How about this for a subject? I thought of it because of the recent Metallica hoax.
At the moment the only other hoax I can think of right offhand is the "Paul Is Dead" one in the 60's.
What about the "Klaatu are the Beatles"? hoax? Or is that more of a publicity stunt?
One of the classics I know of involved the supergroup called "The Masked Maraunders". I'm taking this from Rhino Handmade Records' website:
"Imagine the following scene taking place in San Francisco, a few months pre-Altamont, circa mid-October, 1969. Rock 'n' roll scribe T.M. Christian has just turned in a favorable review of The Masked Marauders' debut album to his editor at Rolling Stone Magazine.
"Now, further imagine the Rolling Stone Copy Editor looking over Christian's review with bemusement as he wonders just who this new reviewer is and why he's never met the man. Nevertheless, he scans Christian's review of this group's eponymous effort, reading how the group members have been forced to conceal their true identities for 'contractual reasons', but reads that the album's recordings were the combined efforts from a one-off session by John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan.
"Christian proceeds to describe the contents therein, writing that the double-LP opens side one with an 18-minute version of Donovan's 'Season Of The Witch', which features Bob Dylan's lead vocal doing a 'superb imitation of early Donovan', and features a stellar performance by Paul McCartney, playing both bass and piano in a duet with himself. There are versions of 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and 'In The Midnight Hour'… Side four features Bob Dylan's 'Cow Pie', and Mick Jagger's new instant classic, 'I Can't Get No Nookie.'
"If you've read this far and haven't already sussed it for yourself, The Masked Marauders' album reviewed in the pages of Rolling Stone regretfully never existed. Christian was none other than Rolling Stone scribe Greil Marcus having a bit of fun at the expense of his readers. A few weeks later, on Wednesday, October 18, 1969, Ralph J. Gleason, a writer for The San Francisco Chronicle, broke the news in his 'On The Town' column that the whole thing was a joke, calling the review "a delightful bit of instant mythology."
"Marcus and fellow Rolling Stone critic/editor Langdon Winner decided to take the gag a step further by recruiting a group from Berkeley called The Cleanliness And Godliness Skiffle Band to go into the studio and record a group of songs somewhat matching those described in the original Rolling Stone review, right down to imitating the voices of the famous singers putatively involved. Incidentally, The Cleanliness And Godliness Skiffle Band, who have been described as 'an 'acid'-influenced skiffle band', were the real deal. Marcus took the tapes down to KMPX-FM, another local San Francisco radio station, who put them on the air. Almost immediately the switchboards lit up with excited callers wanting to know more about the band.
"The Masked Marauders cut a deal for $15,000 with Warner Bros., and their album was released on Deity Records. The record company didn't want to fully mislead music buyers, of course, and so they included the original Rolling Stone review by Marcus, err... 'T.M. Christian,' who also penned the album's tongue-in-cheek liner notes."
np - Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd
"It's all one song." - Neil Young
Then there's the recent one in which a pair of radio shock jocks reported on air that Britney Spears and her toyboy, Justin Timberlake, had died in an auto accident. That news caused a panic amongst Britney's teeny-bop fans.
And of course, there's the perennial classic: "Elvis is still alive." Just a variation of the Jim Morrison is still alive rumor/hoax.
np - Ultimate Collection - Black N' Blue
"It's all one song." - Neil Young
There's a widely circulated hoax that Celine Dion can actually sing.
Don't know if she can or not, Rodney, but her heart will go on.. and on... and on... and on... and on... and on... until we get sick and barf.
Oh, here's a good one I just remembered. The 60's garage band The Left Banke (famous for the oft-covered hit "Walk Away Renee") were only able to print a limited number of pressings of their last single. The A-side of this was titled "Myrah" and the B-Side "Pedestal". Because of the small number of copies made, this single very quickly became a scarce and valuable item. Although serious record collectors knew of the disc's existence, very few of them had even ever heard the two songs.
Erick Lindgren, a Pennsylvania musician who worked in various local bands (the most well-known being TNT), was a huge Left Banke fan. However, he was also one of those fans who had been unable to secure a copy of or to ever hear "Myrah/Pedestal", although he had seen a front and back photograph of the disc in a record collection magazine.
Using this and his knowledge of the Left Banke's style, Lindgren decided to pull off his hoax. He composed and performed his own versions of songs with the same titles as those on the single, employing a singer he had worked with before who had a voice similar to that of the Banke's Steve Martin. Lindgren even made sure that the running times of his two pastiches matched those given on the label in the photograph of the original single. Then Lindgren advertised among his circle of collector friends, saying that he had a taped copy of the two precious Banke songs. For a while, a number of collectors fell for the ruse until one became suspicious because Lindgren made the mistake of recording the songs in stereo instead of mono.
Lindgren's "Pedestal" actually became one of the best songs he ever made in his minor-league career. When he later got to hear the actual "real" versions of the two Left Banke songs, he even declared his version of "Pedestal" superior to the original, although he admitted his "Myrah" was a poor effort.
Some Music Myths:
Bob Dylan got the Dylan part of his stage name (he's was born Robert Zimmerman) from Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. This has been rubbished at least once in interviews.
Rod Stewart played the harmonica solo on Milly's My Boy Lollypop, which is another non-truth, but I've not been able to prove it either way.
Then there's the legend of Keith Richards having his blood completely replaced to kick his addictions
Then there's the recent one in which a pair of radio shock jocks reported on air that Britney Spears and her toyboy, Justin Timberlake, had died in an auto accident.
Well, he did kill anyone else's chance of being the lucky bastard to take her virginity.
Don't know if she can or not, Rodney, but her heart will go on.. and on... and on... and on... and on... and on... until we get sick and barf.
You mean you haven't already yet? Is your stomache really that strong, or your pain level really that high? 
Don't know if she can or not, Rodney, but her heart will go on.. and on... and on... and on... and on... and on... until we get sick and barf.
You mean you haven't already yet? Is your stomache really that strong, or your pain level really that high? 
No. Why do you think I crashed into that iceberg?
There's the big hoax that the scream used in "Love Rollercoaster" was an actual scream of a woman being killed: http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/roller.htm
Hey, what about established artists pretending to be someone else? Not like Sgt. Pepper or Ziggy Stardust, where everyone knows who the real artist is, I mean the kind of thing where the artist's identity is kept secret. Garth Brooks' outing as Chris Ganes is the most recent that I can think of. Also, XTC released some excelent music under the identity The Dukes of Stratosphear in the 80s. The Four Seasons released several singles credited to The Wonder Who?; one of which, a cover of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice", made the top 20.
Quote:Then there's the recent one in which a pair of radio shock jocks reported on air that Britney Spears and her toyboy, Justin Timberlake, had died in an auto accident.
Well, he did kill anyone else's chance of being the lucky bastard to take her virginity.
She claims he was the only one.
I don't remember, but has it ever been confirmed whether or not Donna Summer really had orgasms while recording her hit, Love To Love You, Baby? I know she's denied it before and IIRC, until recently avoided singing it anymore, till deciding to change some lyrics, or something to that effect.
And Clinton claims he's didn't cheat on Hilary.
Scott, she's had more pork in her than your average grocery store.
Sorry, CC, I'm no fan of hers, but document your claim.
Mark, I believe they were supposed to be faked. At least that's what I heard on the radio.
The snopes site is a fairly good colection of hoaxes. I like the one about John Denver serving in Vietnam as a sniper. Totally unbelievable even before it was revealed he was rejected for the draft due to his eyesite, not to metion losing some toes in a lawnmower accident.
Did Britney even admit "doing it" with Justin, or is that just conjecture?
She admitted it.
I'm confused.
What was the point of Britney Spears even getting married to Jason Allen Alexander seeing they arranged for an annulment already?
I don't buy "It was a joke" story at all.
They should've thought about that BEFORE they got married.
They were drunk and horny?
If you were drunk with Britney Spears, wouldn't you marry her if the offer came up?
I wonder if they even consummated the marriage? I'd at least make I did that before the annulment. (This all assumes I was of the proper age. I'm too old for Britney when it comes down to it.)
You can call me 'Dr. Music'." - Blue Öyster Cult
No. I marry for love, not lust.
If you were drunk with Britney Spears, wouldn't you marry her if the offer came up?
Three things have to happen:
1. Hell freezes over.
2. The Jewish people forgive Hitler and the Nazis for the Holocaust.
3. The Pope leaves the Catholic Church and becomes a Hindu.
Then, maybe.
Nah, I was married once. It's a bad fit.
A new hoax has happened recently. First, Motorhead's Lemmy supposedly admitted to being a bisexual. But it was just a bunch of false rumors.
There were rumours earlier this year that legendary bassist Andy Fraser had died. They turned out to be a hoax, although Fraser is currently living with AIDS.
I wonder if they even consummated the marriage? I'd at least make I did that before the annulment.
I thought once consummated annulment was out and divorce was the only option.
What about the pizza guy allegedly laying down the piano track on Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Taking Care of Business"?
ToRgO?!!
Snopes on Taking Care of Business
Here's a wild, wild tale of a hoax perpetuated by a true "Great Pretender" of Rock 'n Roll. Like the Erick Lindgren story above, this one also coincidentally involves the Left Banke.
http://www.lysergia.com/LamaWorkshop/Kacz/lamaKacz.htm