I genuinely think Britney. She got blacklisted in so many places and was talked about so much in her time. She really redefined modern pop music, taking it out of the Madonna age and into the modern age

OT: Gaga and Eminem of course.

I don't see how Britney and MJ caused controversy with their music. Maybe personal lives

Your forgetting nicki since Kanye is there

Ye, Madge, MJ, Em

Rihanna isn't really controversial

Madonna
then Gaga
then Xtina during the Dirrty era

MJ, Madonna and Em

I voted for Madonna, Michael, Britney and Eminem.

Britney's lolita image was a HUGE HUGE thing in the beginning of her career, one of the reasons BOMT was so big.

And nothing tops MJ in the controversial department.

Although Eminem is controversial (lyricly) he never faced even half the backlash people like Madonna and Kanye faced and we all know why

Eminem and Kanye also fit in the category, but Eminem was way more controversial in the early 00's than Kanye has been the last few years.

MJ wasn't controversial as a pop star; he was controversial as a pedophile.

Kanye has set the media ablaze several times: claiming that Bush 'doesn't care about black people'; disrupting Taylor Swift at the VMAs and being being vilified by the entire world (having to go into hiding and even leaving the U.S.); his outrageous statements throughout the 'Yeezus' era; his entire relationship with Kim Kardashian.

Nicki Minaj hasn't done anything truly polarising - not that I can think of anyway - she's just risqué, which isn't controversial unless you're a former child star.

Why is Beyonce even an option. She's barely polarizing and is one of the most admired artists by the GP.

I wasn't alive when Madonna had all the controversy compared to me being in ELEMENTARY school and people were making MJ jokes about him bleaching his skin to be white, pedo references etc.

Madonna is in the league of her own here.

Voted for Kanye too though, cause everything that comes out of his mouth causes controversy.

Michael Jackson. From the accusations of sex abuse, to the abuse he suffered from his own father, to his changing features and skin color, to his eccentric behavior, etc.

I always find it kinda funny how successful Madonna was back then because the sheer amount of people she pissed off... Also Janet's nipple-gate.

Michael's frustrations were visible through his music but he always conveyed them in a tasteful way I think. But yeah the controversy surrounding his private life was sadly palpable.

MJ, MDNA, and LG - the pop trinity

Almost having your career derailed (twice!) by child molestation allegations is not the same as being controversial. People were disgusted, not titillated.