A look back at the tumultuous year in music
By Kendis Gibson
CNN Headline News
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Police investigators survey The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, where 100 people died in a February 20 fire started when the band Great White set off a pyrotechnics display.
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(CNN) -- 2003 could go down in history as one of the most controversial years in music ever. Artists got involved in politics, scandal, and a race that ended much like the most recent presidential election.
Things started out on a bad note in February during a Rhode Island nightclub performance by the heavy metal group Great White. The pyrotechnics used in the show started a fire that spread so quickly it killed 100 people. Last month, the group's tour manager and the nightclub's owners were indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter.
Moving on to March, one of the most popular girl groups, The Dixie Chicks, decided to open their political mouths and bashed President Bush for the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The landslide of criticism that followed could have hurt their careers forever as some radio stations banned their music and record sales fell off the charts. But it didn't hurt for long. The Chicks' 2003 tour was the top seller of the year for country music.
Then it was time to find out who your next "American Idol" would be. Was it really Ruben, or were you "aiken" for Clay. The call for a recount got almost as much attention as the 2000 presidential election. If first-week album sales were to decide, someone would have to ask, "Who counted those votes, Ryan Seacrest or Simon Cowell?"
At this year's MTV Video Music Awards in August, it was the moment nobody saw coming -- the kiss. Britney Spears, the new Queen of Pop, and her idol, Madonna, left us wondering, "Did I see tongue?" Oh, and by the way, Christina Aguilera was involved, too.
The year wrapped up with what may go down as the most controversial story in music ever. Is Michael Jackson guilty? The pop icon was arrested for child molestation in November, and the formal charges were handed down in December. This leaves us to wonder in 2004, Does shamone mean "innocent"?
