The 15 Most Shocking Rock Star Arrests In Music History

By Jordan Runtagh

November 15, 2013 / 12:00 PM

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Ozzy Osbourne

Wendy O Williams

DMX

Axl Rose

Chuck Berry

Rick James

Boy George

The Rolling Stones

R. Kelly

Jim Morrison

Chris Brown

Sid Vicious

Michael Jackson

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Phil Spector

Rock 'n' roll is packed with rebellious bad boys (and bad girls!) who drink, fight, have tantrums, and just generally do things their-way-or-the-highway-dammit! But occasionally, some combination of drugs, booze, ego, money and general rock star excess pushes them over the line, and that's what police get involved. Sometimes it's fairly light-hearted stupidity (usually involving urination), but others times it's far more serious, and changes the way we think about them and their music forever.

Even if they're innocent, the press, questions and scandal that surrounds a star during an arrest and subsequent cout case is pretty hard to shake. Just look at folks like Michael Jackson and R. Kelly, both dudes who were found not-guilty by a jury but had their fame irreparably tarnished. Although in rare cases, like rock legend Jim Morrison's infamous bust for (likely false) indecent exposure in Miami back in 1969, or the Rolling Stones' trumped up drug bust, the hubbub merely adds to their legend. From murder to drugs, violence to peeing, the outcome always causes outrage! Head up to the gallery above for our picks for the 15 most shocking rock star arrests in music history.

[Photo: Getty Images]