1985–1990 · USA
Hidden satanic messages in heavy metal!
Heavy metal and the PMRC
Panic meter
The verdict
The parents’ group PMRC singled out lyrics about sex, violence and the occult. It ended with a warning sticker on album covers.
Reality meter
What was said?
In 1985, Tipper Gore and other political wives in Washington founded the Parents Music Resource Center. It published a list, "the Filthy Fifteen", featuring songs by Prince, Madonna, Judas Priest and Twisted Sister, among others.
In September 1985 the Senate held a hearing at which musicians such as Frank Zappa, Dee Snider and John Denver testified. Meanwhile, it was claimed that records played backwards concealed satanic messages.
The verdict: what happened next?
No hidden messages capable of influencing listeners could be demonstrated. The compromise was the Parental Advisory label, which record companies put on albums with explicit lyrics.
Among many teenagers the label had the opposite effect: it became a mark of quality.
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