Controversial singers! ... And why we'll never have another Dolly Parton episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 15, 2025 · 1H 20M

Controversial singers! ... And why we'll never have another Dolly Parton

from How We Heard It · host howweheardit

Seems like every day another performer has said the wrong thing or done the wrong thing. And if we like them, that's just more spice in the sauce. And if we don't, we just hate them even more. But the controversy wheel just keeps on spinning, regardless of how you feel. It could be a manufactured scandal, like a diss track, or something out of control, like an act of violence. Sometimes it's hard to know if it was planned or not - you know, like when one singer pulls the top off another singer during the Super Bowl halftime show. On this week's episode of "How We Heard It," your hosts spin through some of the biggest and some of the strangest controversies ignited by musicians, either by design or by accident. They poke through scandals from recent years and look back at some from decades ago to see how they hold up now. For example, most of Madonna's shenanigans from the 1980s seem rather tame by today's standards. But on the flipside, you might be surprised (and disappointed) to learn how many of your favorite singers from classic rock days were routinely sleeping with underage fans ... and how it generated relatively little concern back then. Your hosts also look at the current social environment and how performers are forced into controversy against their will and how stars are no longer allowed to be neutral about issues. This is why Taylor Swift couldn't be another Dolly Parton, even if she tried. (Why is everybody always mad about everything all the time?)  So join us and find out if your favorite singers have been naughty or nice ... and if it changes how you feel about them, for better or worse.

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Controversial singers! ... And why we'll never have another Dolly Parton

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