Sinead O'Connor, October 3, 1992

The Performance: Following an a capella version of Bob Marley’s 'War,' the outspoken singer tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II while declaring: “Fight the real enemy.” 'SNL' promptly banned her from the show and replaced the live 'War' with footage from the Pope-free version she had done in rehearsal.

Career Impact: The scandal -- along with a few other incidents -- certainly had an impact on O’Connor’s mainstream appeal, but the singer’s critical success extended well into the 2000s with a combination of pop, reggae, and traditional Irish music. Even now that her life is back in the tabloids, she’s still managing to collaborate with major talents like Mary J Blige and perform a Golden Globe-nominated song ('Lay Your Head Down' from 'Albert Noobs'). Though her recent suicide attempt and on-again-off-again love life has taken its toll, her fans know that nothing compares to O'Connor.