The band is one of modern music's most controversial, due largely to frequent clashes with religious and political figures. The name of each band member was originally created by combining the first name of an iconic female sex symbol (eg Marilyn Monroe), and the last name of an iconic mass murderer or serial killer (eg Charles Manson). The members of the band dress in outlandish makeup and costumes, and have engaged in intentionally shocking behavior both onstage and off. Their lyrics often receive criticism for their anti-religious sentiment and their references to sex, violence and drugs. Marilyn Manson's music and performances have frequently been called offensive and obscene, and, on several occasions, protests and petitions have led to the group being banned from performing.
As this controversy began to wane, so did the band's mainstream popularity. Despite this, its many devoted fans have made Marilyn Manson a consistently high-profile group: three of the band's albums have been awarded platinum certification and three more have been awarded gold, and the band has seen four of its releases debut in the top ten, including two number-one albums. In June 2003, Jon Wiederhorn of MTV.com referred to Marilyn Manson as "the only true artist today". VH1 also ranked Marilyn Manson as the 78th best rock band on their 100 Great Artists of Hard Rock. As of 2010, Marilyn Manson has sold over 11 million albums in the United States.
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