Throughout pop culture history, many musicians have made bold statements not just through their music or onstage, but even offstage- sometimes, even in front of a large studio audience. Over the years, talk show platforms have allowed musicians to explain their artistry and promote new projects in a setting that will reach large audiences across the country, or even globally.
However, for whatever reason, some of these artist appearances have become more famous -- or infamous -- than others.
Whether it's due to the unpredictable behavior of the guest, the demeanor of the host, or the interview itself, there are many times throughout modern music history when musical artists have truly made an impact while making their late-night appearance.
These pop and rock interviews went quite awry
From the humorous to the infamous to the undeniably memorable, here are some of rock and pop artists' most iconic talk show appearances.
Grace Jones on Russell Harty
One of British television’s most notorious moments is when Grace Jones slapped talk show host Russell Harty live on air. Before releasing her critically acclaimed album Nightclubbing, Jones appeared on Harty’s show to promote the record.
Throughout the interview, Harty, who is not much praised for his interviewing skills (see this list’s next entry), repeats remarks about Jones, questioning “where her head is at” and asking if she got much sleep the night before.
Later in the segment, Harty and Jones are joined by several other guests. Harty proceeds to sit in the middle of his guests, turning his back away from Jones. After she demands he not turn his back on her, Harty jokes to his audience about Jones’ behavior, comparing her to Frankenstein’s monster when he says, “It’s coming to life!”
After once again telling him to stop turning his back on her, Jones slaps Harty several times, much to the audience's amusement. The event resulted in one of British television’s and pop culture’s most memorable talk show interviews.
David Bowie Appears on Russell Harty (twice)
The legendary David Bowie appeared twice on Russell Harty’s talk show, and choosing which is more memorable is challenging. His first appearance in 1973, beloved by many diehard Bowie fans, landed amid his Ziggy Stardust era, with the singer appearing in one large earring, his signature orange-dyed hair, a glamorously-patterned suit, and platform heels.
In his typical fashion, Harty opened the interview by stating that several viewers were “startled” by Bowie’s single earring, causing many to “write in” about their opinions on his look. Harty continues the interview by asking several questions about Bowie’s beliefs and fans’ reactions to him. In both his image and answers to these questions, Bowie proved to many that he was well ahead of his time.
In his second appearance on the show two years later, the entire segment is undeniably awkward for several reasons. On top of Harty’s lack of warmth toward his guest, Bowie, this time around, is puzzled throughout the interview in response to Harty’s questions. The interview was also conducted via satellite, adding instability and awkwardness to the conversation.
However, the "Changes" singer maintains a maturity and levelheadedness throughout, and many fans now find the interview entertaining for Bowie’s impeccable intelligence and persona.
Public Image Ltd. on The Tom Snyder Show
In 1980, John Lydon and Keith Levene of Public Image Ltd. (PiL) appeared on The Tom Snyder Show. The interview has an air of tension, with Lydon riling up Snyder and Snyder becoming somewhat annoyed early on.
(However, the host must not have been too sore, as he continued to feature Lydon on the show several times more, and fans credit Snyder for highlighting many punk and rock artists on his show.)
While the interview is primarily fueled by Lydon’s signature snarling energy, much of what he says is existential. In the interview, he says the Sex Pistols were meant to serve as the end of rock ‘n’ roll. In conversation with Snyder, Lydon claimed that rock was long dead, leaving viewers of the interview today to wonder about the long-term image, legacy, and meaning of the genre.
Lydon spoke without hesitation when asked why he disliked rock ‘n’ roll so much.
“It’s dead, it’s a disease,” he said. “It’s a plague. It’s been going on for too long. It’s history. It’s vile. It’s not achieving anything. It’s just digression. They play rock ‘n’ roll at airports.”
Sex Pistols on Today
On December 1, 1976, the Sex Pistols and a group of their followers known as the Bromley Contingent appeared on Thames Television’s Today program, booked as last-minute replacements for Queen.
Although the entire interview lasts only two minutes, it is one of rock’s most legendary talk show moments due to the punk band’s signature witty chaos and Today host Bill Grundy's behavior.
At the top of the interview, Lydon (making his second appearance on this list) let out several curse words, and Grundy, who was apparently drunk during the interview, attempted to flirt with Siouxsie Sioux, who was one member of the band’s entourage. After Sioux told Grundy, “I’ve always wanted to meet you,”
Grundy responded, “Did you really? We’ll meet afterwards, shall we?” Sex Pistols drummer Steve Jones then proceeded to call Grundy “a dirty old man,” letting out a series of expletives, and the entire interview quickly unraveled before going to a commercial break.
History says this interview made the Sex Pistols a household name, not just for their music but also for their controversial behavior. Many media outlets covered the interview over the following days, with The Daily Mirror running a story with the famous headline, “The Filth and the Fury!”
This interview brought the punk movement into the mainstream, made the Sex Pistols famous, and essentially ended Grundy’s career in journalism.
KISS on The Mike Douglas Show
Nearly two months after the release of their debut record, Gene Simmons of KISS appeared on The Mike Douglas Show, joined by Douglas, comedian Totie Fields, and other guests. At the start of the interview, Simmons attempts to disturb the audience by tapping into his signature “Demon” persona, referring to himself as “evil incarnate.”
However, Simmons’s attempt at theatrics soon unravels as Fields makes several jokes at Simmons throughout the segment. “Incidently, he’s up for adoption,” Fields quipped when Simmons first sat down.
Towards the end of the interview, the winners of a recent kissing contest are introduced. The winning couple won a kissing marathon after kissing for approximately four days, 32 minutes, and three seconds, and as a prize, won tickets to an upcoming KISS concert.
After the interview portion of the show, Simmons joins the rest of KISS to perform “Firehouse” off their debut self-titled album. It’s peak KISS, peak ‘70s television, and KISS fans look back on the interview with fondness (or some slight cringing).
Cher's First Appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman
On May 22, 1986, Cher made her inaugural appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. At the beginning of the interview, Letterman said it took four years to get her on the show and joked that they had asked her to appear on the show 81 times before then. Once the interview began, Letterman—in a lighthearted manner—asked why Cher had refused to appear on the show until then.
Cher quips that she finally made an appearance because she “wanted to pay [her] hotel bill,” but then says she thought she would never want to come on the show because she thought Letterman was “an a**hole.” The audience then proceeded to boo Cher, and it was clear that Letterman was somewhat flustered throughout the remainder of the interview.
The memorable TV moment earned a lot of media coverage immediately after it aired, and following the event, Letterman admitted it hurt his feelings, as he was a fan and looking forward to having Cher on the show.
However, no hard feelings must have lingered between the two, as Cher made several more appearances on The Late Show, including for one of the show's final episodes, 29 years later, where Cher, jokingly, insulted Letterman one final time.
Iggy Pop on Countdown
After his 1979 album New Values was successful in Australia and New Zealand, Iggy Pop went to these countries to promote the record. During his first trip to Australia, Pop appeared on the renowned television show Countdown.
Although the interview is brief, many Australian music fans fondly remember watching Pop’s infamous interview and musical performance on the program. While chatting with host Ian “Molly” Meldrum, Pop frequently bounces from his chair and repeatedly attempts to joke around with Meldrum, speaking in a stereotypical Australian accent.
The following musical number is just as memorable as the interview. Performing the song “I’m Bored” from his latest album, New Values. During the performance, Pop made no effort to hide that he was lip-synching, barely singing into the microphone, and eventually shoving it down his pants at one point in the number. Pop then ends the number by throwing his microphone stand on the ground.
Despite his rowdy behavior, Pop’s appearance on Countdown has been regarded by many as one of the show’s best segments and cemented the singer’s growing popularity among Australian punk fans. Since his appearance on the show, Pop’s Countdown interview and musical set have been re-aired numerous times.