'The Interview' Debut Cancelled Due to Terrorist Threats, Possibly from North Korea; Four Outside Events That Altered Music Releases

The United States is having one of the more interesting political conversations in recent years, and it surrounds the subject of a comedy movie based around a spoof assassination attempt on one of the world's most notorious and curiosity inducing dictators. The Interview was to follow Seth Rogen and James Franco on their probably comic attempt to knock off Kim Jung-un.

This concept drove the North Korean government to an incredible rage. Hackers that federal investigators believe are located in North Korea got into Sony's website, culminating in a series of threats promising another 9/11 if the film were to hit theaters. North Korea is generally regarded as a comical "enemy" to the United States, the world's greatest military superpower, but nonetheless: The state has nuclear weapons and it referenced 9/11...two things that set us on edge.

So the moral conversation is such? Are we "letting the terrorists win" by canceling the debut of The Interview? Is it better to "live free or die trying"? Or was Sony's final; decision the right one ethically?

Music has never had issues this dramatic to deal with when opting to release an album. Still, a few releases saw huge changes due to world events.

9/11

You knew that it had to be on top of this list. September 11th was one of the most earthshaking events in American history and it shook every industry to its roots. No albums were outright cancelled because of the terrorist attack but many alterations were made as to avoid comparisons with the attack. Dream Theater featured a flaming New York City skyline on the cover of its Live Scenes From New York...that was quickly recalled and altered. Bush changed the name of its most recent single dramatically from "Speed Kills" to "The People That We Love." Jimmy Eat World even went as far back to change its July album from that year from Bleed American to simply self-titled. Slayer did not feel the need to alter the title of its God Hates Us All.

The Japanese Tsunami of 2012

Understandably, Japan's huge music industry was thrown off when a tsunami struck the nation's east coast and tore life in many of it's seaside cities asunder. Record labels were sensitive and pushed back a great many albums releases while the nation rebuilt and even had its acts record special benefit singles and albums to raise funds for recovery. The problem: Publications figured out that SMAP AID, a charity greatest hits compilation from the band SMAP, was selling for around $40 and roughly 1 percent of that was actually making its way to organizations.

Smile

At what point does one interfere with the work of an artist when it becomes clear that they're killing themselves in order to make it? Brian Wilson, honcho of the Beach Boys, was the most ambitious musician of the '60s and was subsequently plagued in his attempts to keep up with The Beatles across the pond (who loved his music, for what it's worth). The Beach Boys dropped the legendary Pet Sounds and Wilson was immediately blown away by Revolver. He jumped right back even more hardcore than he did on Pet Sounds, going to crazy lengths, such as recording 90 hours of music to create the three-minute masterpiece "Good Vibrations." Ultimately however his family decided he was working himself to madness and the record label decided he wads working them to the poorhouse so all parties pressured him to shut the project down. Brian Wilson Presents Smile saw the light in 2004 but we'll probably never get the full scope of his master project.

Aaliyah's Posthumous Recording

This project got a crazy amount of media but was eventually shut down after pressure from the late star's family as well as collaborators Timbaland and DMX showed disdain for the project. Producer Noah "40" Shebib was heavily involved in the project but cited Aaliyah's mother's formal disapproval as the main reason he left. That said, he tried to make it seem as if he weren't in the wrong, stating in interviews that Drake's involvement was the real reason why everyone was against the posthumous collection. Unfortunately the public pressure didn't cause Lifetime to cancel its poorly received biopic from earlier this year.

Tags

The Beach Boys, Aaliyah, Drake, Jimmy Eat World, Dream Theater, Bush