History YMMV / Moby

* EndingFatigue: The 10-minute "Face It" from ''Animal Rights.''

* FandomRivalry: A very common target for Music/{{Eminem}} fans (and Mathers himself).

** Moby's always been unafraid to speak on his vegan lifestyle, in all places from his music to his liner notes to his social media presence, to the point that he has "Vegan for Life" tattooed on his neck and "Animal Rights" tattooed down his arms. The liner notes to ''Play'' amount to lecturing the reader to take up Moby's life choices - ''especially'' veganism. The last page is nothing but quotes that excoriate the reader for even considering eating animal products[[note]]In his memoir, he admitted that he went through a phase where he considered fellow Christians who ate meat to be hypocrites and once stormed out of a retreat when he saw everyone else there was eating meat for dinner. Comparatively speaking, his veganism push since then is ''toned down'' from how he used to feel[[/note]]. Granted, even he admits in the notes that these messages don't have anything to do with the music.

* CondemnedByHistory: "Are You Lost In The World Like Me?", and its music video animated by Steve Cutts by extension, used to be hailed as a cautionary tale for the overuse of phones. Nowadays, though, the song and music video has been extensively made fun of and picked apart for its fake-deep themes. The mockery intensified during the 2020s, when many people were forced to use technology like phones and computers in order to be able to work from home, so the criticisms the song tries to make ring extremely hollow.
* CoveredUp: Most people are more familiar with his version of "Natural Blues" than with the original version sung by Vera Hall.
** To some extent his version of Music/MissionOfBurma's "That's When I Reach For My Revolver", which was a minor UK chart success.
* CriticalDissonance: ''18'' was considered a retread of ''Play'', and ''Hotel'' was considered uninspired (to which Moby actually [[CreatorBacklash agreed]]). Both albums sold in the millions anyway.

* TrueArtIsAngsty: Attempted on ''Animal Rights''. Needless to say, Moby is not that guy.

** The [[http://moby.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Moby-Honey-1024x1024.jpg artwork]] for the single "Honey", from ''Play'', is [[SurpriseCreepy pretty unsettling]], which is weird because the track itself isn't really creepy.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Due to its being used in a push-up/squat/leg-lift challenge named [[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bring+sally+up+challenge the "Bring Sally Up" challenge]], the ''Play'' B-side "Flower" gained new life in the fitness community -- as well as widespread infamy among those who live in fear of the challenge.

** Depending on who you talk to, ''Hotel'' may or may not exist, and if it does usually it's just one of the two discs that exist.

** The [[http://moby.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Moby-Honey-1024x1024.jpg artwork]] for the single "Honey", from ''Play'', is [[SurpriseCreepy pretty unsettling]], which is weird because the track itself isn't all that creepy.
* OvershadowedByControversy: His 2019 memoir ''Then It Fell Apart'', due to several accusations of inaccuracies in the book. One of the biggest controversies involved Moby's claim he had a relationship with Creator/NataliePortman when she was 20 and he was 33. Portman publicly stated that she was actually 18 years old at the time and never considered them to be in a serious relationship, saying they only knew each other briefly and that Moby's behavior actually made her feel uncomfortable. ("I was surprised to hear that he characterised the very short time that I knew him as dating because my recollection is a much older man being creepy with me when I just had graduated high school.") Moby continued to insist the two had seriously dated before eventually apologizing to Portman, though the backlash was bad enough that he cancelled the rest of the tour promoting the memoir.

** The "Bring Sally Up" song used for squats in exercise classes the world over? It's actually called "Flower". Made even worse by the fact that "Bring Sally Up" is a mondegreen. [[note]]The actual lyric is "''Green'' Sally Up".[[/note]]

* NeverLiveItDown:
** To Music/{{Eminem}} fans, he's just the "nobody listens to techno" guy from "Without Me". Even Eminem himself eventually pulled a ''mea culpa'' on that one. Moby eventually just made it into a T-shirt.
** His brief dalliance with the much younger Creator/NataliePortman, especially after he insisted in his memoir that it was a grand love affair and she lied about it meaning nothing. He also rather bizarrely insisted that she was lying about her age, despite their relationship still having been legal under her official birth date.

* ArchivePanic: He's been recording under the Moby name since the beginning of TheNineties, and has amassed sixteen albums, with various singles from each album (and non-album singles) adding up to ''countless'' remixes and b-sides. Then he's recorded a few ''more'' albums under the name Voodoo Child, and then there's all the compilations of his work, and the deluxe editions of some of his records (some of which add a second disc of his ambient material). There's no shortage of material for this guy.

* OvershadowedByControversy: His 2019 memoir ''Then It Fell Apart'', due to several accusations of inaccuracies in the book. One of the biggest controversies involved Moby's claim he had a relationship with Natalie Portman when she was 20 and he was 33. Portman publicly stated that she was actually 18 years old at the time and never considered them to be in a serious relationship, saying they only knew each other briefly and that Moby's behavior actually made her feel uncomfortable. ("I was surprised to hear that he characterised the very short time that I knew him as dating because my recollection is a much older man being creepy with me when I just had graduated high school.") Moby continued to insist the two had seriously dated before eventually apologizing to Portman, though the backlash was bad enough that he cancelled the rest of the tour promoting the memoir.

* {{Anvilicious}}
** Moby's always been unafraid to push his vegan agenda, from his music to his liner notes to his social media presence, to the point that he has "Vegan for Life" tattooed on his neck. The liner notes to ''Play'' amount to lecturing the reader to take up Moby's life choices - ''especially'' veganism. The last page is nothing but quotes that excoriate the reader for even considering eating animal products[[note]]In his memoir, he admitted that he went through a phase where he considered fellow Christians who ate meat to be hypocrites and once stormed out of a retreat when he saw everyone else there was eating meat for dinner. Comparatively speaking, his veganism push since then is ''toned down'' from how he used to feel[[/note]]. Granted, even he admits in the notes that they don't have anything to do with the music.
** The music video of "Are You Lost In The World Like Me?" is anything but subtle in its harsh criticism to cell phone obsession.
* ArchivePanic: Let's dive right in. He's been recording under the Moby name since the beginning of TheNineties, and has amassed sixteen albums, with various singles from each album (and non-album singles) adding up to ''countless'' remixes and b-sides. Then he's recorded a few ''more'' albums under the name Voodoo Child, and then there's all the compilations of his work, and the deluxe editions of some of his records (some of which add a second disc of his ambient material). There's no shortage of material for this guy.

* EndingFatigue: The 10-minute "Face It" from ''Animal Rights.'' Moby once said on his blog that it was his favorite song that he's ever recorded.

** The majority of the Moby fanbase tends to agree that ''Animal Rights'' never happened, though. Still, it does have it's fans and Moby has since come to grips with its bad reputation, calling it "sort of a hidden record."

* {{Narm}}: The reaction Moby inspired in the 90s when he tried to make heavy rock music.

** His brief dalliance with the much younger Creator/NataliePortman, especially after he insisted in his memoir it was some grand love affair and she's lying about it meaning nothing. He also rather bizarrely insists she's lying about her age, despite their relationship still having been legal under her official birth date.

* OvershadowedByControversy: His 2019 memoir ''Then It Fell Apart'', due to several accusations of inaccuracies in the book. One of the biggest controversies involved Moby's claim he had a relationship with Natalie Portman when she was 20 and he was 33. Portman publicly stated that she was actually 18 years old at the time and never considered them to be in a serious relationship, saying they only knew each other briefly and that Moby's behavior actually made her feel uncomfortable. ("I was surprised to hear that he characterised the very short time that I knew him as dating because my recollection is a much older man being creepy with me when I just had graduated high school."). Moby continued to insist the two had seriously dated before eventually apologizing to Portman, though the backlash was bad enough that he cancelled the rest of the tour promoting the memoir.

** If you're talking 90s rave-era Moby, then it's unmistakably "Go".
** After he radically shifted his career around the TurnOfTheMillennium, it's probably "Porcelain" or "Natural Blues".

** And to the general public it’s probably "Southside."

* SoOkayItsAverage: ''Last Night'' got this from critics and fans, and it underperformed in sales.

** "Novio," the intro to ''I Like To Score.'' More beautiful piano, plus a sample of a choir singing in Latin. It's powerful stuff.

* OvershadowedByControversy: His 2019 memoir ''Then It Fell Apart'', due to several accusations of inaccuracies in the book. One of the biggest controversies involved Moby's claim he had a relationship with Natalie Portman when she was 20 and he was 33. Portman publicly stated that she was actually 18 years old at the time and never considered them to be in a serious relationship, saying they only knew each other briefly and that Moby's behavior actually made her feel uncomfortable. ("I was surprised to hear that he characterised the very short time that I knew him as dating because my recollection is a much older man being creepy with me when I just had graduated high school."). Moby continued to insist the two had seriously dated before eventually apologizing to Portman, though the backlash was bad enough that he cancelled the rest of the tour promoting the memoir.

** His brief dalliance with the much younger Creator/NataliePortman, especially after he insisted in his memoir it was some grand love affair and she's lying about it meaning nothing. He also rather bizarrely insists she's lying about her age, despite that their relationship is still legal under her official birth date.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: The ''Play'' B-side "Flower" gained a following in the fitness community due to its being used in a push-up/squat/leg-lift challenge named [[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bring+sally+up+challenge the "Bring Sally Up" challenge]].

* NeverLiveItDown: To Music/{{Eminem}} fans, he's just the "nobody listens to techno" guy from "Without Me". Even Eminem himself eventually pulled a ''mea culpa'' on that one. Moby eventually just made it into a T-shirt.

** The majority of the Moby fanbase tends to agree that ''Animal Rights'' never happened, though.
*** Moby had this to say on ''Animal Rights''' reception. Suffice to say, some people love that album, and Moby has since come to grips with its bad reputation, calling it "sort of a hidden record."
--->"I got one piece of fan mail from Terence Trent D'Arby and I got a phone call from [[Music/GunsNRoses Axl Rose]] saying he was listening to ''Animal Rights'' on repeat. [[Music/{{U2}} Bono]] told me he loved ''Animal Rights''. So if you're gonna have three pieces of fan mail, that's the fan mail to get."

** Moby's always been unafraid to push his vegan agenda, from his music to his liner notes to his social media presence. The liner notes to ''Play'' amount to lecturing the reader to take up Moby's life choices - ''especially'' veganism. The last page is nothing but quotes that excoriate the reader for even considering eating animal products[[note]]In his memoir, he admitted that he went through a phase where he considered fellow Christians who ate meat to be hypocrites and once stormed out of a retreat when he saw everyone else there was eating meat for dinner. Comparatively speaking, the ''Play'' liner notes are ''toned down'' from how he used to feel[[/note]]. Granted, even he admits in the notes that they don't have anything to do with the music.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Moby's always been unafraid to push his vegan agenda, from his music to his liner notes to his social media presence. The liner notes to ''Play'' amount to lecturing the reader to take up Moby's life choices - ''especially'' veganism. The last page is nothing but quotes that excoriate the reader for even considering eating animal products[[note]]In his memoir, he admitted that he went through a phase where he considered fellow Christians who ate meat to be hypocrites and once stormed out of a retreat when he saw everyone else there was eating meat for dinner. Comparatively speaking, the ''Play'' liner notes are ''toned down'' from how he used to feel[[/note]]. Granted, even he admits in the notes that they don't have anything to do with the music.