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The Worst Episodes of Behind the Music

Every episode of Behind the Music ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Behind the Music!

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An intimate look into the personal lives of pop music's greatest and most influential artists.

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  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 5 - Nowhere to Hide
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    #1 - Nowhere to Hide

    S1:E5

    This cautionary episode of Behind the Music documents the growing menace of stalkers. Considered by some the "prototype" for fans who take their celebrity obsessions to dangerous and often criminal extremes, John Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman, is the focus of this investigative piece. With a detailed account of the events of the day he shot the former Beatle; to interviews with Chapman conducted during his prison sentence; comments from his psychiatrist and the photographer who caught Lennon and his killer on film; BTM paints a frightening picture of a deranged individual who is up for parole this year. Security consultant Gavin de Becker outlines warning signs. Lilith founder Sarah McLachlan comes forward about her own terrifying experience and the song ("Possession") that came out of it. Two real-life stalkers explain their motivations. Bjork's victimizer records himself on video just moments before his suicide.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 6 - Imagemakers
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    #2 - Imagemakers

    S1:E6

    Rock 'n' roll wouldn't exist without its image, and it's been the job of rock photographers to capture that divine union of talent, passion and style that makes a singer a star. Ever since Elvis Presley melted the camera lens with his wiggling hips and pouty lips, fans have hungered for that uncensored intimacy with their idols. BTM gets inside the visionary minds who created the iconography of rock 'n' roll: from the German photographer who gave the Beatles their mop top haircuts, to Andy Warhol and his classic album art, to the young upstarts whose work appeared in the influential rock magazine Rolling Stone and eventually defined a culture. Annie Liebowitz talks about how Yoko Ono's sudden camera shyness turned into one of her greatest photographs, and fashion imagemakers like Herb Ritts talk about how they made the shift from print to video when MTV opened the doors for a whole new mode of expression.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 8 - Teddy Pendergrass
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    #3 - Teddy Pendergrass

    S1:E8

    Teddy's early experiences in life and music: "I wasn't raised with baby-sitters, my mother couldn't afford to have someone watch me. It just didn't work like that in the ghetto so because of that I had the unique opportunity to see the artists come in and out that would play the supper club (where his mother worked). It was exposure for me.On Melvin and the Blue Notes: "What I learned was priceless; I learned how to entertain. I learned how to be the best at what I could be."On the accident of March 18, 1982: "It was the most horrible experience I could have ever had in my life."His feelings after the accident: "You want to know what's going to happen to you, the hell with whether or not I'm going to sing...you go back to the basics. 'What does this mean for me?'"On Live-Aid, his first performance after the accident: "I felt relieved like a big load had been lifted from my back... I felt 'OK' so we can do this. It was one more hurdle that I had crossed."On his song Truly Blessed: "The song was natural for me to do. I wanted the world to know how I was feeling. And if there was anyone that was wondering 'Am I getting along, or what my thought's were." I was saying, 'I'm fine, this is where I am.'"On walking again: "Anything can happen tomorrow. If the technology is there tomorrow, I'll be right there in line, but, until then, it is more important to try to achieve things while I am here."

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 10 - Lilith Fair
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    #4 - Lilith Fair

    S1:E10

    In the summer of 1997, Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan launched an event that would surpass Lollapalooza as the most successful concert tour of the year. Against all odds, the women-only Lilith Fair lineup sold out arenas across the country. When the dust settled, Lilith had shown the world a different side of rock, challenging the short-sighted old-school attitude that girls don't sell records. BTM's honest look at the first Lilith tour is the ultimate backstage pass: superstars like Sheryl Crow and Jewel, and of course McLachlan and the Indigo Girls, talk about their personal struggles and triumphs as well as how it feels to be part of the cultural moment that was occurring in '97. Rock godmothers Pat Benatar and Emmylou Harris discuss their involvement in what Benatar says she'd "waited 20 years for." Other featured artists include Shawn Colvin, Meredith Brooks and Lisa Loeb. Episode highlights? A dressing room jam session between Crow and the Indigo Girls, and concert footage of the song that closed every show, Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi."

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 18 - Willie Nelson
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    #5 - Willie Nelson

    S1:E18

    With 100 albums behind him and a career that spans 50 years, you might think Willie Nelson has had a smooth ride to fame and fortune.Behind The Music sets the record straight on the life of a country legend who has endured plenty of professional and personal setbacks along with his successes.Over the years, Willie Nelson has written monster hits for the likes of Patsy Cline and Faron Young, amassed three Grammys, created country music's first multi-platinum album, and performed with everyone from Ray Charles to U2. Yet when Nelson first hit it big in 1975 with his smash album Red Headed Stranger, he was over 40, had been performing for 32 years, and had already churned out over 20 albums. Success did not come quickly for Nelson, whose resume also lists stints as a janitor and Bible and vacuum cleaner salesman. In "Willie Nelson: Behind the Music," Nelson candidly discusses the hurtles that have nearly derailed him, from his years growing up without his parents in Abbott, Texas, to his struggles to find the right record label and his monstrous problems with the IRS that began in 1978. By 1988, the IRS had charged that Nelson owed over $10 million in back taxes. Interviews with Nelson's friends and colleagues plus archival footage round out the hour.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 19 - Jerry Lee Lewis
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    #6 - Jerry Lee Lewis

    S1:E19

    Four decades have passed since the release of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire," but it's fair to say that no one has matched the sheer rock and roll excitement of the pioneering piano pounder Jerry Lee Lewis. It's also fair to say that no one has matched his misadventures: On a trip to Britain in 1958, it was revealed that Lewis had married his 13-year-old cousin Myra Hindley without divorcing his wife. Immediately afterwards, radio stations refused to play his records, only relenting when he made the move to country music. It wasn't long until Lewis began living even harder than he previously had, hitting the bottle and guzzling pills with abandon. After 13 years of marriage (which included the death of their son) Lewis divorced Hindley, only to lose several more wives and children in tragic circumstances that would shatter lesser men. But Lewis has survived as a family man and a giant in the annals of American music.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 21 - David Crosby
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    #7 - David Crosby

    S1:E21

    An advanced pop musician by anyone's standards, David Crosby has become a poster boy for a crash and burn hippie culture. From his early days with the Byrds, he had a wild twinkle in his eye, and while recording political and romantic hymns like "Wooden Ships" and "Guinevere" during the '60s and '70s, the superb vocalist was sewing the seeds of the profoundly drugged-out lifestyle to come. Crosby's friend Carl Gottlieb describes him as a fundamentalist hedonist, awash in stimulants and free sex. At first, he was able to make great music with Graham Nash and Stephen Stills, but eventually his addiction overtook his passion for music. By 1985, after his friends attempted to intervene, an Olympian appetite for cocaine had taken him from the comfort of stardom to the cold arms of the Texas prison system. Behind the Music is there as Crosby's subsequent redemption fails to prevent a life-threatening liver transplant, but ends up yielding a son he had abandoned 32 years before.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 24 - Takin' It to the Streets
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    #8 - Takin' It to the Streets

    S1:E24

    A cross-cultural look at people who sing for their supper features five different groups/artists from New York, New Orleans, Chicago and Los Angeles; features original compositions and stories from street musicians throughout the show; New Orleans segment features a profile of clarinetist Doreen Ketchens and performance footage of her (with trombonist Keith "Wolf" Anderson and others) on the streets of the French Quarter.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 27 - Joe Cocker
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    #9 - Joe Cocker

    S1:E27

    The dramatic ups and downs of Cocker's career including a recent interview before launching his April '98 tour, behind the scenes footage from his world-famous "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour, a candid look at his infamous, drug-fueled "drop-out period," and a rare, voyeristic glimpse into his personal life through the eyes of his wife, family and close friends.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 31 - Bonnie Raitt
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    #10 - Bonnie Raitt

    S1:E31

    An intimate look at one of the most successful and respected female rockers, from her early roots in Blues to her current pop/rock stardom.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 32 - Robbie Robertson
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    #11 - Robbie Robertson

    S1:E32

    Robbie Robertson reflects on the history and break-up of his critically acclaimed group, The Band. When drugs began to erode the bond that held them together, Robbie decided to put an end to the group. Their final performance together on Thanksgiving Day in 1976 was immortalized in the Scorsese-directed film, "The Last Waltz." Though the other members of The Band eventually got back together, Robbie forged ahead on his own. Robbie talks about the 20 years since he left the group-- he has composed a number of movie scores, acted in a handful of films and released three critically acclaimed solo albums. On his latest solo effort, Robbie has returned to his Native American roots, mixing such unlikely elements as peyote chants, archive recordings and a testimonial from an imprisoned Indian activist.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 34 - Tony Orlando
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    #12 - Tony Orlando

    S1:E34

    One of the hottest pop music performers of the 70's candidly discusses his struggle with cocaine addiction and his mental breakdown. Songs include "Knock Three Times," "Candida," "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)," and "What are you Doing Sunday." Orlando talks candidly about the death of his best friend, Freddy Prinze, and his sister's death due to Cerebral Palsy. Orlando is currently performing at different venues in Branson, Missouri.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 35 - Gloria Estefan
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    #13 - Gloria Estefan

    S1:E35

    The triumph and tribulations of a "Diva" who has come to symbolize the American dream. Highlights include Gloria discussing her accident, her fatherÍs death, the birth of her son in 1980 and her involvement in raising money for families devastated by the wreckage of Hurricane Andrew. Includes rare home movies footage plus interviews with family members, Jon Secada and other music associates.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 36 - Jan and Dean
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    #14 - Jan and Dean

    S1:E36

    A look at the successful 60's surf rock duo, Jan Berry and Dean Torrence. With hits like "Surf City," "Dead Man's Curve" and "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" these California crooners hit the top of the charts until Jan suffered severe brain damage from a terrible car accident in 1966. Includes interviews with Jan, who continues to write music, Dean Torrence, who has built a successful graphic arts career.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 37 - Harry Chapin
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    #15 - Harry Chapin

    S1:E37

    Singer/songwriter Harry Chapin made a successful career out of setting short stories to music with hits like "Taxi," "W.O.L.D.", "Cats in the Cradle" and "Sequel." A staunch supporter of the socially disenfranchised, Chapin raised over five million dollars for various causes, yet in an ironic twist, he died in an auto accident on July 16, 1981, while on his way to perform at a benefit concert. We hear from Chapin's wife, friends and family as they discuss the musical storyteller whose life ended too short. Features interviews with Chapin's wife, friends and family.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 38 - Gloria Gaynor
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    #16 - Gloria Gaynor

    S1:E38

    Profile of superstar Gloria Gaynor, the disco diva whose song, titled, "I Will Survive," inspired millions of fans with a confident message of hope, but for Gloria to survive, she had to overcome weight problems and agonizing self doubt. Just as Gloria was reaching the pinnacle of stardom, a freak stage accident nearly ended her career. Later, better conflict threatened her storybook marriage. Just when it seemed she put her troubles behind her, Gloria endured her greatest heart break - the brutal murder of her younger sister. When tragedy threatened to overwhelm her, the queen of disco surrendered to a higher power. Interviews with Gloria, her husband/mgr, former band members, friends and the cowriter of "I Will Survive."

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 39 - Madonna
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    #17 - Madonna

    S1:E39

    Madonna's blonde ambition was born when she was still a brunette living in Detroit. Her desire to "rule the world" drew the dancer and fledgling musician to New York's East Village, where she became a fixture on the early '80s punk scene. Those who knew her back then recall that she turned heads with a sexy ragamuffin look that would eventually spawn a world of wanna-bes. Always leading the pop zeitgeist, Madonna's music has evolved from dance-pop to earthy R&B to balladry to techno. From club scenester to cultural icon to mother (her most satisfying role yet), Madonna's moves are endlessly fascinating. She talked with BTM about the price of fame, the great love of her life, and the one "m" word she never wants to hear again.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 40 - 1968
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    #18 - 1968

    S1:E40

    A look back to the SixtiesÍ most explosive, chaotic, tragic and inspiring year. A time when youth raged in the streets, leaders were martyred, and cities burned. This episode explores some of the most exciting, enduring, influential music of our times and the stories "Behind the Music" through dramatic footage and revealing interviews with many of the great musicians who spoke for an angry, alienated generation. Includes interviews with Grace Slick, David Crosby, James Brown, Graham Nash, John Fogerty, Aretha Franklin, P.J. OÍRourke, Art Garfunkel, Rennie Davis and Country Joe McDonald.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 41 - Steppenwolf
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    #19 - Steppenwolf

    S1:E41

    Steppenwolf was a band of rock and roll wild men whose high times and big hits, "Born to be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride", could not hold the pack together. We hear from former lead bandsman, John Kay, who retired the band in the late 70's, and band mates Goldy and Nick, who attempted to bring Steppenwolf back to life, signed away their record royalties in order to do so, yet failed in the end. Today, John is touring with his band John Kay & Steppenwolf, while Nick and Goldy are still fighting to get their royalties back.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 44 - John Denver
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    #20 - John Denver

    S1:E44

    The story of one of America's most treasured singers. We are premiering this episode 1 day before the 1 year anniversary of Denver's death. Denver was a huge sensation in the 70's, with a string of hits including "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Rocky Mountain High", "Sunshine on My Shoulders" and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy". His success dipped in the 80's, yet this did not deter him from continuing to perform and devoting much of his time to environmental issues and flying. Denver was attempting a musical comeback in the 90's, but died in a plane crash while testing out an experimental plane. Includes interviews with Lyle Lovett, who discusses Denver's influence on his music, long-time friend Geraldo Rivera, Denver's two ex-wives (Annie Denver and Cassandra Delaney Denver) and his children.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 45 - Stevie Nicks
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    #21 - Stevie Nicks

    S1:E45

    She was crowned the queen of Rock & Roll. A country girl who cast a spell on the world of pop music. She ascended to the top with Fleetwood Mac, then stole the spotlight when she struck out on her own. Stevie Nicks accomplished the unprecedented feat of launching a successful solo career while still a key member of one of rock's most successful bands. Then her fairytale life was turned upside down, first by cocaine abuse, and later by a debilitating dependency on tranquilizers. But Stevie turned her pain into song, reclaiming her confidence and her career.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 46 - John Mellencamp
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    #22 - John Mellencamp

    S1:E46

    This small town boy lived the American dream, topping the charts with his tales of everyman. After two decades of hard living and endless touring, though, he paid the price, with a heart attack that nearly took his life. Our little ditty follows the heartland hero from Indiana into the arms of supermodel Elaine Irwin.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 48 - KC & The Sunshine Band
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    #23 - KC & The Sunshine Band

    S1:E48

    They blasted onto the American airwaves in the fall of 1975 with a sexy, explicit invitation to just let go...a multi-cultural group of musicians who were all about the groove..led by a charismatic singer who was convinced that someday he would make it big. KC & the Sunshine Band crossed pop melodies with disco rhythms to the tune of 75 million albums sold. But the boogie superstar would be tripped up by rock and roll excess-- his band torn apart by jealousy, paranoia and personal tragedies. KC was devastated by the death of his father and he disappeared into obscurity for a decade, before recapturing the spirit of his early years. Includes interviews with KC, his mom, his sister, his collaborator/close associate, Rick Finch and Harry Stone, the man who gave KC his first break.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 51 - Lionel Richie
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    #24 - Lionel Richie

    S1:E51

    In 1968, Lionel Richie left the self-sufficient black community of Tuskeegee, Alabama and headed for New York City with his college band, The Commodores. With their fluid funky grooves and outrageous costumes, they didn't go unnoticed for long; the group's big break came when it opened for the Jackson 5 on a world tour. They impressed all within earshot, and walked away with a Motown Records contract. The Commodores' first #1 hit was the lush ballad "Easy." It's success suggested the split to come. After "Three Times a Lady" and "Still" were embraced by the world, it was clear that Richie's remarkable voice was taking him toward a solo career. He continued to rise from there, seemingly unstoppable until a triple blow - the loss of his father, a tabloid scandal, and divorce from his college sweetheart - sent Richie into a tailspin of depression and reflection. Factor in a health scare during which he couldn't sing, and you have a real crisis. It took five years before Richie began making music again... and married his girlfriend Diane. After the birth of their son Miles, the singer says his "heart finally started working again." He also shares a tip for fledgling songwriters: "I Love You" never goes out of style. Richie's mother and his wife talk about the man, while Kenny Rogers and Dick Clark talk about the power of his songs.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 52 - Bette Midler
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    #25 - Bette Midler

    S1:E52

    The diva who could make people laugh with her bawdy performances has had to overcome many personal tragedies including the loss of her sister in an automobile accident, the death of her mother to cancer, and multiple friends to AIDS. Here, she talks candidly about bouncing back from these hardships and discusses her music & acting comeback. Includes interviews with Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Toni Basil, Ahmet Ertegun (President of Capital Records) and Jan Wenner (Publisher, Rolling Stone).

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Nowhere to Hide" is the worst rated episode of "Behind the Music". It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/21/1997. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Imagemakers".