I watched VH1's 100 Most Shocking Moments in Rock and Roll last night, and I was wondering what you remembered to be most shocking. It doesn't have to be from the special.

LilSpikey, The most shocking thing I can remember hearing is the day Elvis died. It was should a sorry way for such a talented man to exit this world. I knew Elvis was looking bad--and slurring his songs, but I figured he'd pull it all together before his next tour.

On the lighter side, I was shocked when Randy Newman finally won his Oscar---I thought he would always be the "Bride's maid" and never the "bride" figuratively speaking, of course! I think he was shocked, too!

The most shocking thing in rock and roll for me, was the day John Lennon was shot. The day Elvis died as well. They both fit in the category, where were you when you heard about blank.

There are a lot of deaths that were shocking to different people, it depends on your age. If you weren't born or very young, some are not shocking at all. Sad yes, bit shocking no. I was also shocked when Reba McEntire lost most of her band in a plane crash. There are others, but those are the ones that stick out in my mind.

Sure wish I had seen that show.

I agree with Brainy, that Lennon's death affected me as I was living in Hawaii about two blocks from where the killer purchased his gun, and scheduled to visit New York for the very first time about two weeks after that. I saw the building where he lived in Central Park as part of my NY experience.
He and I also have a similar birthday.

Then Elvis, I'll always remember how I heard that news, I was working on a telephone switchboard, you know in the old days, folks didn't have answering machines but the calls went to a switchboard. It was a summer job and I was pretty young to be doing it. And we had all sorts of things on that board! Those record specials where they tell you, "call now, operators are waiting for your call!" Well that was me!
And people started calling in for Elvis records as they told me he'd died!
We worked hard to keep up with the calls but we had our other calls to take care of too.
So I'll always remember that night!

On a lesser scale, David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing a Christmas song together is high on my list!

The day Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash on August 25 was very shocking to me.

Also when Ginger Spice left the Spice Girls. She was one of my favourite Spice Girls.

Another is when George Harrison was stabbed in his own home was very shocking.

Elvis, John Lennon, Roy Orbison, George Harrison....

- all of the above shocked and saddened me -

...same as jubjub...but I'll add Buddy Holly, Patsy Cline...the Big Bopper...I was very young...BUT I remember the shock of others. As Buddy Holly is mentioned by almost all major musicians ever since as an "influence", I'd say the world lost a lot "the day the music died"!

When Roy Orbison died, I cried for an hour and whenever I heard one of his songs for about 2 weeks afterwards...

I was only a baby when John Lennon died. Not even one...

When Jeff Buckley died I lit a couple of candles, burnt some incense and listend to the "Grace" cd and sat, silent, until the cd finished.

When George Harrison died, they "oldies" station had a George Harrison weekend, so I listened to that, and went out and had a few quiet drink with friends in his memory.

Wow, I think you can see how I've evolved as a person through my reactions here. Still, 3 of the most beautiful talents in the world....

Bruyere, it sure is a small world. I was on vacation in Hawaii when Lennon was shot. I was there with a friend and we staying at the Outrigger on the Beach. We were getting ready and waiting for another girl, we had met who was staying with her parents in the same hotel. We were going to have drinks in our room and then going out. I was watching TV while my friend was doing her make-up and hair etc. I heard it from a special report interruption and almost fell out of the chair. I told my friend and she would believe me at first. Then she saw something on the news. When the girl we had met arrived, we told her and she couldn't believe it either.
Who knows, we may have even walked by each other, strangers of course, but look at us now! What a weird, wonderful and small world eh!

I've always said that my life is like a remake of Forrest Gump BB, but with a bit of Rainman thrown in. Only I don't have the math gift like he did, just a bunch of other stuff!

As I've done lots of odd things and travelled this happêns to me a lot. I'll meet someone from a college where I once taught, but about a year later or sooner. I've met people from some of the places I've lived too.

With the famous musicians, I remember another French singer called Balavoine who was killed in a helicopter accident while bringing wells to villages there that didn't have a good water supply. I'd just recorded his program on TV for my French classes in the States, and now, I can't help but listen to that from time to time and think about what a good soul he was. it was the only tape that would work.

I remember the day John Lennon was killed. I was 5 and it was snowing that day. I didn't understand, but I knew someone very special had died.

The most shocking event I remember vividly would have to be the whole "Satanic lyrics" uproar in the early to late 80's. It never did make any sense to me, but it shaped who I was in regards to free speach.

For me, the day John Lennon was shot. I was 9 and my mom has always been a huge Beatles fan. so I was very aware of who he was. George Harrison's death was more or less expected, but that in no way lessens the tragedy. I listened to "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun", drank a couple glasses of wine and shed quite a few tears when George passed.

On the wings of maybe....

Another one just happened recently. Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes of TLC was killed in a car wreck on 25 of this month.
Isn't it weird that Aaliyah died on the 25 of August last year?

TWO WORDS " KURT COBAIN "

Sorry but was Kurt Cobain's suicide really a big shock in light of the lifestyle he led?
I suppose it might have been for his fans, but it seems to me that his suicide is part of the mystique around him. Always wonder what might have happened if he'd lived on to become a grandpa rocker like Mick Jagger or Paul McCartney.
Seems that everything I hear about Cobain points to the kind of lifestyle that might include doing violence to himself.

For me the miracle is when someone goes through these phases and yet survives, like some rockstars who became very famous, and then they start leading cleaner lives and someone else comes in and does the violence to them.

The reason that I said Kurt Cobain is because I had hoped that he would survive his addictions and come out as a stronger person. I am angry at him because I feel that he deprived us of many more years of great music. I am 29 years old, and he was the first celebrity death that had a real impact on my life. I believe that he is a musical genius. For me, he ranks right alongside Lennon, Joplin, Morrison, and Hendrix. I truly loved him for his music, and the effect it had on my life is tremendous. No, his death was not a real shock, but I had hoped that he was strong enough to beat his Demons. I am very sad about his death, especially when the anniversary of his death rolls around.

I remember the day Jim Croce died in that small plane that crashed-that was a real shock. I still love his songs.

And I was shocked when George Harrison was stabbed--very saddened when he died--but I had been hearing stories that he was very sick for a while--I'm just so sorry they were true.

Does anyone remember when Eric Clapton's little child fell from that window and was killed? I think that was a very sad thing--to lose a child would be a parent's worse nightmare come true.

Also, my husband brought up a shocking thing, when Del Shannon shot himself in the head. What a tragic way to end it all.

I can remember Janis Joplin ODing on heroin- I thought she'd out-live her addictions--and lay her demons--but like so many others, she didn't--or couldn't. It was a generation that lost so many mega-talented performers to drugs.

Whew Linda, you hit hard with those folks! There are people on that list who make me shiver. If I listen to Clapton's song about his son, I cry.
Jim Croce was part of school life when I was younger too. Good guy.

I once heard that the reason we knew about performers' deaths in airplane accidents wasn't that they were cursed or anything, just that they took more planes to go around and perform, and we knew about them!
I'd never thought about it that way.

Janis, well, it was surprising she made it quite as long as she did from what I've read.
Some people probably would be miserable being a grandpa rocker or granny rocker.

One of the most shocking times for me was when Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper were all killed in a plane crash. A lot of you were't born when they died, but they were some of the pioneers of good old rock and roll.

Most of Buddy Holly's music lives on as does that of Richie Valens.

Sam Cook was another tragic loss. I can remember listening to his golden voice for hours.

For someone my age there have been so many greats that have died that it is impossible to list them all. I am sure there are many other members who remember these and others.

There was also the plane crash of the Leonard Skynard Band, as well as Rickey Nelson.
Also the Death of Jim Morrison of the Doors.

For me it was when I heard that Cliff Burton of Metallica had died in a bus crash. I'd been to see them in 1986, a week or so before he died and, as a bass player, I worshipped the man. For those who don't know, he was a denim clad hippy type who loved punk rock (I loved that), and he played the bass like a man possessed. The hours I spent practising those bass solos..... I shed a tear that day.

I do not mean to make light of the death of so many wonderful musical tallents, but I am going to take this question in a different direction. My shocking moment was when Sinead O'Connor shredded a picture of the pope on Saturday night live. I felt it was a very provocative statement and I admired her for her having the courage to stand up for what she believes in though I don't exactly agree with all of her views.

Well all of the greats mentioned (and also Bob Marly and Jerry Garcia) were stunners. I agree that Sinèad did a very courageous thing, much more so than Frank Sinatra on the same subject, spreading hate. But shocking, more shocking than being on the air (DJ) and having the UPI machine go crazy because of the Jonestown (Guyana) Massacre? Hmmmm. I think I'd have to say:

MTV.

As a young art-rocker/DJ, I had just girded my loins for the big foray into the music business, performing with my talents, not my looks. Music teachers were losing their jobs all over and I thought, "OK, fine. I'll just push Asia aside and we'll be the next best th.." ...uh huh...spandex and hair...looks are important, shaking your ass on cable is important... talent? Ah, we can fake that...

My whole life flashed before me.

Little Jimmy Osmond singing Long Haired Lover From Liverpool

Seeing an old clip of Celine Dion. Ayeee, the teeth.