Sinead in top 10 for shock value

Sinead O'Connor's on-air ripping up of a picture of the Pope has made a poll of music's most shocking moments.

Sinead tore the picture up in front of cameras on Saturday Night Live in the US in 1991.

The most shocking moment was voted to be John Lennon's murder, according to the poll of music experts by music channel VH1.

The killing of the ex-Beatle by Mark Chapman in 1980 tops a list of 100 chilling episodes in rock and pop counted down by the station this week in shows hosted by comic Vic Reeves.

Child abuse allegations levelled against Michael Jackson came second in the list drawn up by music industry figures in the US and UK for the channel.

Lennon also features again in the top 10 for his comment that the Beatles were ‘‘bigger than Jesus’’ which outraged in the Sixties.

Other events featuring in the list include Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s sex video being seen by a wider public (number 20), George Michael’s arrest for indecent exposure (28) and David Bowie being pictured giving a Nazi salute at Victoria Station (37).

The countdown reaches a peak with the top 20 being broadcast on Friday, with a repeat of the full 100 the following day.

The top 10 is:

1. John Lennon is murdered (1980).

2. Michael Jackson is accused of sexual abuse (1993).

3. Murder during the Rolling Stones performance at Altamont free festival (1969).

4. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain commits suicide (1994).

5. Marvin Gaye is shot dead by his father (1984).

6. Fans killed in stampede at concert by The Who (1979).

7. Producer reveals that Milli Vanilli did not sing on their Grammy-winning worldwide hits (1990).

8. Rioting at the Woodstock ’99 festival (1999).

9. Sinead O’Connor rips up a picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live in the US (1991).

10. John Lennon says The Beatles are ‘‘bigger than Jesus’’ (1966).