10 Most Controversial Music Videos Of All Time

From the dawn of MTV to the blockbusters of present day Vevo, the world of music videos has frequently been a centre of controversy. Many music videos have prompted unease upon release for a variety of reasons. These have ranged from sexual and violent content to symbolism and images deemed insensitive, racist and blasphemous among other things.

The subsequent stir can lead to severe consequences for the artists including the outright banning of their music video from both online platforms and broadcast networks. Many of these videos and their bizarre scenes promoted near endless questions and interpretations from fans and critics alike. The controversy, though stressful for those involved, can often lead to breaking new ground in the music world and in the right to artistic expression.

Other times, especially controversial videos have proven to be milestones in music history. Their success transcends the initial backlash and they instead become key moments in pop music, remembered and discussed decades later. They come in all shapes, sizes and genres, outraging the public for a whole host of reasons both valid and bizarre. Here are 10 music videos that seriously rocked the boat.

George Michael’s erotically charged single appeared on both the Beverly Hills Cop II soundtrack and Michael’s debut solo album, Faith. Wildly popular on the charts, the track had its fair share of detractors, even bagging a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song at the Razzies that year. The BBC played it strictly during post-watershed hours, criticising its perceived glorification of promiscuity in a time when HIV awareness campaigns were in full swing.

The music video features Michael’s then girlfriend, Kathy Jeung, having the words explore and monogamy written on her back in lipstick by the pop star. The closing scenes of the video reveal the phrase Explore Monogamy. An additional model was brought in for the nude scenes but shot in a manner where the audience would simply assume it was still Jeung.

Looking back on the video and his relationship with Jeung, Michael said, “It was totally real. Kathy was in love with me but she knew that I was in love with a guy at that point in time. I was still saying I was bisexual- She was the only female that I ever brought into my professional life. I put her in a video. Of course she looked like a beard. It was all such a mess, really. My own confusion and then on top of that what I was prepared to let the public think."

The music video was mired in controversy due to its sexual content. Despite frequent censorship and struggles to acquire adequate airplay, the single was certified platinum and sold in excess of 2 million copies.