2002.12.18 - Newsweek - Tops of 2002: Music-Anger Over Axl

TOPS OF 2002: MUSIC

Music, schmusic. The whole business is going bankrupt anyway. Let's talk about what we really noticed about pop music this year: practically everyone on MTV made their lives just a little bit messier in 2002.

Instead of Tom versus Nicole, we had Justin versus Britney. Instead of Winona Ryder getting arrested for shoplifting, we had dangerous problems from Michael Jackson. Instead of Julia Roberts, we had J. Lo, J. Lo and more J. Lo. Herewith, a rundown of the year's memorable moments in music--the good, the bad and the baby dangling.

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ANGER OVER AXL

This year, Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses reemerged--only to crawl back into obscurity a few months later. After nine years of absence from the public eye, the singer showed up as the surprise finale of the MTV Video Music Awards. (Former bandmates Slash, Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin had been replaced.) The new Guns N' Roses--dubbed "Guns N' Posers" by some--then launched a tour. It began with a Nov. 7 concert in Vancouver, only Axl didn't show up. A spokesman said Rose's flight had been held up in L.A. Fans rioted and smashed windows. Rose made the next few dates on the tour, even playing at New York's Madison Square Garden in a critically praised performance. But then, once again, Rose cancelled a Dec. 6 date in Philadelphia. This time, a spokesperson blamed illness of a band member. Finally, on Dec. 11 promoter Clear Channel Entertainment dropped the entire rest of the tour--without even offering a reason why. Talk about an appetite for destruction.

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https://www.newsweek.com/tops-2002-music-140565