Top 10 Reality TV Shows: A Glimpse into the Lives of Musicians

Music-themed reality TV shows have undoubtedly become a viewer favourite, with shows like "The Voice" and "American Idol" reigning supreme on network programming over the past two decades. Additionally, other popular reality series have also come out documenting the day-to-day lives of famous families, such as the Kardashian clan.

The idea of combining both concepts seems like a logical fit. Bringing established musicians and their loved ones together and showcasing them in front of a camera has resulted in a slew of entertaining reality shows. Through reality TV, fans of music have been granted a more intimate peek into the lives of their favourite artists.

The Osbournes

Perhaps the most triumphant reality show centred around a music icon, "The Osbournes" lasted for an impressive four seasons running from 2002 to 2005. It even snagged the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction Reality Program in 2002. The show focused on the one-and-only Ozzy Osbourne, lead vocalist of Black Sabbath, his wife, celebrated talk show host Sharon Osbourne, and their two children, Jack and Kelly.

Fans loved getting an inside look at the family's private lives. While Ozzy was no stranger to the camera, having made several memorable movie appearances, it was seeing how he interacted with his family that captivated audiences. Unfortunately, the show is not available for streaming, although the DVD set can still be purchased.

Love & Hip Hop: New York

The "Love & Hip Hop" franchise boasts various spin-offs but the original "Love & Hip Hop: New York" definitely stands out as the franchise's most important series. It premiered in 2011 and is tied with "Atlanta" for having the longest run of ten seasons.

As per its name, the show centres around the careers and love lives of hip-hop artists based in New York. Among the notable faces to make appearances on the show are Cardi B, Remy Ma, Joe Budden, Papoose, and Juelz Santana. It primarily focuses on the women trying to break into a male-dominated industry and offers a revealing behind-the-scenes look for hip-hop enthusiasts. The entire series can be streamed from a few different websites, all of which can be accessed through this link.

Gene Simmons: Family Jewels

In 2005, following the conclusion of The Osbournes, Gene Simmons: Family Jewels took over as the primary rockstar reality show. Spanning an impressive seven seasons and over 150 episodes from 2006-2012, the series centered around the Kiss rocker Gene Simmons and his incredibly successful family, including his model wife and daughter, as well as his voice-over actor son.

Similar to Ozzy's show, Gene Simmons: Family Jewels showcased the Simmons family in various situations that arose as a result of their fast-paced lives. Each family member had their own career, resulting in a wide array of episode topics that didn't excessively focus on Gene. Most episodes are available for streaming on the A&E website.

While Meet The Barkers only lasted two seasons with sixteen episodes, the show’s stars have recently found their way back into the spotlight. The program centered around the married life of Blink 182's drummer, Travis Barker, and his wife at the time, Shanna Moakler, and chronicled their daily routine at home with their three children from 2005 to 2006. They divorced soon after the show ended, and any thoughts of a reboot vanished. Barker is now engaged to Kourtney Kardashian, while Moakler had a stint on Celebrity Big Brother season three. His original show can be found on YouTube, while Travis will feature on the upcoming Hulu series, The Kardashians.

Supergroup was an innovative and fresh idea that brought together five veteran rockers with diverse performing backgrounds, including Sebastian Bach, Jason Bonham, Scott Ian, Ted Nugent, and Evan Seinfeld. The show moved the band into a home for twelve days to create music and perform together as a band. They eventually called themselves "Damnocracy." Despite the promising concept, the series only lasted one season. The band released only one original song and never recorded any finalized studio albums. The band achieved their goal of performing in a concert, but they didn't make any significant strides in the music industry. They broke up in 2010, four years after the show ended. The seven episodes of the show are still available for streaming on YouTube.

The union of eldest Jonas Brother, Kevin, and Danielle Jonas in 2009 sent fans into a state of disappointment as it led to a band hiatus. However, in 2012, the group resurfaced and premiered a reality TV show entitled Married to Jonas, which offered an exclusive peek into the couple's daily lives. The first season heavily emphasized the return of the famous family band, while the second season primarily centered on Kevin and his wife. Spanning sixteen episodes, the show provides an opportunity to catch up on Kevin's musical talent and Danielle's initial business forays. NBC's website facilitates streaming the complete series.

Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life is a two-season MTV show that provides viewers an inside look at musician Kesha's life from 2011 to 2012. The award-winning performer, who achieved two number one hits with "TiK ToK" and "We R Who We R," collaborated with her filmmaker brother, Lagan Sebert, to create this production. While the first season sticks to her professional career, including clips from her Get Sleazy Tour and studio sessions for her album, Warrior, season two went in another direction and focused more on her family and personal life. Most of the fourteen episodes can be viewed on YouTube.

Much like Married To Jonas, Married to Rock is a show centered around documenting the lives of rockstars' wives. This program only lasted one season, with eight episodes that aimed to debunk rock and roll stereotypes of rampant drug use, constant touring, and groupies. The show strived to show that rocker families share more similar traits with average people. Viewers can watch the entire series on NBC's website.

The reality show Snoop Dogg's Father Hood centers on the legendary rapper's family life, showing his side that is not often seen by the public. The program provides a glimpse of him taking care of his family and assumes the role of a family man, finding a balance between his career and household responsibilities.

It can be argued that Snoop Dogg is one of the most recognizable rappers in existence owing to his appearances in a diverse range of media. With well over 20 albums to his name, a plethora of popular movies, and a TV show with none other than lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, Snoop Dogg's fame is unrivaled. What many people may not know, however, is that he also had a reality show. Snoop Dogg's Father Hood ran for two seasons and showcased the rapper's personal life with his family.

The show takes us into Snoop's world as he tries to balance his responsibilities as an entertainer, businessman, and father. His wife Shante and three children Cori, Cordell, and Corde feature prominently throughout the series, with an appearance by British soccer star David Beckham. You can find the show on Amazon Prime for streaming if you're in specific locations.

Rock of Love with Bret Michaels

Since Bret Michaels, a well-known musician and actor starred in it, Rock of Love was a reality dating show that bears similarities to The Bachelor, but this time with a rockstar in the spotlight. The show lasted for three seasons, with three different women "winning" a chance to go on a date with Bret.

Although Bret was given a chance to do a fourth season, he chose instead to carry on with a show that focused solely on his life: Bret Michaels: Life as I Know It. However, the show was not a success and lasted just one season with nine episodes before it was cancelled. You can stream the show for free with ads on Amazon.

NEXT: Check out these 10 reality shows about the lives of athletes.