10 Most Outspoken Men In Rock And Metal History

Ever looked at a musician and thought they would save themselves a lot of hassle if they didn't talk as much? If you have, then you're probably familiar with Morrissey. An enduring indie music figurehead, Morrissey first earned fame in the 1980s as the frontman for short-lived indie icons, The Smiths. Lasting just five years, the group broke up after a falling out between Morrissey and Johnny Marr, which led to Marr leaving the group and the remaining members not being able to replace him.

One of Morrissey's most outrageous remarks came when he referred to Chinese people as a "subspecies”, and he later took NME to court in 2007 in response to an article which accused him of being racist. Although Morrissey won the case, his divisive views have persisted. This was made apparent when he expressed support for the alt-right political party, For Britain, during the 2017 UK general election. The party was anti-Islam by self-admission and members of rival party UKIP described their supporters as "Nazis and racists". Morrissey said the election had been rigged after For Britain failed to win any parliamentary seats and accumulated less than 1,000 votes.

Away from politics, Morrissey claimed that eating meat is morally equivalent to "child abuse" and 'Meat is Murder' splits live crowds to this day. As distressing as these views are, Morrissey remains popular and his character seems infectious, with the likes of Panic! at the Disco's Brendon Urie seemingly going the same way.