History CondemnedByHistory / Music

* In the early '90s, Music/MCHammer was one of the biggest rap stars in the world, with his 1990 album ''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em'' selling ten million records - the first rap album to ever accomplish that feat - and his song "U Can't Touch This" becoming a sensation. A big part of Hammer's success was that he was considered a [[TheMoralSubstitute family-friendly alternative]] to the edgier and/or raunchier rap music of the day since he made it a point to keep his music fairly clean. However, as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6_BkVXGXdU discussed]] by WebVideo/TheRapCritic, there soon came three factors that derailed Hammer's success. First, the GangstaRap boom caused MC Hammer to switch his sound in order to stay relevant, taking on [[DarkerAndEdgier a more hardcore persona]] that was more in line with the gangsta rappers of the day. This not only [[ContractualPurity ruined the clean and wholesome image]] that Hammer had cultivated, but failed to appeal to a new crowd, since hip-hop fans viewed him as a trend-chasing poser and didn't buy this street-wise hustler act for an instant. Second, [[WolverinePublicity Hammer was massively overexposed]] - rivals like Music/LLCoolJ were dissing Hammer for what they saw as over-the-top commercialization, which included his SaturdayMorningCartoon ''WesternAnimation/{{Hammerman}}''. Finally, he single-handedly redefined the phrase "ConspicuousConsumption" for [[TheNineties Generation X]] - he bought massive mansions, multiple cars, thoroughbred racehorses, and gold chains for his dogs, and kept an entourage that ballooned to nearly 200 people. He had to file for bankruptcy in 1996 as a result of this overspending, and he remains a symbol of living beyond one's means. By 1997, MC Hammer had all but vanished from mainstream attention, known only as a washed-up punchline with "U Can't Touch This" as a OneHitWonder despite [[ChartDisplacement having had several other hit singles, some of which charted higher]]. ''WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows'' posits in his review of ''The Funky Headhunter'' that Hammer ''probably'' could have made a comeback if he had just laid low until the late '90s when similarly family-friendly rapper Creator/WillSmith began to gain popularity in the wake of Gangsta Rap.

[[AC:Artists]]
* Music/TobyKeith was a country superstar for many years. His 1993 debut single "Should've Been a Cowboy" was a chart-topping smash, his first three albums all went platinum, and 13 of his first 15 singles made the Top 10 on the country charts. He hit a bump in the road with some label disputes that caused him to leave Creator/MercuryRecords for Creator/DreamWorksRecords at the end of the decade, but his second [=DreamWorks=] single "How Do You Like Me Now?!" became a SleeperHit, topping the country charts for five weeks and becoming his first top-40 pop hit. Keith created five albums for [=DreamWorks=] between 1999 and 2005, with all five producing multi-platinum sales. The increase in hits was not without controversy. Some fans derided Keith for his macho posturing, and his [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror post-9/11 release]] "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" was seen as too over-the-top in its PatrioticFervor (a sentiment echoed in a publicized feud with [[Music/TheChicks Natalie Maines]]). Despite the pushback, Keith remained a major draw and seamlessly moved to his own Show Dog label after [=DreamWorks=] Records closed in 2005. It was at this point that he bolstered his fortunes with the restaurant chain Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill, his own line of mezcal, and the aforementioned record label.\\\
His momentum began to slow in the Show Dog era, however, due to a slew of weak novelty songs and a decision to always release one album per year - meaning he often had to pull singles that were doing well on the radio just to rush out the lead single to the next album. He seemed to bounce back in 2011 with "Red Solo Cup", which became a viral crossover hit due to its unusual style and quirky, cameo-filled music video, but any momentum brought by that single was killed by his 2015 album ''35 MPH Town'' being his first not to have a Top 20 hit at all, and its follow-up never materializing due to its intended lead single coming nowhere close to the country Top 40. His restaurant chain also sank due to a myriad of construction and leasing issues (including [[https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2020/02/05/ex-mobster-frank-capri-arrested-fraud-charges-tied-toby-keith-rascal-flatts-restaurants-tawny-costa/4674958002/ one of the main developers being a mobster in witness protection]], bizarrely), while Show Dog Records (by then renamed Show Dog-Universal) had shed nearly its entire roster of artists due to poor promotion, poor single choices, and [[DevelopmentHell constant delays or outright cancellations]] in album releases. While Keith released more albums and singles after ''35 MPH Town'', all of them similarly failed to gain any traction on the country charts. Keith is now seen as a punchline for his use of cartoonishly overblown jingoism, over-the-top TestosteronePoisoning, and [[OdeToIntoxication glorification of alcohol abuse]] as themes in his songs. In February 2024, Keith died of stomach cancer, closing the door on any comeback attempts.

* The subgenre known as "bro-country" would eventually come to be this. In late 2012, duo Music/FloridaGeorgiaLine had a smash crossover hit with their debut single "Cruise" which would codify the subgenre with a mix of hip-hop beats, hair-metal guitar work, and AutoTune, combined with lyrics about hot women, trucks, beer, and partying. Many other artists - including not only established acts like Music/LukeBryan, Music/JasonAldean, Music/BlakeShelton, and Music/JakeOwen, but also up-and-comers like Music/SamHunt, Music/ColeSwindell, Music/ThomasRhett, and "Cruise" co-writer Chase Rice - followed suit, and ''Vulture'' magazine writer Jody Rosen gave the new musical movement its name. While most of the songs were hugely successful with young male listeners, bro-country was quickly subject to derision for being StrictlyFormula, as lampshaded in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY8SwIvxj8o a viral video mashup which played six bro-country songs on top of each other]]. Artists who were still enjoying success without succumbing to the tropes, such as Music/ZacBrownBand, Music/GaryAllan, Music/KennyChesney, and Music/BradPaisley, began to decry the misogyny, sameness, and abandonment of identifiably country sounds.\\\

* In 1992, AlternativeHipHop group Arrested Development became an overnight success with their debut album, ''3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of...'', which went quadruple platinum and scored three top ten singles. Critical reviews were similarly glowing, and they became the first hip-hop group to win a Grammy for Best New Artist. However, within a couple years, they drew increasing criticism for frontman Speech's perceived self-righteousness and their hostile attitude towards GangstaRap, and their work became increasingly seen as milquetoast and moralistic compared to other acts in their subgenre. The critical and commercial underperformance of the band's 1994 sophomore album ''Zingalamaduni'' finalized their fall from grace and led them to be retroactively written out of hip-hop history, with analysts and retrospectives scarcely touching them except to voice embarrassment at their past fame. Today, Music/OutKast is instead seen as the group that shifted HipHop's center of gravity [[SouthernRap to the American South]], while the name "Arrested Development" is more widely associated with [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment the TV show]].
* In the early '90s, Music/MCHammer was one of the biggest rap stars in the world, with his 1990 album ''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em'' selling ten million records - the first rap album to ever accomplish that feat - and his song "U Can't Touch This" becoming a sensation. A big part of Hammer's success was that he was considered a [[TheMoralSubstitute family-friendly alternative]] to the edgier and/or raunchier rap music of the day since he made it a point to keep his music fairly clean. However, as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6_BkVXGXdU discussed]] by WebVideo/TheRapCritic, there soon came three factors that derailed Hammer's success. First, the GangstaRap boom caused MC Hammer to switch his sound in order to stay relevant, taking on [[DarkerAndEdgier a more hardcore persona]] that was more in line with the gangsta rappers of the day. This not only [[ContractualPurity ruined the clean-and-wholesome image]] that Hammer had cultivated, but failed to appeal to a new crowd, since hip-hop fans viewed him as a trend-chasing poser and didn't buy this street-wise hustler act for an instant. Second, [[WolverinePublicity Hammer was massively overexposed]] - rivals like Music/LLCoolJ were dissing Hammer for what they saw as over-the-top commercialization, which included his SaturdayMorningCartoon ''WesternAnimation/{{Hammerman}}''. Finally, he single-handedly redefined the phrase "ConspicuousConsumption" for [[TheNineties Generation X]] - he bought massive mansions, multiple cars, thoroughbred racehorses, and gold chains for his dogs, and kept an entourage that ballooned to nearly 200 people. He had to file for bankruptcy in 1996 as a result of this overspending, and he remains a symbol of living beyond one's means. By 1997, MC Hammer had all but vanished from mainstream attention, known only as a washed-up punchline with "U Can't Touch This" as a OneHitWonder despite [[ChartDisplacement having had several other hit singles, some of which charted higher]]. ''WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows'' posits in his review of ''The Funky Headhunter'' that Hammer ''probably'' could have made a comeback if he had just laid low until the late '90s when similarly family-friendly rapper Creator/WillSmith began to gain popularity in the wake of Gangsta Rap.

* After the death of Music/TupacShakur in late 1996, Ja Rule [[FollowTheLeader tried to capitalize]] on Tupac's image and persona. Starting in 1999 with his single "Holla Holla", Ja Rule released several chart-topping songs through the 2000s, which got him four Grammy nominations along with six top-ten albums. But his hardcore gangsta image was always suspect, since he sang in most of his songs and released several romantic duets (described by WebVideo/TheRapCritic as "thugs need love too" songs). But what really sealed Ja Rule's fate was [[BullyingADragon starting a feud with]] Music/{{Eminem}} (due to his friendship with arch rival Music/FiftyCent) by [[WouldHurtAChild insulting his daughter Hailie]] in the song "Loose Change". Eminem, who is well-known in rap circles for being [[PapaWolf fiercely protective of his daughter]], was so pissed off that he wrote a response track called "Hailie's Revenge" with D12 and Obie Trice, where they tore into Ja Rule for [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks ripping off]] Tupac and not being a real gangster. Thanks to the backlash, Ja Rule joined the dustbin of flash-in-the-pan 2000s rappers, and his involvement in the infamous [[Horrible/MusicFestivals Fyre Festival]] fiasco erased any chance of him staging a comeback.

* {{Charity Motivation Song}}s. The first few multi-artist singles were done in response to the famine in Ethiopia in TheEighties, and they were seen as revolutionary in bringing many artists together to promote a worthy cause. Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" and USA For Africa's "Music/WeAreTheWorld", both aimed at supporting those affected by the famine, [[FollowTheLeader are credited for kicking off the trend]], and other multi-artist singles after that also made international charts. As time went on, ValuesDissonance kicked in; multi-artist charity songs are now largely viewed as {{Glurge}} and (as [[http://www.avclub.com/article/we-care-a-lot-14-overblown-charityadvocacy-songs-b-2217 this AV Club article]] notes) mostly concerned about promoting the artists themselves instead of the cause behind the song. While the UK has continued to pump out multi-artist charity singles (many of which went to #1 in that country), the last American one of note was the 2010 "We Are The World" remake benefiting those affected by the Haitian earthquake. Even so, despite [[CriticProof peaking at #2 on the charts]], the song was [[FirstInstallmentWins considered inferior to the original version]], despite the vocals of Music/MichaelJackson from the original as a tribute to him. Nowadays, even original charity singles have been derided as egotistical glurgefests made by bands and artists looking for a quick bit of good publicity rather than people trying to promote a worthy cause. In Britain, however, this trope is averted; many huge singles are still made for charity, although many of them are comedic covers of pop classics, especially the ones from Comic Relief in particular. Notably, Music/ArianaGrande's 2014 song "One Last Time" was not much of a hit in the UK until it was rereleased to raise relief for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, after which it peaked at #2 (up from its original #24).

* In 2003, Music/AshleeSimpson piggybacked off of her older sister Music/{{Jessica|Simpson}} to enjoy a meteoric rise with a PopPunk sound akin to Music/AvrilLavigne. Her first album, 2004's ''Autobiography'', went triple platinum. Then came [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWJCfbMw0Yo her disastrous performance]] on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' in October 2004, where she was [[ThatSyncingFeeling caught lip-syncing]] when her band started playing the wrong song, followed by an embarrassing "hoe-down" when she [[OhCrap realized what was happening]]. While awkward, this ultimately didn't derail her career, as she still had two more top-20 hits with "Boyfriend" and "L.O.V.E." in 2005. However, a disastrous performance at the 2005 Orange Bowl's halftime show -- in which she ''was'' singing live, but [[HollywoodToneDeaf so badly]] that she was booed offstage -- cemented the idea in the public's mind that she couldn't sing without studio help. This awful performance, along with the 2005 BoxOfficeBomb ''Undiscovered'', was where Simpson's career plummeted. Her following album, 2005's ''I Am Me'', sold far less than ''Autobiography'' and didn't even reach the platinum mark. She only released one more album after that, the commercial bomb ''Bittersweet World'' in 2008. She's had a bit more success as an actress, playing Violet Foster on the short-lived ''Series/MelrosePlace'' SequelSeries and Roxie Hart in Broadway and West End productions of ''Theatre/{{Chicago}}''. But Simspon's career as a pop star is all but over, and it seems unlikely at best that she'll ever regain her pre-2005 fame. When she's brought up today outside the tabloids and reality TV, it's usually in the same breath as Music/MilliVanilli as the punchline of jokes about lip-syncing.

* Music/{{Creed|band}} was the biggest band in the world around the turn of the 21st Century, reaching their peak with their Diamond-selling sophomore album ''Human Clay'' in 1999. However, between frontman Scott Stapp's over-the-top {{yarling}} vocals, numerous stories of his [[ThePrimaDonna prima donna rock star attitude]], and their {{Signature Song}}s "With Arms Wide Open" and "Higher" being played on a seemingly infinite loop on the radio, a backlash formed from which the band would never recover. The tipping point came when Creed performed in Chicago at the Allstate Arena in 2002: Stapp was so drunk that he could barely stand up, and the band got booed off after only three songs. Creed soon broke up, and [[TheBandMinusTheFace the backing band]] formed Music/AlterBridge with a different singer. (While never as successful as Creed, Alter Bridge is much more respected) Stapp's personal life, meanwhile, spiraled out of control to the point that he was broke and living alone in a hotel for a period of time. Today, Creed remains one of the biggest pariahs of the music world, being [[http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-ten-worst-bands-of-the-nineties-20130509/1-creed-0736783 voted as the worst band]] of the '90s by the readers of ''Magazine/RollingStone'' in 2013. It is now a social taboo to admit to having been a Creed fan, the general consensus being that they were a poor man's ripoff of Music/PearlJam with an obnoxious frontman, both [[{{Yarling}} on]] and [[{{Jerkass}} off]] the stage.

* Music/LimpBizkit took off in 1997 after they were discovered by Music/{{Korn}}'s Jonathan Davis. Their blend of metal and hip-hop combined with {{angst}}y lyrics and use of turntables was a winning combination for teens and young adults across the world, bringing NuMetal to the forefront of mainstream culture. Their 1999 sophomore album ''Music/SignificantOther'' shot up to #1 and went '''7x platinum''' in the US alone, and their fame skyrocketed even further when their following album ''Music/ChocolateStarfishAndTheHotDogFlavoredWater'' was released in 2000, whereupon it debuted at #1 and went 6x platinum in the US. However, the band's popularity rapidly collapsed in the early-mid '00s. First was when their guitarist Wes Borland left. [[EnsembleDarkHorse He was a fan-favorite and considered the most talented band member]], so his departure left a huge hole in the lineup. Their 2003 album ''Music/ResultsMayVary'' was delayed multiple times, got terrible reviews when it finally came out, had only one hit of note in a widely-disparaged cover of Music/TheWho's "Behind Blue Eyes", barely made it past platinum, and proved to be a GenreKiller for nu metal, which was already in decline at the time. The general feeling within nu metal circles was that they had created a monster, and had turned the genre into every single thing it was not supposed to be. After a hiatus, they reunited in 2011, when their album ''Music/GoldCobra'' debuted at #16 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and their 2014 single [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7r1IctCR_A "Endless Slaughter"]] was met with near-unanimous derision and was widely decried as an incoherent, nonsensical mess. Once one of the most popular rock bands of the [=Y2K=] era, Limp Bizkit is now considered a disgrace to the genre, with frontman Fred Durst becoming a poster child of rock singers being egomaniacal jerks (though he did lighten up in the 2010s), and though nu metal did [[PopularityPolynomial regain some esteem in the eyes of the music industry and the public]], they're considered a joke by several people. Few bands are more hated nowadays than Limp Bizkit. Yet the funny thing is, [[http://web.archive.org/web/20150514120115/http://www.aux.tv/2015/03/turns-out-fred-durst-hates-limp-bizkit-fans-as-much-as-everybody-else/ Durst doesn't really disagree]] -- the band's [[DevelopmentHell long-delayed]] 2021 album was titled ''Still Sucks'', and the lyrics are filled with SelfDeprecation. Nowadays, they are mostly known for Durst's recent attempts at being a film director, with most film reviewers noting what he used to do, and that a ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]'' villain's [[note]](Sports Maxx)[[/note]] [[FightingSpirit Stand]] was named after them. Even then, most mentions of said Stand are specifically to refer to "[[InherentlyFunnyWords Flaccid Pancake]]" and "[[InconsistentSpelling Limp Viscuit]]", its silly-sounding WritingAroundTrademarks renames in the West. The band does have its defenders still -- especially overseas, where the backlash against NuMetal was nowhere near as pronounced as it was in the United States -- but it's safe to say it's highly unlikely they'll ever come close to their former fame.

* Music/SuicideSilence were one of many bands to benefit from the rising popularity of deathcore in the late 2000s. Despite being scoffed at by metal purists, they managed to become hugely successful and even the death of Mitch Lucker seemed to be nothing but a speed bump after his replacement by Eddie Hermida. However, the band's fortunes would take a bad turn with the release of their self-titled fifth album, which saw them make a GenreShift to NuMetal. Professional critics were ambivalent about the album, but fans were outraged by what they saw as the band selling out. To make matters worse, Eddie Hermida was accused of sexual harassment. While he managed to escape legal consequences, the damage was done. While the band would return to their classic sound with ''Become The Hunter'' and ''Remember... You Must Die'', both albums have been poor sellers [[CriticalDissonance despite a positive reception from critics]]. Today, the band stands as another cautionary tale of what happens when you piss off your fans.

* Music/{{Creed|band}} was the biggest band in the world around the turn of the 21st Century, reaching their peak with their Diamond-selling sophomore album ''Human Clay'' in 1999. However, between frontman Scott Stapp's over-the-top {{yarling}} vocals, numerous stories of his [[ThePrimaDonna prima donna rock star attitude]], and their {{Signature Song}}s "With Arms Wide Open" and "Higher" being played on a seemingly infinite loop on the radio, a backlash formed from which the band would never recover. The tipping point came when Creed performed in Chicago at the Allstate Arena in 2002: Stapp was so drunk that he could barely stand up, and the band got booed off after only three songs. Creed soon broke up, and [[TheBandMinusTheFace the backing band]] formed Music/AlterBridge with a different singer. (While never as successful as Creed, Alter Bridge is much more respected.) Stapp's personal life, meanwhile, spiraled out of control to the point that he was broke and living alone in a hotel for a period of time. Today, Creed remains one of the biggest pariahs of the music world, being [[http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-ten-worst-bands-of-the-nineties-20130509/1-creed-0736783 voted as the worst band]] of the '90s by the readers of ''Magazine/RollingStone'' in 2013. It is now a social taboo to admit to having been a Creed fan, the general consensus being that they were a poor man's ripoff of Music/PearlJam with an obnoxious frontman, both [[{{Yarling}} on]] and [[{{Jerkass}} off]] the stage.

* Music/SuicideSilence were one of many bands to benefit from the rising popularity of deathcore in the late 2000s. Despite being scoffed at by metal purists, they managed to become hugely successful and even the death of Mitch Lucker seemed to be nothing but a speed bump after his replacement by Eddie Hermida. However, the band's fortunes would take a bad turn with the release of their self-titled fifth album, which saw them make a GenreShift to nu metal. Professional critics were ambivalent about the album, but fans were outraged by what they saw as the band selling out. To make matters worse, Eddie Hermida was accused of sexual harassment. While he managed to escape legal consequences, the damage was done. While the band would return to their classic sound with ''Become The Hunter'' and ''Remember...You Must Die'', both albums have been poor sellers [[CriticalDissonance despite a positive reception from critics]]. Today, the band stands as another cautionary tale of what happens when you piss off your fans.

* Music/SuicideSilence had an instant breakthrough and have had successful record after record, but they ultimately blew it with their self-titled which was blatant NuMetal. Suicide Silence tried to return to their roots with ''Become the Hunter''; however, it was too little too late. ''Become the Hunter'' missed the Billboard 200 and ultimately serves as an example of to never alienate your fanbase.

* Music/VanillaIce burst onto the hip-hop scene in 1990 with his debut single "Ice Ice Baby", which topped the Hot 100, and his debut album ''To the Extreme'' spent 17 weeks on top of the ''Billboard 200'', going on to sell over seven million copies in the United States. Unfortunately, he was quickly hit with accusations of plagiarism, [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial which he awkwardly denied]]. The bassline for "Ice Ice Baby" was [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong almost exactly the same]] as the one from Music/{{Queen|Band}} and Music/DavidBowie's "[[Music/HotSpace Under Pressure]]"(except for having one additional note), while another single named "Play That Funky Music" did not properly credit Wild Cherry's lead singer Rob Parissi as a songwriter. His motion picture debut ''Film/CoolAsIce'' [[BoxOfficeBomb didn't make the Top 10 on its debut weekend]], got terrible reviews, and earned Ice a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward Razzie]] for Worst New Star. His second album, 1994's ''Mind Blowin''' was a gigantic commercial flop, and he fell into drug addiction and at one point was nearly DrivenToSuicide. After recovering from his addiction and pledging to turn his life around, he released his third album, the NuMetal effort ''Hard to Swallow'' in 1998, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20180106060048/http://www.mtv.com/news/1435113/vanilla-ice-explains-his-skate-rock-comeback/ the executives at Republic Records]] ''seriously'' compared it to Creator/JohnTravolta's famous CareerResurrection in ''Film/PulpFiction''. It wasn't well received critically and commercially, only selling a paltry 100,000 copies, but he developed a cult following among fans of Music/BloodhoundGang and Music/InsaneClownPosse after working with them. There was also a bit of a misconception that he had serious beef with Music/{{Eminem}}, but Ice told interviewers that his references to Eminem were tongue-in-cheek, and Eminem subsequently featured Vanilla Ice in the music video for his song "[[https://youtu.be/RSdKmX2BH7o?si=pzQ6fEbE4S4Bdk9W We Made You]]". While Vanilla Ice has made a small fortune [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20317_the-7-most-wtf-post-fame-careers-famous-musicians.html flipping houses]] on The [=DIY=] Network, and had [[https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/10/6/21494291/vanilla-ice-to-the-extreme-ice-ice-baby-history-30th-anniversary more thoughtful reevaluations]] of his career in recent times, most people in America still see Vanilla Ice as ''the'' [[PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy punchline]] for jokes about white rappers.

* Music/VanillaIce burst onto the hip-hop scene in 1990 with his debut single "Ice Ice Baby", which topped the Hot 100, and his debut album ''To the Extreme'' spent 17 weeks on top of the ''Billboard 200'', going on to sell over seven million copies in the United States. Unfortunately, he was quickly hit with accusations of plagiarism, [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial which he awkwardly denied]]. The bassline for "Ice Ice Baby" was [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong almost exactly the same]] as the one from Music/{{Queen|Band}} and Music/DavidBowie's "[[Music/HotSpace Under Pressure]]"(except for having one additional note), while another single named "Play That Funky Music" did not properly credit Wild Cherry's lead singer Rob Parissi as a songwriter. His motion picture debut ''Film/CoolAsIce'' [[BoxOfficeBomb didn't make the Top 10 on its debut weekend]], got terrible reviews, and earned Ice a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward Razzie]] for Worst New Star. His second album, 1994's ''Mind Blowin''' was a gigantic commercial flop, and he fell into drug addiction and at one point was nearly DrivenToSuicide. After recovering from his addiction and pledging to turn his life around, he released his third album, the NuMetal effort ''Hard to Swallow'' in 1998, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20180106060048/http://www.mtv.com/news/1435113/vanilla-ice-explains-his-skate-rock-comeback/ the executives at Republic Records]] ''seriously'' compared it to Creator/JohnTravolta's famous CareerResurrection in ''Film/PulpFiction''. It wasn't well received critically and commercially, only selling a paltry 100,000 copies, but he developed a cult following among fans of Music/BloodhoundGang and Music/InsaneClownPosse after working with them. There was also a bit of a misconception that he had serious beef with Music/{{Eminem}}, but Ice told interviewers that his references to Eminem were tongue-in-cheek, and Eminem subsequently featured Vanilla Ice in the music video for his song "We Made You". While Vanilla Ice has made a small fortune [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20317_the-7-most-wtf-post-fame-careers-famous-musicians.html flipping houses]] on The [=DIY=] Network, and had [[https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/10/6/21494291/vanilla-ice-to-the-extreme-ice-ice-baby-history-30th-anniversary more thoughtful reevaluations]] of his career in recent times, most people in America still see Vanilla Ice as ''the'' [[PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy punchline]] for jokes about white rappers.

* Music/VanillaIce burst onto the hip-hop scene in 1990 with his debut single "Ice Ice Baby", which topped the Hot 100, and his debut album ''To the Extreme'' spent 17 weeks on top of the ''Billboard 200'', going on to sell over seven million copies in the United States. Unfortunately, he was quickly hit with accusations of plagiarism, [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial which he awkwardly denied]]. The bassline for "Ice Ice Baby" was [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong almost exactly the same]] as the one from Music/{{Queen|Band}} and Music/DavidBowie's "[[Music/HotSpace Under Pressure]]"(except for having one additional note), while another single named "Play That Funky Music" did not properly credit Wild Cherry's lead singer Rob Parissi as a songwriter. His motion picture debut ''Film/CoolAsIce'' [[BoxOfficeBomb didn't make the Top 10 on its debut weekend]], got terrible reviews, and earned Ice a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward Razzie]] for Worst New Star. His second album, 1994's ''Mind Blowin''' was a gigantic commercial flop. When he released his third album, the RapRock effort ''Hard to Swallow'' in 1998, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20180106060048/http://www.mtv.com/news/1435113/vanilla-ice-explains-his-skate-rock-comeback/ the executives at Republic Records]] ''seriously'' compared it to Creator/JohnTravolta's famous CareerResurrection in ''Film/PulpFiction''. It was also a huge dud both critically and commercially, only selling a paltry 100,000 copies. After a very embarrassing beef with Music/{{Eminem}} in which he criticised Eminem's offensive lyrics and high-pitched voice before bleaching and cutting his hair into [[FollowTheLeader an exact copy of Eminem's hairstyle]], he fell into drug addiction and at one point was nearly DrivenToSuicide, forcing him to (understandably) put his recording career on hold. While he's made a full recovery from drugs, made a small fortune [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20317_the-7-most-wtf-post-fame-careers-famous-musicians.html flipping houses]] on The [=DIY=] Network, and had [[https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/10/6/21494291/vanilla-ice-to-the-extreme-ice-ice-baby-history-30th-anniversary more thoughtful reevaluations]] of his career in recent times, most people in America still see Vanilla Ice as ''the'' [[PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy punchline]] for jokes about white rappers.

Its downfall came almost as swiftly as its rise for three reasons. The first was the rise of smartphones, which allowed people to store a library of hundreds of full songs on their phones, killing off the ringtone market. The derisive term "ringtone rap" was largely referring to snap, and as the genre derived most of its popularity from cheap digital singles and ringtones, this view was not inaccurate. The second was the backlash from both hip-hop fans and the mainstream as a whole, who saw snap as stupid, lazy, and MoneyDearBoy personified, with [[Music/WuTangClan Ghostface Killah]] famously taking shots at it on his song "The Champ" ("My arts is crafty darts, why y'all stuck on 'Laffy Taffy'?[=/=]Wondering, how did y'all niggas get past me!?") and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OBKFNAWmhk mocking the "snap dance"]] on tour. [[GenreKiller The third and final killing blow]] was likely the backlash against Music/SouljaBoy. By the end of 2008, snap was having its last gasp by way of V.I.C.'s "Get Silly"; following this, the genre spent 2009 rapidly dying and was essentially gone completely by 2010. Nowadays, snap is viewed as the absolute nadir of 2000s pop music and one of the worst things to ever happen to hip-hop, and there has been absolutely nothing even resembling a revival of the genre. The artists themselves are invariably remembered as {{one hit wonder}}s if they even are remembered, as it's more likely that people will just recognize the songs without knowing who recorded them. Music/KanyeWest has tried to rehabilitate the genre, (not unreasonably) praising Music/SouljaBoy as one of the most influential rappers on the current generation and giving him a scene-stealing feature on ''DONDA 2'', but even the few who look sympathetically towards the genre prefer the general vibe of internet-viral party music to the actual music itself.\\

The sole culturally relevant post-2010 appearance of snap music so far is Music/{{Eminem}}'s 2013 single "Rap God", which contains a 25-second passage in which he [[CopycatMockery imitates]] the flow and beat of the 2007 single "Lookin' Boy" by Hotstylz, changing the lyrics to be about [[QueerPeopleAreFunny how gay snap rappers are]]. While this was likely just another example of the [[AnyoneRememberPogs outdated references]] that are an unfortunate characteristic of Em's post-overdose career, "Rap God" is still considered to be one of Eminem's best singles, with the "-lookin' boy" flow section considered a highlight [[ParodyDisplacement without most listeners knowing what it was even referencing]]. (Hotstylz slapped Eminem with an $8m lawsuit over the uncleared use of an interpolation, though the case was eventually rejected.)
* SwagRap, an offshoot of alternative hip-hop that originated from both Cloud Rap and the hyphy movement in the Bay Area, is also dead in the water. The exact sound of Swag Rap varies, so it's really more of a scene than a sound. Noticeable characteristics include a DIY ethic and unconventional promotional tactics (often online, but not always), many Swag groups also use (fittingly) the term "swag", short for swagger, and a synonym for "cool". The genre originated from acts like Soulja Boy due to his penchant for saying swag in his songs, but it was Music/{{OFWGKTA}}, Music/LilB, and A$AP Mob who popularized it, which resulted in the genre blowing up overnight on the internet.\\
\\

* Music/BloodOnTheDanceFloor was always a controversial band, but for a long time it was mainly because the music itself fell into divisive territory due to its {{Crunkcore}} stylings (more on that in the Hip-Hop folder), and in the late '00s and early '10s they were among the faces of "scene" culture with a passionate fanbase and a ControversyProofImage. Lurking behind the edgy image, however, were indications that it wasn't all an act - there were a litany of allegations stretching all the way back to 2007 claiming that frontman Dahvie Vanity was a predatory pedophile. What's more, a number of their songs, such as "You Done Goofed" and "Crucified by Your Lies", directly addressed the allegations and saw Dahvie call his accusers liars and {{Attention Whore}}s. For years, he was able to cultivate an impressionable cultlike fanbase that believed his every word, but a tipping point came in 2016 when Dahvie's bandmate Jayy von Monroe left on very bad terms with him, corroborating the sexual assault allegations while adding that Dahvie had subjected him to emotional and financial abuse. As other musicians defended Jayy and added their own stories of Dahvie's behavior, the band and its music were retroactively tainted for many former fans. In 2019, Spotify and Google Play both pulled Blood on the Dance Floor's music from their services due to the growing backlash against Dahvie and lyrics that violated guidelines on prohibited content, cementing Dahvie's fall from grace. Now, they're remembered as being among the worst excesses of scene culture in terms of both the music itself and the Warped Tour's late-period reputation as a haven for sexual predators. The only debate regarding them concerns why it took so long for people to believe Dahvie's accusers.

* Music/BloodOnTheDanceFloor was always a controversial band, but for a long time it was mainly because the music itself fell into divisive territory due to its {{Crunkcore}} stylings (more on that in the Hip-Hop folder), and in the late '00s and early '10s they were among the faces of "scene" culture with a passionate fanbase and a ControversyProofImage. Lurking behind the edgy image, however, were indications that it wasn't all an act - there were a litany of allegations stretching all the way back to 2007 claiming that frontman Dahvie Vanity was a predatory pedophile. What's more, a number of their songs, such as "You Done Goofed" and "Crucified by Your Lies", directly addressed the allegations and saw Dahvie call his accusers liars and {{Attention Whore}}s. For years, he was able to cultivate an impressionable fanbase that believed his every word, but a tipping point came in 2016 when Dahvie's bandmate Jayy von Monroe left on very bad terms with him, corroborating the sexual assault allegations while adding that Dahvie had subjected him to emotional and financial abuse. As other musicians defended Jayy and added their own stories of Dahvie's behavior, the band and its music were retroactively tainted for many former fans. In 2019, Spotify and Google Play both pulled Blood on the Dance Floor's music from their services due to the growing backlash against Dahvie and lyrics that violated guidelines on prohibited content, cementing Dahvie's fall from grace. Now, they're remembered as being among the worst excesses of scene culture in terms of both the music itself and the Warped Tour's late-period reputation as a haven for sexual predators. The only debate regarding them concerns why it took so long for people to believe Dahvie's accusers.

* The Archies' bubblegum pop song"Sugar, Sugar," by a manufactured studio group eventually tied in with the [[WesternAnimation/TheArchieShow animated TV adaptation of the comic book of the same name]], was a big hit in 1969, topping the Billboard and Cash Box charts. While the song was popular in its day, it quickly wore out its welcome and is now cited as a counterexample to the NostalgiaFilter, showing that even an era considered a golden age for pop music had dumb popular songs.

* During the '80s and '90s, former Music/SexPistols bassist Music/SidVicious was frequently touted as a musical genius and worshipped by teenage rebels [[PosthumousPopularityPotential in the wake of his 1979 death from a drug overdose]] whereas now he's viewed much more critically. For starters, years after his death it was revealed by former bandmates that Vicious hardly knew how to play bass (if he even could to begin with), so much so that sometimes the other members would turn off his amp during performances since his playing was [[DreadfulMusician THAT bad]]. Rather tellingly, the Pistol's iconic album ''[[Music/NeverMindTheBollocksHeresTheSexPistols Never Mind the Bullocks]]'' didn't actually have Vicious playing bass, nor was he even a member of the group during that time; the bass guitar on that album played by Steve Jones and Glen Matlock. It's notable that Sid's only real lyrical contribution was "Belsen Was A Gas", which [[EveryoneHasStandards the rest of the band thought was in bad taste even at the time]]. Modern punk scenes actively avoid Nazi references due to decades of clashes with Neo-Nazis, only making the song's (and by extension, Sid's) reputation fall further. As the audiences that were teenagers at the height of the Sex Pistols' musical influence [[FleetingDemographicRule aged out of edgy teenaged punk rock rebellion]], and rock in general and punk rock in particular [[AudienceAlienatingEra splintered into competing subgroups and seem unlikely to ever regain their former relevance or mainstream popularity]], it seems unlikely that Sid Vicious will ever find a new audience from anywhere but [[Film/SidAndNancy a movie specifically about how Sid was an awful musician and a mess of a human being]].

* During the '80s and '90s, former Music/SexPistols bassist Music/SidVicious was frequently touted as a musical genius and worshipped by teenage rebels [[PosthumousPopularityPotential in the wake of his 1979 death from a drug overdose]] whereas now he's viewed much more critically. For starters, years after his death it was revealed by former bandmates that Vicious hardly even knew how to play bass (if he even could to begin with), so much so that sometimes the other members would turn off his amp during performances since his playing was [[DreadfulMusician THAT bad]]. Rather tellingly, the Pistol's iconic album ''[[Music/NeverMindTheBollocksHeresTheSexPistols Never Mind the Bullocks]]'' didn't even have Vicious playing bass, nor was he even a member of the group during that time; the bass guitar on that album played by Steve Jones and Glen Matlock. It's notable that Sid's only real lyrical contribution was "Belsen Was A Gas", which [[EveryoneHasStandards the rest of the band thought was in bad taste even at the time]]. Modern punk scenes actively avoid Nazi references due to decades of clashes with Neo-Nazis, only making the song's (and by extension, Sid's) reputation fall further. As the audiences that were teenagers at the height of the Sex Pistols' musical influence [[FleetingDemographicRule aged out of edgy teenaged punk rock rebellion]], and rock in general and punk rock in particular [[AudienceAlienatingEra splintered into competing subgroups and seem unlikely to ever regain their former relevance or mainstream popularity]], it seems unlikely that Sid Vicious will ever find a new audience from anywhere but [[Film/SidAndNancy a movie specifically about how Sid was an awful musician and a mess of a human being]].

* After the death of Music/TupacShakur in late 1996, Ja Rule [[FollowTheLeader tried to capitalize]] on Tupac's image and persona. Starting in 1999 with his single "Holla Holla", Ja Rule released several chart-topping songs through the 2000s, which got him four Grammy nominations along with six top-ten albums. But his hardcore gangsta image was always suspect, since he sang in most of his songs and released several romantic duets (described by WebVideo/TheRapCritic as "thugs need love too" songs). But what really sealed Ja Rule's fate was [[BullyingADragon starting a feud with]] Music/{{Eminem}} (due to his friendship with arch rival Music/FiftyCent) by [[WouldHurtAChild insulting his daughter Hailie]] in the song "Loose Change". Eminem, who is well-known in rap circles for being [[PapaWolf fiercely protective of his daughter]], was so pissed off that he wrote a response track called "Hailie's Revenge" with D12 and Obie Trice, where they tore into Ja Rule for [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks ripping off]] Tupac and not being a real gangster. Thanks to the backlash, Ja Rule joined the dustbin of flash-in-the-pan 2000s rappers, and his involvement in the infamous Fyre Festival fiasco erased any chance of him staging a comeback.

* The 1977 easy listening ballad "You Light Up My Life", as covered by Debby Boone[[note]]daughter of the aforementioned Pat Boone[[/note]] (it was written by Joseph Brooks and originally performed by Kasey Cisyk) was the best-selling single of the 1970s and one of the most successful singles overall, charting at Billboard #1 for ten consecutive weeks upon release. It even won both a Grammy for Song of the Year and an Oscar for Best Original Song (due to being a tie-in for the movie of the same name). [[note]] A movie that was panned and has largely been forgotten, which would not help the song's later reputation [[/note]] However, over the years the song's reputation has declined, due to overexposure on the radio, criticism of the song as being bland and chaste for a love song, and suspicions that the song was a [[ChristianRock Christian Pop]] piece that was [[AmbiguouslyChristian slightly secularized]] for a mainstream audience. Nowadays, "You Light Up My Life" is considered one of the worst songs of the 70s, often appearing on "worst songs" lists from the decade, and is played very little on radio stations today, even easy listening ones.

* During the '80s and '90s, former Music/SexPistols bassist Music/SidVicious was frequently touted as a musical genius and worshipped by teenage rebels [[PosthumousPopularityPotential in the wake of his 1979 death from a drug overdose]] whereas now he's viewed much more critically. For starters, it was revealed after his death by former bandmates that Vicious hardly even knew how to play bass (if he even could to begin with), so much so that sometimes the other members would turn off his amp during performances since his playing was [[DreadfulMusician THAT bad]]. Rather tellingly, the Pistol's iconic album ''[[Music/NeverMindTheBollocksHeresTheSexPistols Never Mind the Bullocks]]'' didn't even have Vicious playing bass, nor was he even a member of the group during that time; the bass guitar on that album played by Steve Jones and Glen Matlock. It's notable that Sid's only real lyrical contribution was "Belsen Was A Gas", which the rest of the band thought was in bad taste even at the time. Modern punk scenes actively avoid Nazi references due to decades of clashes with Neo-Nazis, only making the song's (and by extension, Sid's) reputation fall further. As the audiences that were teenagers at the height of the Sex Pistols' musical influence [[FleetingDemographicRule aged out of edgy teenaged punk rock rebellion]], and rock in general and punk rock in particular [[AudienceAlienatingEra splintered into competing subgroups and seem unlikely to ever regain their former relevance or mainstream popularity]], it seems unlikely that Sid Vicious will ever find a new audience from anywhere but [[Film/SidAndNancy a movie specifically about how Sid was an awful musician and a mess of a human being]].

His momentum began to slow in the Show Dog era, however, due to a slew of weak novelty songs and a decision to always release one album per year - meaning he often had to pull singles that were doing well on the radio just to rush out the lead single to the next album. He seemed to bounce back in 2011 with "Red Solo Cup", which became a viral crossover hit due to its unusual style and quirky, cameo-filled music video, but any momentum brought by that single was killed by his 2015 album ''35 MPH Town'' being his first not to have a Top 20 hit at all, and its follow-up never materializing due to its intended lead single coming nowhere close to the country Top 40. His restaurant chain also sank due to a myriad of construction and leasing issues (including [[https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2020/02/05/ex-mobster-frank-capri-arrested-fraud-charges-tied-toby-keith-rascal-flatts-restaurants-tawny-costa/4674958002/ one of the main developers being a mobster in witness protection]], bizarrely), while Show Dog Records (by then renamed Show Dog-Universal) had shed nearly its entire roster of artists due to poor promotion, poor single choices, and [[DevelopmentHell constant delays or outright cancellations]] in album releases. While Keith released more albums and singles after ''35 MPH Town'', all of them similarly failed to gain any traction on the country charts. Keith is now seen as a punchline for his use of cartoonishly overblown jingoism, over-the-top TestosteronePoisoning, and [[OdeToIntoxication glorification of alcohol abuse]] as themes in his songs. In February 2023, Keith died of stomach cancer, closing the door on any comeback attempts.

His momentum began to slow in the Show Dog era, however, due to a slew of weak novelty songs and a decision to always release one album per year - meaning he often had to pull singles that were doing well on the radio just to rush out the lead single to the next album. He seemed to bounce back in 2011 with "Red Solo Cup", which became a viral crossover hit due to its unusual style and quirky, cameo-filled music video, but any momentum brought by that single was killed by his 2015 album ''35 MPH Town'' being his first not to have a Top 20 hit at all, and its follow-up never materializing due to its intended lead single coming nowhere close to the country Top 40. His restaurant chain also sank due to a myriad of construction and leasing issues (including [[https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2020/02/05/ex-mobster-frank-capri-arrested-fraud-charges-tied-toby-keith-rascal-flatts-restaurants-tawny-costa/4674958002/ one of the main developers being a mobster in witness protection]], bizarrely), while Show Dog Records (by then renamed Show Dog-Universal) had shed nearly its entire roster of artists due to poor promotion, poor single choices, and [[DevelopmentHell constant delays or outright cancellations]] in album releases. While Keith released more albums and singles after ''35 MPH Town'', all of them similarly failed to gain any traction on the country charts. Keith is now seen as a punchline for his use of cartoonishly overblown jingoism, over-the-top TestosteronePoisoning, and [[OdeToIntoxication glorification of alcohol abuse]] as themes in his songs.

* After the death of Music/TupacShakur in late 1996, Ja Rule [[FollowTheLeader tried to capitalize]] on Tupac's image and persona. Starting in 1999 with his single "Holla Holla", Ja Rule released several chart-topping songs through the 2000s, which got him four Grammy nominations along with six top-ten albums. But his hardcore gangsta image was always suspect, since he sang in most of his songs and released several romantic duets (described by WebVideo/TheRapCritic as "thugs need love too" songs). But what really sealed Ja Rule's fate was [[BullyingADragon starting a feud with]] Music/{{Eminem}} (due to his friendship with arch rival Music/FiftyCent) by [[WouldHurtAChild insulting his daughter Hailie]] in the song "Loose Change". Eminem, who is well-known in rap circles for being [[PapaWolf fiercely protective of his daughter]], was so pissed off that he wrote a response track called "Hailie's Revenge" with D12 and Obie Trice, where they tore into Ja Rule for [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks ripping off]] Tupac and not being a real gangster. Thanks to the backlash, Ja Rule joined the dustbin of flash-in-the-pan 2000s rappers, and his involvement in the infamous [[Horrible/MusicFestivals Fyre Festival fiasco]] erased any chance of him staging a comeback.

* During TheFifties, Pat Boone was one of the biggest pop performers in America. He explicitly served as TheMoralSubstitute to the edgy RockAndRoll artists of the day by singing {{Bowdlerise}}d covers of their songs, with a number of them (such as his versions of Music/LittleRichard's "Tutti Frutti" and Music/FatsDomino's "Ain't That a Shame") actually [[CoveredUp making it higher on the charts]] than the originals. Nowadays, though, the original songs serve as the FirstAndForemost versions, while his covers have faded into obscurity. When Boone is remembered, it's usually as a symbol of the buttoned-up cultural conservatism of '50s pop culture; the fact that he's since found steady work as a right-wing Christian commentator hasn't done much to challenge that image. He has a cult following among metalheads for his album ''In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy'', which featured covers of classic metal songs in his big-band style, in part because these covered helped demonstrate the musicality of a genre often dismissed as part of a LoudnessWar. (Music/RonnieJamesDio even sang backing vocals on Boone's cover of "Holy Diver"!). Even then, though, it's chiefly an ironic fandom, akin to that of Creator/ChuckNorris.

* During TheFifties, Pat Boone was one of the biggest pop performers in America. He explicitly served as TheMoralSubstitute to the edgy RockAndRoll artists of the day by singing {{Bowdlerise}}d covers of their songs, with a number of them (such as his versions of Music/LittleRichard's "Tutti Frutti" and Music/FatsDomino's "Ain't That a Shame") actually [[CoveredUp making it higher on the charts]] than the originals. Nowadays, though, the original songs serve as the FirstAndForemost versions, while his covers have faded into obscurity. When Boone is remembered, it's usually as a symbol of the buttoned-up cultural conservatism of '50s pop culture; the fact that he's since found steady work as a right-wing Christian commentator hasn't done much to challenge that image. He has a cult following among metalheads for his album ''In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy'', which featured covers of classic metal songs in his big-band style, in part because these covered helped demonstrate the musicality of a genre often dismissed as part of TheLoudnessWar. (Music/RonnieJamesDio even sang backing vocals on Boone's cover of "Holy Diver"!). Even then, though, it's chiefly an ironic fandom, akin to that of Creator/ChuckNorris.

* During TheFifties, Pat Boone was one of the biggest pop performers in America. He explicitly served as TheMoralSubstitute to the edgy RockAndRoll artists of the day by singing {{Bowdlerise}}d covers of their songs, with a number of them (such as his versions of Music/LittleRichard's "Tutti Frutti" and Music/FatsDomino's "Ain't That a Shame") actually [[CoveredUp making it higher on the charts]] than the originals. Nowadays, though, the original songs serve as the FirstAndForemost versions, while his covers have faded into obscurity. When Boone is remembered, it's usually as a symbol of the buttoned-up cultural conservatism of '50s pop culture; the fact that he's since found steady work as a right-wing Christian commentator hasn't done much to challenge that image. He has a cult following among metalheads for his album ''In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy'', which featured covers of classic metal songs in his big-band style (Music/RonnieJamesDio even sang backing vocals on Boone's cover of "Holy Diver"!). Even then, though, it's chiefly an ironic fandom, akin to that of Creator/ChuckNorris.

* Music/VanillaIce burst onto the hip-hop scene in 1990 with his debut single "Ice Ice Baby", which topped the Hot 100, and his debut album ''To the Extreme'' spent 17 weeks on top of the ''Billboard 200'', going on to sell over seven million copies in the United States. Unfortunately, he was quickly hit with accusations of plagiarism, [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial which he awkwardly denied]]. The bassline for "Ice Ice Baby" was [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong almost exactly the same]] as the one from Music/{{Queen|Band}} and Music/DavidBowie's "[[Music/HotSpace Under Pressure]]"(except for having one additional note), while another single named "Play That Funky Music" did not properly credit Wild Cherry's lead singer Rob Parissi as a songwriter. His motion picture debut ''Film/CoolAsIce'' [[BoxOfficeBomb didn't make the Top 10 on its debut weekend]], got terrible reviews, and earned Ice a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward Razzie]] for Worst New Star. His second album, 1994's ''Mind Blowin''' was a gigantic commercial flop. When he released his third album, the RapRock effort ''Hard to Swallow'' in 1998, [[http://www.mtv.com/news/1435113/vanilla-ice-explains-his-skate-rock-comeback/ the executives at Republic Records]] ''seriously'' compared it to Creator/JohnTravolta's famous CareerResurrection in ''Film/PulpFiction''. It was also a huge dud both critically and commercially, only selling a paltry 100,000 copies. After a very embarrassing beef with Music/{{Eminem}} in which he criticised Eminem's offensive lyrics and high-pitched voice before bleaching and cutting his hair into [[FollowTheLeader an exact copy of Eminem's hairstyle]], he fell into drug addiction and at one point was nearly DrivenToSuicide, forcing him to (understandably) put his recording career on hold. While he's made a full recovery from drugs, made a small fortune [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20317_the-7-most-wtf-post-fame-careers-famous-musicians.html flipping houses]] on The [=DIY=] Network, and had [[https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/10/6/21494291/vanilla-ice-to-the-extreme-ice-ice-baby-history-30th-anniversary more thoughtful reevaluations]] of his career in recent times, most people in America still see Vanilla Ice as ''the'' [[PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy punchline]] for jokes about white rappers.