press until the Sid/Nancy murder thing. There is something peculiarly British about the Sex Pistols offensiveness. The Stones cut a wider swath (as did, I would guess, Elvis and NWA).

*which is "offensive" if you take it out of context etc etc

That was offensive?

Around that time Axl made some comment about AIDS that pissed off a lot of people.

...and I'm told that people still walk out on it today.

Did they ever burn Hall and Oates records? I know that a number of fundie types hated them (of all people) because of "Winged Bull."

It's offensive to eat your own poop.

i think GG is prob. far from the most offensive

If it means most morally objectionable I'd have to guess Skrewdriver or Mayhem, though it would be a total guess because I've never heard either band. Why would I want to?

If we're talking social impact - i.e. Their obscenity had an effect on people whether or not they had heard the record - I'd suggest Prince or 2 Live Crew for kickstarting the PMRC stickering nonsense.

I've always loved how Lennon weasled out of the apology he gave to the press: "...It was wrong, or it was taken* wrong..."

* It was a joke about how popular we are, haven't you stupid Americans heard of hyperbole?

The only example I can think of right now is Charlotte Church for those 9/11 remarks that were discussed round here a while back. Could it be that she is the most offensive person in popular music?