Back to This Week in Music History: November 11 - 17
November 14, 2000: The Offspring Give Away $1 Million to a Fan
Brenda Chase, Getty
Pop-punk band The Offspring gave away $1 million of their own money to 14-year-old fan Ashley Hitchcock for winning a trivia contest on MTV's Total Request Live.
Fans who downloaded the song "Original Prankster" from the band's 2000 album Conspiracy of One were automatically entered into a draw to win the money.
The promotional campaign was probably worth it at the time -- Conspiracy of One went platinum in six countries -- but subsequent albums haven't fared nearly as well and the band might have been better off saving that dough instead.
