by Brian GalindoBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffSenior Editor, Nostalgia Nerd

By 1984, Billy Squier was one of the biggest rock stars in the US, coming off massive hits like "The Stroke," "Lonely Is the Night," and "Everybody Wants You." But everything changed when he released the music video for "Rock Me Tonite," which featured pastel outfits, awkward dance moves, and bedroom choreography that felt completely at odds with the tough, blue-collar rock image fans associated with him.

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At the time, MTV was new and the biggest thing around for music. Because a visual medium exclusively for music hadn't existed like that before, the channel could make or break a career overnight, and the backlash was immediate and brutal. Fans mocked the video relentlessly, and many critics later pointed to it as one of the most damaging music videos ever made for an established artist. Even though the song itself was a hit, the video hurt his credibility. Squier later admitted he hated the video and felt pressured into making it, but by then the damage had already been done. While he continued releasing music afterward, many people see "Rock Me Tonite" as the single career move that permanently derailed his time at the top.

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Before 2008, Mike Myers was one of the biggest comedy stars in Hollywood thanks to massive hits like the Austin Powers movies, Wayne's World, and, of course, Shrek. He was a pretty much guaranteed box-office draw, and for years his goofy, character-driven humor had been hugely successful with audiences. But then came The Love Guru, a comedy Myers co-wrote and starred in about a self-help guru helping a hockey player save his marriage.

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The movie was savaged by critics, criticized for offensive stereotypes, and became one of the most mocked comedies of the '00s. Even though Myers had spent years developing the project, audiences largely rejected it, and the film bombed both critically and commercially. After The Love Guru flopped, Myers almost completely disappeared as a live-action leading man, with his career shifting mostly to occasional supporting roles, cameos, and Shrek sequels.

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In the 1980s, Sean Young was a major rising star after standout roles in movies like Blade Runner, Dune, and No Way Out. She was known for her talent and willingness to challenge directors and studios, which gave her a reputation as "difficult" behind the scenes. Young was originally cast as Vicki Vale in Tim Burton's Batman, which fans thought was great casting. However, while rehearsing a horse-riding scene for the movie, in which her character meets Bruce Wayne, she fell off the horse and fractured her arm, prompting the studio to replace her at the last minute with Kim Basinger. To add insult to literal injury, the horse-riding scene was cut from the script, and how the characters meet was rewritten.

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Of course, Batman went on to become a HUGE hit, and a sequel was greenlit. Young then embarked on an infamous and aggressive campaign to play Catwoman in Batman Returns after the role opened up. She reportedly showed up to the studio lot dressed in a homemade Catwoman costume and publicly pushed hard for the part, which many executives and insiders saw as desperate and unprofessional. Even though the stunt got media attention, the role ultimately went to Michelle Pfeiffer (who herself was a last-minute replacement for Annette Bening, who had to drop out because she was pregnant), and her performance became iconic. While there were several factors behind her career slowdown, many people point to the Batman Returns controversy as the turning point.

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Madonna started out her acting career by getting rave reviews for her performance in 1985's Desperately Seeking Susan, however she was labeled box office poison after a string of flops that followed, like Shanghai Surprise and Body of Evidence. But by the late '90s, Madonna had spent years trying to prove she was more than just a pop superstar and actually seemed close to pulling it off. Her performance in 1996's Evita earned strong reviews, won her a Golden Globe, generated serious Oscars buzz, and convinced many critics that she might successfully transition into serious acting.

That momentum came crashing down with Swept Away, the 2002 remake directed by her then-husband Guy Ritchie. The film was panned by critics, mocked for its performances and writing, and became one of the biggest box-office disasters of the year. It was so poorly received that it "swept" the Razzies, with Madonna once again becoming an easy target for critics who had long questioned her acting ability. In the years since, many people see the movie as the project that permanently ended her chances of being

Celebrities Who Ruined Their Careers With One Bad Move