Line #57 Series/BehindTheMusic


1	[[quoteright:146:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/behind_the_music.gif]]
2	%%
3	''Behind the Music'' (also known as ''[=VH1=]'s Behind the Music'') is a hour-long documentary style series by Creator/{{VH1}} that first premiered in 1997. It chronicles the rise, fall and aftermath of various musical artists or groups from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s and often interviews the subject of the episode themselves (if they're still alive) as well as friends, family members, producers, colleagues and even critics. The first episode chronicled the aftermath of the rise and fall of infamous musical duo Music/MilliVanilli[[note]]that was updated seven months later after Rob Pilatus' untimely death[[/note]] and it remained one of the network's most popular and longest-running shows, ultimately ending in 2014.
4
5	The series was rebooted in 2021 and airs exclusively on Creator/ParamountPlus under the MTV branding.
6
7	See also Creator/{{MTV}}'s ''Driven'' and ''[=BIOrhythm=]'' and Creator/TVOne's ''Series/{{Unsung}}'', three later shows that would [[FollowTheLeader closely follow this show's format.]]
8	----
9	!!This series includes the following tropes:
10
11	* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Music/CelineDion is a very good sport regarding the ribbing/satire she received in the media. She loved Ana Gasteyer's portrayal of her on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and even brought her on tour (and in a matching outfit!)
12	* AmicableExes: Although the show featured several aversions, plenty of former relations were of this, including [[Music/{{Blondie\|Band}} Deborah Harry and her former long-term boyfriend Chris Stein]] (to the point that she's the godmother to his two daughters) and (in spite rumors to the contrary) Music/BobbyBrown and Music/WhitneyHouston.
13	* BreakupBreakout: Plenty of times, one or several members of a recording group have had a successful career after either leaving the band or its disbandment altogether. [[invoked]]
14	** Music/BobbyBrown was the most successful, if not infamous, member of Music/NewEdition (although Johnny Gill and Music/BellBivDeVoe had pretty successful careers themselves minus even a third of the controversy that he generated).
15	** Of Music/TheGoGos, while Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey have tried their hands at individual careers, with the latter going on to have a respectable career as a songwriter for other artists, the breakout artist of the group was Music/BelindaCarlisle.
16	* TheCameo:
17	** Fellow musicians and other celebrities sometimes appear the featured artist's episode, such as Music/LennyKravitz appearing in Music/VanillaIce's episode due to their friendship.
18	** Actors Creator/GaryBusey and Creator/LouDiamondPhillips, who starred as Music/BuddyHolly and Music/RitchieValens, respectively, in [[Film/TheBuddyHollyStory two well-received films]] [[Film/LaBamba about their lives and untimely deaths,]] makes appearances in "The Day the Music Died".
19	** Infamous Hollywood executive/producer Harvey Weinstein appeared briefly in Madonna's episode as he produced her ''Truth or Dare'' documentary. She had wished for him to edit out the part where she said during a game of "truth or dare" that she still had feelings for her former husband [[Creator/SeanPenn Sean]], but Weinstein told her the only way that the line would be cut is if she killed him.
20	** Talk show host Creator/ArsenioHall makes an appearance in good friend's Music/MCHammer episode, even expressing sympathy towards him regarding his well-known financial crisis.
21	* {{Catchphrase}}: "But backstage, things were falling apart."
22	* ContentWarning: Even with several episodes featuring subjects that deserve such warnings, only two episodes actually included it: the Music/TedNugent episode (likely due to his radical right-wing political views, affinity for guns and discussion of his ''many'' sexual escapades) and Music/{{Pantera}} episode (due to including the heavily edited video of Dimebag Darrell's murder).
23	* CreativeDifferences: Discussed in-universe. Oftentimes, the reason for why plenty of bands break up.
24	* CreatorBacklash: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in-universe where an artist has regret over a particular work regardless of its popularity. For instance, [[Music/{{Heart\|Band}} Ann and Nancy Wilson]] disliked the image they portrayed in the 80s although some of their most beloved hits came out at this time and Flea of Music/RedHotChiliPeppers expressed dislike about Music/WeirdAlYankovic's song parody of their song "Give it Away".[[note]]the former felt that way due to executives pushing Ann into the background for music videos due to her [[HollywoodPudgy supposed weight gain]] and the latter ''is'' a fan of Al, but he thought the "Bedrock Anthem" was corny. For what it's worth, in the years since Al has more or less [[OldShame agreed with him.]][[/note]]
25	* CruelToBeKind: In the [[Music/CultureClub Boy George]] episode, his brother, David, went on the news in the late 80s to admit his brother's drug addiction even after Boy publicly claiming himself in interviews to be clean. While he considered it a betrayal and became estranged from his younger brother for some time, it was only in an effort to save his life. Happily, by the time of the episode's airing, they had reunited, with Boy even proudly showing off pictures displayed in his home of his young nieces, David's children.
26	* DarkerAndEdgier:
27	** Later in his career, Music/MCHammer became a gangsta rapper, dropped the "M.C." from his name, and his songs were more lewd and sexually suggestive. By the time of the episode's airing though, he went back to his lighter and softer roots.
28	** Vanilla Ice's 1994 album, ''Mind Blowin''', was outright stated to be this, making references to drug use and violence, [[CreatorBreakdown which was reflective of his own real-life mood at the time.]]
29	* DarkestHour: Several artists reach this point, usually in the midst of a career downturn or personal tragedy.
30	* DysfunctionJunction: Often during episodes featuring bands, the professional and personal strife among its members leads to either a breakup or a [[CreatorBreakdown decline in their popularity/talent]], if not both. Notable examples include Music/TheGoGos (involving drugs, debauchery and fighting/jealousy among its members), Music/TheMamasAndThePapas (involving in-band relationships that ended messily, depression and death) and Music/FleetwoodMac (all of the above).
31	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:
32	** The first two episodes (featuring Music/MilliVanilli and Music/MCHammer) are not narrated by Jim Forbes but were by James Jude.
33	** Also, the earliest episodes did not feature the well-known instrumental theme song.
34	* EarnYourHappyEnding: Plenty of people, namely any surviving band members and artists, tend to have earned this by the end of their episodes (such as Vanilla Ice, Boy George, M.C. Hammer, Madonna, etc.) Though unexpected life turns ''do'' happen [[HappyEndingOverride and either undermine or completely ruin this...]]
35	* FaintInShock: Discussed plenty of times:
36	** In the Ricky Nelson episode, after learning of her father's death, his daughter Tracy said she fainted in response.
37	** Defied in Cher's case: when delivering her tearful eulogy of Music/SonnyBono at his funeral, she admitted to her sister that she had to lock her knees together to keep herself from fainting, which is ''not'' recommended, either (as doing so for too long will cause blood to rush to your head and make you more likely to collapse). She also said that she didn't know at the time that the funeral was being broadcast live on CNN; otherwise she ''would'' have fainted.
38	* {{Forgiveness}}: Some episodes explore this theme:
39	** The Creator/LeifGarrett episode contains a tearful reunion of him and his former best friend, Roland Winkler, who was left a paraplegic following a 1979 DUI crash he caused. Roland said that the crash actually saved his life and that he didn't hold any ill will towards him over it. The two men remained close until the latter's 2017 death.
40	** Averted in the case of [[Music/{{Pantera}} Vinnie Paul and Phil Anselmo]]. After the latter told a magazine that the former's brother, Dimebag Darrell, should be beaten severely and his subsequent murder later on that year, several friends of both men knew that it would be impossible for Vinnie to forgive Phil. True to form, the only time the two men ever spoke again was a phone call after Phil had been banned from attending Darrell's funeral. Vinnie died in 2019, leaving their relationship permanently broken. Subverted in the case of Darrell's longtime girlfriend, Rita Haney; at the end of the original episode, she said she would never forgive him, but the Remastered episode's ending had her discuss an encounter she and Phil had years later where he earnestly apologized to her and she forgave him.
41	* FormulaBreakingEpisode:
42	** A few episodes, instead of featuring a musical act, would instead feature a year (1984, 1999, 2000, etc.), an event (Woodstock, The Day The Music Died) or something else (one episode--that only aired once--featured ''stalkers'').
43	** Some episode were extended to an hour and a half, such as Music/{{Madonna}}'s and Music/{{Cher}}'s.
44	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Discussed InUniverse during the Milli Vanilli episode where Rob and Fab were both shocked and touched to learn that they were HouseholdNames throughout the world, particularly in Africa (and showcased several beautiful photographs of the men posing in nature and with fans).
45	* HappilyAdopted: The backstory of Music/ShaniaTwain has her being this by her stepfather, who loved her as his own.
46	* HappilyMarried: Quite a few subjects were and remained as such, including Celine Dion and her husband/manager René Angélil until his 2016 death from cancer and Music/GloriaEstefan and her husband/manager Emilio.
47	* HeadTurningBeauty: In Madonna's episode, it was mentioned that even before she was famous whilst walking down the streets of New York City, she still stood out because of her looks and her unique sense of style.
48	* HesBack: Plenty of artists have experienced a [[CareerResurrection career resurgence due to a successful new album and/or song and gaining a new generation of fans]]. Two fine examples are of Music/MeatLoaf and Music/{{Cher}}.
49	* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: Another reoccurring theme of the series. One notable lampshading was in Vanilla Ice's episode where his manager stated that after his severe backlash that he went from selling out arenas to not being able to get into Knott's Berry Farm, which was ''free''.
50	* InvisibleAdvertising: Discussed in-universe: after the Milli Vanilli fallout, Rob and Fab attempted a comeback by making an album where they sung themselves. Unfortunately, given their new, smaller record company having no money to promote it, it only sold 2,000 copies.
51	* LifeSavingEncouragement: Discussed in the Music/BillyIdol episode. At one point while Idol was still in the grips of his drug addiction, he and a friend were watching the former's young son play in his backyard when the friend casually mentioned, "You know, I'm pretty sure that ''he'' won't forgive you if you died [due to his drug use]." That set the wheels in motion to his ultimate sobriety.
52	* LighterAndSofter: The episode featuring Music/WeirdAlYankovic was far more light-hearted than the majority of the other episodes, due to his life being relatively drama-free.
53	* MoneyDearBoy: Outright admitted in the Music/VanillaIce episode where he admitted that as he became more successful, he sold out and licensed his name and image to plenty of mediums, which included his own fashion doll, an [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes obscure]] ''board game'' and the popular "Ninja Rap" song from the ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIITheSecretOfTheOoze'' soundtrack. That said, unlike his contemporaries (namely Music/MCHammer), he has ''remained'' well-off. [[invoked]]
54	* NecktieHeadband: Mentioned in the Music/BobbyBrown episode where on one of Music/NewEdition's album cover, while the gentleman were to wear formal attire (button down shirts, pants, ties, etc.), Bobby instead wore his around his forehead, either as a sign of independence or defiance, which angered the rest of the group. Him wearing it like so made it into the final project.
55	* NothingButHits: Obviously, the artist or group's songs will be heard in the background throughout the episode.
56	* OhCrap: Averted and played straight in the Music/{{TLC}} episode. Whereas T-Boz and Chilli were horrified about Left Eye burning down her ex-boyfriend's house, she admitted that she never had a "What did I do?" moment during the aftermath, even though she did admit that she only intended to burn his bathtub instead of his palatial mansion.
57	* PoorMansSubstitute: Lampshaded in Music/TheBangles episode where one of the girls spoke about how the band made sure that they stood out from rival band Music/TheGoGos. [[invoked]]
58	* RagsToRiches: How many artists end up as they gain fortune and fame, though the [[RichesToRags inversion also usually happens as well.]]
59	* RiddleForTheAges: The infamous encounter between Music/VanillaIce and Suge Knight. While in the episode Ice admits that the royalties situation was handled smoothly, he told news program ''20/20'' a few years earlier (and many people believe the story to be) that Knight had ''held him over a balcony by his ankles'', threatening to drop him if he didn't sign over royalties for "Ice Ice Baby" to him.
60	* SelfDeprecation: The Music/WeirdAlYankovic episode parodies the show's penchant for mining entertainment out of personal drama. Among other things, Yankovic jokingly whines that he could only afford a medium jacuzzi because ''Music/PolkaParty'' only went gold instead of platinum, and Music/MarkMothersbaugh's jealousy towards the TitleTrack of ''Music/DareToBeStupid'' is played up as an ''Theatre/{{Amadeus}}''-style rivalry, complete with melodramatic {{Chiaroscuro}} lighting during his interview.
61	* SorrowfulStutter: Happens often in an episode, especially when talking about a deceased loved one or a traumatic event. Celine Dion displayed one when discussing her husband Rene's cancer battle, which sadly would take his life two decades after her episode aired.
62	* StageMom: Discussed in Leif Garrett's episode. His mother admitted that she ''wasn't'' one, giving her son a relatively long leash, but she came to regret this, even mentioning how Creator/BrookeShields' mother Teri was an infamous one (so much that two women were at one point estranged, albeit this was also for things her mother did allow to happen under her watch), but that they "didn't mess with her kid".
63	* StepfordSmiler: Discussed during Donny and Marie Osmond's episode, where the former was seen to be this in their 70s heyday in spite of the pressures of fame and life that he was going through.
64	* SurvivorsGuilt: In the Music/{{Selena}} episode, her father says that he wishes her murderer Yolanda Saldívar--the former manager of her clothing boutique--had killed ''him'' instead of his daughter, since he was the one who had fired her.
65	* ThatSyncingFeeling: [[ForegoneConclusion You know exactly who.]] When they were in concert and the [[RepetitiveAudioGlitch skip happened,]] they first tried to play along at first only to then [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere run offstage.]] After being ordered to go back on, they continued. And while the fans and their friend, music presenter Downtown Julie Brown, didn't care and still enjoyed their music, the critics began to get suspicious and it marked the beginning of the end of their careers.
66	* TooYoungToDieLamentation: The Music/AndyGibb episode featured an excerpt from his very last recording, "Arrow Through the Heart", that includes the phrase "I'm too young to die" twice in succession. He would die less than a year after recording the song, which wouldn't see a release until it was included in a 2010 compilation of songs by him and his older brothers, the [[Music/TheBeeGees Bee Gees]].
67	* UpdatedRerelease: ''Behind the Music Remastered'' was an updated version from the originally aired episode to include new happenings (who passed away, who made a comeback, who got married, etc.)
68	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: An in-universe example came in the Music/BillyIdol episode where it was mentioned that he was supposed to have a significant part in ''Film/TheDoors1991'', but due to his near-fatal motorcycle crash, his role was greatly reduced to mostly a cameo.
69	* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The whole premise of the series, to see where is the artist now or what legacy have they left behind.

Context Series / BehindTheMusic