From legendary tantrums to impossible demands, these artists have earned quite a reputation in the music industry. Join us as we explore the most challenging personalities in music history! From refusing to perform and showing up late to making outrageous demands and fighting with bandmates, these musicians have tested everyone's patience.
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00:00He'd said something into the mic and just threw it down and walked off stage.
00:03Axl didn't want to be outdone.
00:06And that's when all hell broke loose.
00:09Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the musicians
00:12that have historically been the hardest to work for and with.
00:16Don't like each of them, I.
00:19Number 20, Morrissey.
00:20Based on his outspoken nature, it probably comes as no surprise that he'd be difficult to collaborate with.
00:25Always been outspoken.
00:26No, I'm not outspoken at all.
00:29No, I'm really not.
00:30You're strongly opinionated.
00:31Well, I'm just an ordinary person in many ways.
00:34I just speak the words of ordinary people.
00:38His petulant behavior was apparent back when the Smiths were still on the rise,
00:42including banning the usage of his government name in 1983.
00:46It escalated from there, even banning his bandmates from being seen eating meat.
00:50Eventually, his inability to compromise musically,
00:53and his jealousy over members collaborating with other artists,
00:56led to the band dissolving in 1987.
00:58With no chance of reuniting.
01:00Since then, he hasn't become any easier to work for.
01:03I'm just me.
01:04And I'm not Flash.
01:06And I don't want to be part of the rock industry.
01:08And so therefore, I think the rock industry just can't deal with people like that.
01:12Between demanding that events he perform at offer only vegan options,
01:16to his ex-manager coming forward about how hard he is to deal with,
01:20it seems that the problem has worsened with age.
01:22Number 19, David Ruffin.
01:24The temptations were pivotal in the world of R&B,
01:27yet their enjoyment of that success was dulled thanks to David Ruffin.
01:31What can make me feel this way?
01:36It's my girl, my girl, my girl.
01:39As the leader on several of their biggest hits,
01:41the popularity quickly went to his head.
01:43He became dependent on cocaine,
01:45and missed both rehearsals and performances as a result.
01:48He also insisted on traveling separately from the band,
01:51opting to stay in a custom-made limo.
01:54To top it all off,
01:55he insisted that their name be changed to spotlight his own.
01:58His behavior became so egregious that he was kicked out in 1968,
02:02which didn't stop him from crashing their shows.
02:05Well, the headlines said I was fired, you know,
02:08but I don't see how you could fire someone out of a group of that magnitude.
02:14I just think that that was time for a change in life,
02:20lands a crushing blow sometimes.
02:22Even when Ruffin was offered another chance,
02:24he squandered it by showing up late,
02:26proving that old habits die hard.
02:28Number 18, Captain Beefheart.
02:30You'd think a group known for absurdism would be all fun and games.
02:33For some of the members of Captain Beefheart's magic band,
02:42it was anything but.
02:44During the recording of Trout Mask Replica,
02:46their leader, also known as Van Veliet,
02:48revealed his dictatorial tendencies.
02:51He yelled at the others for hours on end,
02:53before they finally broke down.
02:55He also limited their food intake,
02:56and even banned them from leaving their recording space.
02:59It was terrible,
03:00and we were just always hungry and always tired.
03:03I felt exhausted all the time.
03:06The abuse wasn't only emotional.
03:08Their drummer, John French,
03:10revealed in 2010 that he was beaten
03:12and thrown into walls if he didn't play fast enough.
03:15He even recalled being thrown down the stairs by Veliet
03:17following the album's completion,
03:19luckily ending his time with them before he was killed.
03:22Number 17, Bobby Brown.
03:24Sometimes it takes aging to realize
03:26how difficult one was in their youth.
03:28Before embarking on his solo career,
03:30Bobby Brown was a founding member of the boy band New Edition.
03:34It wasn't long before things went awry.
03:41Allegedly, he felt that too much of the attention
03:43was being given to Ralph Trezvant,
03:45leading to Brown acting out during performances
03:47in order to differentiate himself.
03:50He also took on a seductive manner in his performances,
03:52stressing out their management team in the process.
03:55He even confessed to showing up late
03:57or not at all to certain events.
03:59In certain occasions, you know,
04:00yeah, I would not show up at all
04:03or show up late and go out there,
04:08do what I do and not care about what anybody else thought.
04:12The group ended up reuniting for a tour in 2022,
04:15leading to Brown seriously reflecting on his actions
04:17as a young man and even admitting that he was wrong.
04:20Number 16, Jennifer Lopez.
04:22Some of these artists' reputation may come as a surprise,
04:25but others are entirely expected.
04:32Jennifer Lopez is alleged that mistreatment of her staff
04:35has been circulated for some time,
04:37with the musician reportedly having several rules
04:39for them to follow at all times.
04:41From not allowing her staff to make eye contact
04:43to forcing them to speak to service workers for her,
04:46it's clear what she thinks of those that she deems below her.
04:49She's even been known to fire people for ridiculous reasons,
04:52including their astrological signs,
04:54or for asking for an autograph.
04:56And I don't know where that started, you know,
04:58and that was-
04:58That you're difficult?
04:59That was, you know, like I'm demanding and difficult
05:01and a bit of a diva, like I don't, you know,
05:05I like getting dressed up and stuff like that,
05:07but other than that, I don't have outrageous demands.
05:10She may claim to be Jenny from the block,
05:13but it's clear that she stopped identifying
05:14with everyday people long ago.
05:16Number 15, Justin Bieber.
05:18Becoming famous at a young age often means
05:20growing up with a skewed sense of the world.
05:29This was the case for Justin Bieber,
05:31who's been rumoured to have extensive tour requirements.
05:34His requests for a 2017 Mumbai performance
05:36were particularly egregious,
05:38with an alleged leak rider revealing them.
05:41They ranged from refusing to use the roads
05:43and insisting that air travel be left on standby,
05:45to having his team fly a ping-pong table there.
05:49Should the rumours be true,
05:50it would confirm that he wasn't afraid
05:52to use his star power to get what he wanted.
05:54It doesn't just end at valuable items.
05:57A stint down the wrong path in his early 20s
05:59led to several personal and legal issues
06:02that impacted his career.
06:08Number 14, Ozzy Osbourne.
06:11Well, that's one way to end an important meeting.
06:19It was clear from the very beginning
06:21of Ozzy Osbourne's career
06:22that he wouldn't be a traditional client.
06:24During his Black Sabbath years,
06:26his inability to curb his drug use
06:28led to continued friction between them
06:30until he finally split ways with them in 1979.
06:33His outlandish behaviour didn't stop there.
06:35When he signed his first solo deal in 1981,
06:37he commemorated the moment
06:38by biting the head off of a dove.
06:41There was a pigeon there,
06:42so I thought, well,
06:45nothing else but the pigeon.
06:49I mean, the pigeon didn't mind, man,
06:51because he had no choice, you know?
06:52Yeah, yeah.
06:53That same year,
06:54he reportedly urinated in an executive's wine.
06:57He even drunkenly fired members of his band in 1982
07:01following their refusal to perform Black Sabbath pieces.
07:04His talent is undeniable,
07:06but it's clear that substances make him a nightmare to work with.
07:10Number 13, Nicki Minaj.
07:12It makes sense that a performer known for her highly publicised fights
07:15wouldn't be the best employer.
07:16Dating back to the 2010s,
07:18Nicki Minaj has shown little regard
07:20for those that she collaborates with.
07:22During her tenure on American Idol,
07:23she had a long-standing feud with Mariah Carey,
07:26who claimed to increase her security team in response.
07:29Excuse me, the music will cut me off if I...
07:32Can I make...
07:32Oh, darling, darling, may I express this too?
07:35Minaj's temper has reportedly been inflicted on employees too,
07:38such as in a 2011 incident
07:40where she screamed at a facialist
07:42after they didn't do her eyebrows to her liking.
07:44In 2024, an ex-employee on the Pink Friday 2 tour
07:48filed a lawsuit claiming that she'd hit him several times.
07:52While the exact details have yet to be confirmed,
07:54it's clear that this has been a pattern for her.
07:57If you could turn back time, share.
07:59You used to be here, now you're gone, near.
08:03Number 12, Van Morrison.
08:04A person being immensely talented
08:06doesn't mean that they'll be the best employer.
08:08As a musician, Van Morrison's legacy is set in stone.
08:12And I must remember there'll be days like this.
08:17Yet, his disillusionment for fame
08:19has resulted in him continuously acting out over the years.
08:22He's been known to be combative towards those interviewing him,
08:26both by being dismissive in several of his answers
08:28and by interrupting journalists
08:30to hound them for their accreditation.
08:33He wasn't just crossed with those outside his bubble, it seems.
08:36You know, I just got fed up with the whole scene,
08:39the whole, you know, situation.
08:42He's also been known to suddenly fire members of his band
08:45with little to no warning,
08:46making every day of working for him
08:48a proverbial landmine to navigate.
08:50Number 11, Madonna.
08:52Would anyone expect anything different
08:54from one of pop's biggest divas?
08:56Because we are living in a material world
09:00And I am a material girl
09:02Throughout her career,
09:03Madonna's been known for both her talent and controversy,
09:06the latter being evidenced by her history as an employer.
09:09Some have asserted she charged performers $100
09:12for every minute they were late,
09:15while others have alleged to not being fully paid.
09:17The most damning incident was three dancers suing her
09:20following the release of Madonna, Truth or Dare,
09:23a documentary about the 1990 Blonde Ambition tour.
09:27They claimed to have been exploited
09:28and their privacy invaded,
09:30to which the star apparently told them to get over it.
09:33We've been pursuing this action for quite some time
09:36with Madonna personally
09:39and through contacting her lawyers, her firms,
09:43and the response has been either no response
09:46or a runaround or a very negative response.
09:50It was settled in 1994,
09:52but jokes Madonna made revealed how little she cared.
09:55That behavior is unacceptable,
09:57no matter how many bops you have.
09:58Number 10, Eagles.
09:59By the late 70s, the Eagles were as legendary
10:02for their internal conflicts
10:04as they were for keeping it mellow and taking it easy.
10:14Much, if not all, the power in the band
10:16was held by Glenn Frey and Don Henley,
10:18and this translated into conflict
10:19for lead guitarist Don Felder,
10:21especially with Frey.
10:22At a concert in July 1980,
10:24the tension came to a head,
10:26with Frey taking offense to a comment
10:27Felder made backstage,
10:29threatening him with physical violence
10:30throughout the show
10:31and effectively ending the band soon after.
10:34Regrouping in the 90s,
10:35old tensions came back,
10:36now motivated by contractual and legal matters,
10:39which resulted in Felder's eventual dismissal.
10:42There was an incredible amount of talent
10:44together in that band,
10:45but there was a struggle for
10:46what songs were going to go on the record,
10:48what lyrics were going to go on the record,
10:49who was going to sing, one thing or another.
10:51What made the band so great
10:52gave it its problem.
10:53That's right.
10:54Number nine, Young Thug.
10:55Atlanta rapper Young Thug
10:57has become notorious
10:58for not being where he's supposed to be.
11:00Money on money,
11:01these millions you dig,
11:02I'm spending this shit on my bitch and my kids.
11:04He had a lawsuit filed against him
11:06for no shows,
11:07most notably non-concerts in Texas
11:09and New York in 2016,
11:11the latter of which
11:12triggered a $360,000 lawsuit.
11:15Thug also, famously,
11:17declined to take part in his own video,
11:19leaving its director
11:20to creatively work around his absence
11:22and include the few ideas
11:24that Thug presented.
11:29The rapper does briefly appear
11:30in his Wycliffe Jean video,
11:32but only in footage he supplied himself
11:34as he refused to get out of his car
11:36after arriving on set 10 hours late.
11:39Number eight, Eddie Van Halen.
11:40Friction, like whammy bar,
11:42dive bombs and tapping,
11:43have long been a Van Halen mainstay.
11:46Aside from bouts of alcoholism,
11:54guitarist Edward Van Halen
11:56is known for bad-mouthing other band members.
11:58On-Off lead singer David Lee Roth
12:00said Ed had a completely different
12:02creative vision than himself,
12:04with Roth preferring poppier material.
12:06This riff was enough for EVH
12:08to construct his own recording studio
12:10and make music with minimal input
12:12of other band members.
12:14Roth's former replacement Sammy Hagar
12:16has also been open about the difficulties
12:18and lack of chemistry with Ed,
12:20while ousted original bass player
12:22Michael Anthony
12:23has been characteristically mum about it.
12:25I was thrown out,
12:27I was stabbed in the back
12:28and left for dead, you know,
12:30and it wasn't,
12:31you just can't go back
12:32and hug and kiss those kind of people.
12:34Number seven, Gene Simmons.
12:36It's no surprise why Gene Simmons
12:37is known as the demon.
12:39And I can't get enough of you, baby.
12:43Can you get enough of me?
12:46Best known as the bassist
12:48and occasional vocalist with Kiss,
12:50Simmons is also widely known
12:51for his right-wing political views,
12:53infamous womanizing,
12:55and obnoxious language.
12:56His infamous ego, meanwhile,
12:58makes people so frustrated
12:59that they shy away from being around him.
13:01Wife Shannon Tweed, for example.
13:03I was just joking because she's a comedian.
13:05Here, the exact honest suit should be.
13:09Thanks for the question.
13:10She walked out during interviews
13:11to avoid listening to him speak,
13:13while NPR interviewer Terry Gross
13:15has described him as
13:16nothing more than obnoxious.
13:18Long story short, on stage or off,
13:20Simmons isn't the most fun to be around.
13:22Number six, Mariah Carey.
13:24The OG of pop divas, singer Mariah Carey,
13:27is infamous for her unusual demands
13:29and nitpicky attitude.
13:30What is this fun?
13:32It's what you've been to say, baby.
13:35Regarding her cameo in The House,
13:38comedian Rob Hubel described her
13:40as impossible to work with,
13:42saying Carey made a huge fuss
13:44about not wanting to sing the song
13:45that she was paid to,
13:47and also not wanting her character
13:49to get killed by bullets,
13:50but instead deflect bullets like Wonder Woman.
13:53Elsewhere, her famous feud
13:54with fellow American Idol judge,
13:57Nicki Minaj,
13:57resulted in Carey not returning to the program.
13:59Carey expected to be the sole female judge
14:02and was threatened by Minaj's addition,
14:04and the two clashed on and off camera.
14:07Somebody's gonna go to the corner.
14:08We gotta get through this show, okay, girls?
14:10Number five, Roger Waters.
14:12Some people can't handle giving up
14:14their perceived power.
14:15After Sid Barrett's sudden exit from Pink Floyd,
14:17Roger Waters took it upon himself
14:19to lead them artistically.
14:21All in all, it's just a,
14:23another brick here in the wall.
14:26This meant turning away from their psychedelic era
14:29and instead forming them
14:30into something more political.
14:31He helmed their musical output,
14:33taking more creative control with each album.
14:35This led to him butting heads
14:37with the other members,
14:38and eventually their disagreements
14:40led to him parting ways.
14:41However, his desire for control didn't end there.
14:44He took his former bandmates to high court,
14:46insisting that they should break up
14:47and not perform under their name.
14:49While he's regretted his behavior in recent years,
14:52it nearly led to the end
14:53of one of England's most iconic groups.
14:55I don't try to investigate them too much.
14:59You know, it would feel a little bit like
15:01investigating a butterfly.
15:04You end up with dust and a few broken bits.
15:07Number four, Noel and Liam Gallagher.
15:09Oasis's front siblings are infamous
15:11for their inability to get along
15:13and have settled disputes by throwing fruit,
15:15using instruments as weapons,
15:17filing lawsuits,
15:18and generally harassing each other.
15:20This tumultuous work environment
15:28eventually led to Noel leaving the band in 2009,
15:31and Oasis folding following a last-minute
15:33cancelled appearance at the V Festival
15:35in Chelmsford, England.
15:37But it's not just a sibling rivalry.
15:39As aside from the brothers,
15:40no original band members made it
15:42to the end of the ride.
15:43The band's first drummer,
15:44Tony McCarroll, meanwhile,
15:46claimed to have been shafted on royalties,
15:48equipment funds,
15:49and fired due to personality conflicts
15:51with the Gallaghers.
15:52I really didn't wish it had to go that far.
15:55I mean, best and worst time in your lives, really.
15:58Number three, Kanye West.
15:59Kanye is legendary for his inflated ego
16:02and mistreatment of others.
16:03A former bodyguard said it was easier
16:05to look after West's daughter
16:06than the rapper himself.
16:08Always find something wrong
16:10You've been putting up with my issues
16:13just way too long
16:15His toddler-like attitude
16:17also made him a burden
16:18on the set of Anchorman 2,
16:20with West blasting his music on set,
16:22refusing to turn it down for filming,
16:24showing up on days
16:24that he wasn't scheduled to perform,
16:26and refusing to leave.
16:27The most requested video of the day?
16:29A new band
16:30called Burgundy Sucking Chest Wound.
16:32Other ventures are also a complicated affair
16:35with West's involvement,
16:36as it took two years
16:37for designer Jean Tuitou
16:38to create only three items
16:40for one of the rapper's clothing collections,
16:42because Kanye couldn't make up his mind.
16:45Number two, Sid Barrett.
16:46Pink Floyd's original band leader
16:48was often as baffling
16:49as the band's early material.
16:51We don't need it very loud
16:52to be able to hear it,
16:53and with some of it,
16:53it's very quiet, in fact.
16:55Right?
16:56Personally, I like quiet music
16:57just as much as loud music.
16:59A life complicated by schizophrenia
17:01and rampant drug use
17:03caused him to become
17:04an unreliable and difficult person
17:06to work with.
17:06Prior to parting ways,
17:08Barrett would often seemingly forget songs,
17:10or stare into the stage lights
17:11and detune his guitar
17:13while the band attempted
17:14to play around him.
17:15During a rehearsal,
17:16Barrett trolled the group
17:17with an ever-changing composition
17:19called Have You Got It Yet,
17:21which, predictably,
17:22they did not.
17:23It was very sad,
17:24and he sort of drifted away
17:26from the reality
17:27of the rest of our lives.
17:29Due to his unpredictable nature,
17:31David Gilmour
17:32was brought into the fold
17:33as a support guitarist
17:35and vocalist,
17:36and ultimately,
17:37Sid's replacement.
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17:54Number one, Axl Rose.
17:55On a number of occasions,
17:57Rose has provoked fans to riot,
17:59so it's hard to imagine him
18:00respecting the people he works with,
18:02from Steven Adler to Slash.
18:03Basically, it was just that I,
18:05you know, I'm done.
18:06Rose is notorious
18:07for being flaky,
18:08having once showed up
18:09late to a concert
18:10because he was watching
18:11Ninja Turtles 2,
18:12and his antics
18:13were partly to blame
18:14for the 1992 riot in Montreal.
18:17With the release
18:17of the long-discussed,
18:19much-delayed
18:20Chinese Democracy,
18:21Rose stopped answering requests
18:23and phone calls
18:24by his record label,
18:25failed to contribute
18:26to the promotion of the album,
18:28and was later sued
18:29by former band manager
18:30Irving Azoff
18:31for unpaid fees.
18:37Which musician do you think
18:39would be a nightmare
18:40to work with?
18:41Let us know
18:42in the comments below.
18:43It's been a real struggle.
18:45It's been a lot of
18:46ups and downs.
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