50 Music Moments That Mattered

December 16th, 2009

THEY DID MATTER.

After months and months of discussion, research, meetings and SWEAT, a crack team of pop culture experts at MuchMusic compiled a list of 50 Music Moments That Mattered. Say what you want about the list – debate the rankings, debate the choices – but you cannot deny that each moment has its place in music history. We took these moments and shined ‘em all up to make 5 episodes discussing their impact on music history (and the world!)

If you missed the first airing on Sunday, you can watch it online anytime you want! And also, make sure to read some words about the show from its writer (here) and producer (here).

After the jump, we reveal the 50 Moments … have your say in the comments! We know EVERYONE’S got an opinion!!

EPISODE 1

50. Young Love Gone Wrong
#50
In one night, the lives of Chris Brown and Rihanna changed forever. A harsh reminder that sometimes the lives of squeaky clean pop stars aren’t always what they seem; in the months that followed, they became a case study for how media and the masses treat male and female celebs who have been affected by abuse. Not to mention what is tolerated at the hands of a celebrity.

49. From Producers to Performers
#49
The naughties saw a gargantuan rise in producers-cum-performers – music producers who were whizzes behind the scenes but became superstars when they stepped in front of a camera and a microphone.

48. Text Read ‘Round The World
#48
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline had a marriage that went from trainwreck to trainWRECKED when Kevin Federline learned of his divorce through text message – WHEN HE WAS TAPING A SHOW WITH US.

47. Britney’s Breakdown!
#47
The world dropped a collective jaw as we saw Britney Spears go from pop princess to bald, drugged, cheeto’ed, hospitalized mess. Just goes to show that fame isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.

46. Drugs, Drama and a Grammy
#46
In 2007, there was no denying that Amy Winehouse was one of the most natural talents to emerge in the music scene. It’s just too bad that her talents were overshadowed by ongoing scandal including a rocky marriage, concert no-shows, public scuffles and notorious drug use.

45. Twitter
#45
In less than a year Twitter became more ubiquitous than pretty much anything else on the Internet – and when celebrities started to tweet en masse, it became a new way for us to communicate with our favourite artists… or learn of their outbursts and rants and scandals in real time.

44. Fake Feuds For Dollars
#44
Once upon a time, hip-hop beefs were serious business. Feuds between emcees would be taken to the lyrical battlefield, but sometimes they ended up in tragedy. Now we get more McBeefs than real prime rib – take for instance a giant 50 Cent VS Kanye public battle that ended up being the greatest marketing tool they could dream up.

43. Christina gets Dirrty
#43
Somewhere between Mickey Mouse Club and empowered grrrl songstress, Christina decided to add a little more X to her name (and a little less innocence). When she dropped the music video for “Dirty”, Xtina opened up a whole new can ‘o worms with her stirrup thong and simulated sex.

42. The Dirrty South: Reactionary Hip Hop
#42
For years we were inundated with east coast and west coast rap flavours, while the rhymes of the south remained hidden from the masses. The mainstream’s education began with Outkast but really hit its stride when Nelly became a “Country Grammar” sensation.

41. Paris Hilton Launches A Music Career
#41
From socialite, to sex tape phenom to… singer??! Paris Hilton proved that with money and a team of wizards, anybody can make an album and even sell a few copies. Fortunately for us, either Paris or her label realized that in the end, people don’t want music from Paris Hilton – they want perfume. Or something.

EPISODE 2

40. 50 Cent Gets Shot
#40
Ordinarily, you wouldn’t suspect that a drug war victim of gun violence would find a fast track to the mainstream music scene. But 50 Cent took his story of survival and recorded an album that is considered to be one of the best rap records of the 2000s, and became an overnight celebrity.

39. Arrest & Redemption
#39
Even after making it big in the hip-hop game, T.I. involved himself in some shady situations and was arrested and convicted for weapon possession. Realizing that he’s a public figure and a role model – not only for kids across the globe, but his own children – he used his public service to help better the lives of troubled teenagers.

38. The New Music Video: TV Commercials
#38
Justin Timberlake composed original music for McDonalds and Apple helped boost the careers of several artists through iPod commercials (particularly Feist). These days more artists are finding success through TV ads moreso than their own music videos. Selling out, or smart business?

37. The Most Hated Band In Music
#37
Everyone you know wants to hate on Nickelback, but the fact is that they continue to sell millions & millions of albums, and Billboard just named them artist of the decade. There is a major fanbase out there – but nobody seems to want to admit it.

36. Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame Welcomes Madonna
#36
In her first year of eligibility (2008), Madonna was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. While most inductees are music dinosaurs, Madonna still continues to kick out the jams and find new audiences. Her induction raised some eyebrows as the term “rock & roll” seems to have been loosened – but what’s more rock & roll than a woman who speaks her mind, pushes the envelope and is the very definition ‘controversy’?

35. Sum41: From the Suburbs to Superstars
#35
Just a (once) foursome from Ajax, eh? How about a group of punk kids who helped bring pop punk to life, launched a series of sound-a-likes, and wreaked high-jinks havoc wherever they went? Personal lives saw some tabloid time, too – like Deryck’s short-lived romance with Paris Hilton (?!?!) or his now-defunct marriage to Avril Lavigne.

34. New Kids On The Block Returns!
#34
Whoever saw it coming – that NKOTB would one, all agree to reunite (for years, certain members refused to commit to such a venture); and two, that their return would actually be SUCCESSFUL. In the end, they’re a another case study for the success of the reunion tour – as long as the original audience is still kickin’, they will pay to see their old favourites in concert. (Hellooooo Spice Girls)

33. The Pianoman Embraces the Rap Star
#33
Accused of being a homophobe on account of his gay-bashing lyrics, Eminem joined forces with Elton John to perform a duet of “Stan” at the 2001 Grammy ceremony. At its finish, they embraced – we’re not sure to believe that Eminem squelched his homophocic rep with one performance, but the peacemaking gesture was well-received and met with much approval.

32. Music Goes Green: Live Earth
#32
Across 7 continents, the globe joined together to celebrate Live Earth – musical performances by the biggest stars to help raise global warming and environmental awareness. The extravaganza was a warm reminder that we can all bond together to support the wellbeing of our planet – even if we haven’t quite learned how to act on a day to day basis.

31. Surprise! You’re a Porn Star!
#31
In theory, celebrity sex tape = scandal, which means that their reputation should take a major tumble, right? Nope – what we learned from the naughties (2000s) is that a celeb’s image is never tarnished in the long run because of a measly sex tape – and in some cases, non sex-related careers were launched from a sex tape scandal. Paris Hilton? Kim Kardashian? Who thinks about their sex tapes these days?** (**late night computer sessions not included)

EPISODE 3

30. Britney’s Comeback
#30
After all the late-night freak outs, after the marriages and head shaves and drug use and scandal, Britney took a break. And then she came back with “Womanizer”, which launched a series of SUCCESSFUL events leading to a world tour – and this time, she didn’t cancel it. And knock on wood, since then we’ve seen nary an umbrella attack or sidewalk breakdown.

29. Pay What You Can
#29
In an age where artists fight free downloads, Radiohead released one of the best albums of the decade with a brand new marketing strategy: pay what you can. Buyers had the freedom to pay as little or as much as they chose to download new Radiohead music – completely changing the way labels and artists could successfully sell music.

28. Tarnished Glitter
#28
Mariah Carey had it all – a record collection of number one hits, worldwide fame, riches – but as we’ve learned, fame isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. In 2001, Mariah checked into a hospital for extreme exhaustion, shortly followed by a notorious stinkbomb at the box office, Glitter. For four years she fell out of the pop culture lexicon, until 2005 when she returned with The Emancipation of MiMi and reaffirmed her place as one of the top artists of the past 2 decades.

27. Saturday Night NOT Live
#27
Oh, Ashlee Simpson. Emerging from the shadows of her older sister Jessica, young Ashlee scored a coveted performance slot on Saturday Night Live. Too bad she screwed it up by lip syncing, forever tarnishing her reputation as a singer. Her gaffe was caught live as the band began to play a song, while the backing track blared the same song she performed earlier. How did she cover it up? With an impromptu jig. Good show, Ashlee.

26. The Original Triple Threat
#26
Oh, sure – musicians and actors have always dabbled in moonlighting. Singers would appear in movies, actors would sing a tune or two – but Jennifer Lopez was one of the first to be undeniably successful in every endeavor: acting, singing, clothing lines, perfume, dancing… in the end, the 2000s were full of celebrities who tried to do it all (many not succeeding).

25. Music INC
#25
Speaking of the above, the 2000s were chalk full of celebrities selling themselves not as artists, but as brands. Clothing, fragrances, shoe lines, accessories, beverages, credit cards – if you can buy it, they would sell it. AND they heavily used their original medium – music video – to push it. No holds barred.

24. Winning Isn’t Everything
#24
Back when Hedley was a little-known band, Jacob Hoggard’s bandmates bet him $150 that he wouldn’t try out for Canadian Idol. Well, he did – and became an unexpected frontrunner. With weeks left to go in the competition, Jacob urged his growing fanbase NOT to vote for him, effectively dropping out of the competition. A few years later, Hedley is one of the top bands in Canada, proving that winning isn’t everything.

23. The Rock Band/Guitar Hero Craze
#23
Oh sure, it had a lot of hate at first – “real” musicians poo-pooing the game, scoffing that people should take the time and learn a REAL instrument instead. But it wasn’t long before both Guitar Hero and Rock Band established themselves as genuine phenomenons, with a gargantuan fanbase of addicts both young and old. Enexpectedly, the games also launched a new generation of music lovers who boosted album sales for classic rock artists like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.

22. JT Goes Solo
#22
Breaking away from a successful music group is always a gamble. Will people buy into it? Will they take you seriously? Can you actually do a good job? In the early days of *NSync, it was clear that there was something special about Justin Timberlake – but did anyone ever expect that he would become one of the top-respected artists in the game?

21. Columbine
#21
When something as devastating as the Columbine high school shooting happens, people have to blame it on something, right? [sarcasm] Unfortunately for Marilyn Manson, the blame lied majorly on his shoulders, thanks to some media types who associated the shooters’ love for Marilyn’s music with the tragic act. No amount of intelligent discussion on Manson’s part could convince the converted that the media doesn’t drive people to commit heinous acts.