Admit it: sometimes the gossip and unsubstantiated rumours which surround musicians can be as entertaining (and in some cases, more entertaining) than their music itself. The music world has always been prone to rivalry, jealousy and insult but few more so than the five famous feuds listed below.

Words: John Balfe

Blur vs Oasis

Even if the majority of the Blur and Oasis feud was concocted by the UK press as a means to shift copies of their dubious newspapers, there certainly was a few grains of truth mixed in with all the hyperbole and the hearsay manufactured by the media about the supposed bitter Blur/Oasis feud which permeated UK music throughout most of the 90's. The Gallagher brothers were in their pomp during this time and more than happy to fan the flames by supplying the giddy media with all manner of quotes, the most notorious of which was when Noel was quoted as saying that he hoped Blur would "catch AIDS and die."

Who won: It's probably forgotten by most but Blur and Oasis were quite supportive of each other at first but it was when they went head to head by releasing 'Roll With It' and 'Country House' on the same day that the relationship crumbled. Blur had the last laugh on this occasion though, selling 58,000 more copies than their northern rivals.

Axl Rose in happier times | WENN

Kurt Cobain vs Axl Rose

Depending on who you speak to there are a lot of different reasons for the feud between Axl Rose and Kurt Cobain. Some say it was due to Axl's jealousy at the rise of grunge music and others maintain it was because Nirvana refused an invitation to open for Guns N' Roses on their 1990 tour. Whichever way it came about, neither Kurt nor Axl were very big fans of each other.

Who won: Kurt. Things culminated at the 1992 Video Music Awards when Kurt, his wife Courtney Love and their infant daughter Frances were backstage when Axl and his then-girlfriend Stephanie Seymour walked by. According to reports, Love jokingly asked Axl to be her daughter's godfather. Perturbed, Axl brought his face within inches of Kurt's and barked: "You shut your bitch up, or I'm taking you down to the pavement!" Kurt grinned broadly, apparently at the thought of anyone telling Courtney Love what to do, replied in a robot-like voice, "Okay bitch, shut up", to the laughter of those within earshot. Stephanie Seymour then asked Courtney if she was a model. Her reply? "No. Are you a brain surgeon?" Touché. 

Miley Cyrus straddling a giant hot dog in Madrid | WENN

Miley Cyrus vs Sinead O'Connor

For a couple of days back in November the subject of a spat between Sinead O'Connor and Miley Cyrus made national headlines. It all stemmed - as most things like this do nowadays - via social media. The feud began innocently enough, when Miley cited our Sinead as an inspiration for her 'Wrecking Ball' music video (you know, the one where a half naked Cyrus straddles a giant wrecking ball and swings around the place).

Sinead's response? She wrote an open letter to Cyrus, begging her not to "prostitute herself" at the behest of the music industry.

Who won: The online community generally sided with Sinead O'Connor on this one, as Miley Cyrus' antics were largely seen as bullying and classless - particularly when she made light of mental illness by comparing Sinead to Amanda Bynes, who was tabloid fodder at the time.

Notorious B.I.G. was the East Coast's biggest star in the early 90's | WENN

Tupac Shakur vs Notorious B.I.G.

The fued between the two most influential figures in rap music was about more than a personal beef between the two men, it was a rivalry between two very distinct factions in rap music in the United States. Tupac was heralded as the uncrowned king of the West Coast rap game, while Notorious B.I.G. was his opposite number on the East Coast. While they were initially close, B.I.G. and Tupac began to drift apart and a rivalry grew as they became more famous and the media seized upon the West Coast/East Coast divide.

Who won: Neither. Both men were murdered by an unknown assailant within six months of each other. Rumours and conjecture as to who was involved in the shootings continue to this day but no one has ever been charged with either, but many suspect that the bad blood between Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. ultimately cost them both their lives.

Courtney Love has allegedly mended fences with Dave Grohl | WENN

Dave Grohl vs Courtney Love

Although it looks like they've recently buried the hatchet, the feud between former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl and Kurt Cobain's wife Courtney Love raged for two decades. The relationships between Love and the surviving members of Nirvana deteriorated into a series of very public bust-ups, with both parties taking aim at each other in public. Both Love and Grohl claimed that the other was stealing royalties owed from Nirvana's back catalogue. Grohl alleged that Kurt Cobain wrote the majority of Courtney's band Hole's best work, while Love stated that Grohl had made sexual advances to her and Kurt's daughter - a claim Grohl denied vigorously.

Who won: Courtney Love maintained ownership of Nirvana's back catalogue and in control of their music rights, much to the chagrin of Grohl and Krist Novoselic but now that they all seem to be on good terms again it might appear that Nirvana fans are the real winners here.