10 Most Insane Controversies In Rock And Roll Music

For as much of a bad reputation that rock may have had in the early '60s, there was virtually no way that you could bring yourself to hate on the Beatles. In the midst of their landmark performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, it seemed like everyone was rooting for these lads from Liverpool to go the distance, singing the kind of love songs that drove fans wild every time they played. There was nothing that could stop their momentum...unless it was coming from some sort of higher power.

In a deadpan interview that John Lennon was giving to a reporter back home, he had made the passing remark that the Beatles had a reached a popularity level that was bigger than Jesus. If this were said today, it may have been passed over, but the '60s Christian crowd was having none of it, with some fans in the American South even holding ceremonial burnings to get rid of their Beatles paraphernalia. This wasn't just hating on the Beatles for what they said...the Fab Four now had to be concerned about their safety as well.

During some performances in the States, the Fabs actually had to dodge different death threats and even the few shows where they had to look around when someone mistook the sound of a firecracker for one of the band members getting shot. In the wake of the controversy, the Fabs realized they had become too big for their usual shows, electing to leave the touring life for good in 1966. The rough and tumble rock band may have played their final shows, but the back half of the '60s were about to get a whole lot more interesting in Abbey Road Studios.