Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson is an alternative metal band based in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. Frequently termed "shock rock", the group's sound contains influences from heavy metal, industrial music, and glam. As a whole, Marilyn Manson is highly difficult to categorize as each album has a distinct and individual image and sound. Formed in 1989 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids, the band's uniquely theatrical performances gathered a local cult following that has, over seventeen years, developed into a worldwide fanbase.

Marilyn Manson's reputation has likewise grown, with the band now considered one of modern music's most widely-known and most controversial; this has been due, in large part, to eponymous lead singer Marilyn Manson — born Brian Warner — and his frequent clashes with religious and political figures. The name of each band member was originally created by combining the first name of an iconic female sex symbol and the last name of an iconic mass murderer or serial killer. The members of the band dress in outlandish makeup and costumes, and have engaged in intentionally shocking behavior both onstage and off. Their lyrics often receive criticism for their anti-religious sentiment and with references to sex, drugs, and violence — Marilyn Manson's music and performances have frequently been called offensive and obscene, and, more than a few times, protests and petitions have led to the group being banned from performing.

As this controversy began to wane, so did the band's mainstream popularity. Despite this, its many devoted fans have made Marilyn Manson a consistently high-profile group: three of the band's albums have been awarded platinum certification and three more have been awarded gold, and the band has seen three of its releases debut in the top ten, including two number-one albums. In June 2003, Jon Wiederhorn of MTV.com referred to Marilyn Manson as "the only true artist today".