The 10 most controversial classic rock albums
If rock ‘n’ roll is the sound of rebellion, then the guitar is a shield that cuts through the air like a revelation. Those who make rock music, regardless of the subgenre, be it heavy metal, grunge or classic, have been at the forefront of controversy for decades. Bands from The Rolling Stones to Slayer have been on the receiving end of concerned parents, angry forums and lawsuits since they started playing, and they’ve left some pretty controversial albums in their wake.
The form of this controversy varies. A lot of rock music is built on the foundation of sex, drugs and partying. It means some songs celebrating these elements within a lifestyle are met with scorned expressions as people said they didn’t pass down a positive message to future generations.
On the other hand, because of rock music’s close ties with the devil and all things hellish, it was at the forefront of the satanic panic, where people believed that rock musicians were the product of Satan and should be stopped at all costs. Many artists leant into this controversy and wrote tracks from the devil’s point of view that celebrated evil.
All of these different facets of rock music have caused great controversy. Here are ten of the most controversial records ever released.
The most controversial rock albums ever
The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet
While a lot of us look back at the Satanic panic and see it as a source of comedy, it was a real worry for a lot of God-loving conservatives. Throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, the devil played a big part in a lot of music and art. Satanic horror movies were all the rage, and artists were willing to adopt the controversy that came with seeming to side with Satan.
The Rolling Stones did this with their album Beggars Banquet. The opening track was ‘Sympathy for the Devil’, in which the band discussed atrocities in human history from the devil’s point of view. In the song, they embodied the evil spirit of Beelzebub, much to the distaste of many listeners. They also weren’t allowed to use their original album cover of a toilet covered in graffiti, as people thought it was too obscene.
Judas Priest – Stained Class
Judas Priest was always at the root of controversy because of their striking look, an affinity for the devil and songs about sex and partying. These themes aren’t why the band found themselves amid controversy with their album Stained Class, though. The reason is much sadder than that, and it’s also one that the band aren’t linked to.
The controversy around the album came when two boys decided to take their own lives while listening to the song ‘Better By You, Better Than Me’. The boys’ parents said the band had hidden subliminal messages in the track that repeated: “Do it.” Naturally, there is no causal link between the album and the boy’s deaths; in fact, the song itself isn’t a Judas Priest original but is a cover of Spooky Tooth.
Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols
The punk movement was a rallying cry for the working class, utterly relentless in the way that it talked truth to power and dominated the airwaves. When the album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols was released, it wholly split opinion down the middle. A lot of people loved it and were happy a band was finally vocalising internal frustrations, but others found it obscene.
The use of language throughout the record, the aggressive nature of the instrumentation, and the hostile approach taken towards the government, country, and monarchy were a step too far for many people. They hoped punk would be a blip on the radar, but it still resonates in many mainstream works today.
Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine
If people thought that the Sex Pistols were outlandish and anti-establishment, they only had just over a decade to wait until a band would come along that made the Sex Pistols look politically correct. Rage Against the Machine remains one of the most divisive bands on the planet, as their unwavering stance on social issues and affinity for the shocking continue to rub some people the wrong way.
While plenty of politically charged albums have been made, none seem to come as close to delivering a healthy helping of fire and fury as Rage Against the Machine’s debut does. The coupling of rap and rock over the chaotic guitar playing of Tom Morello was a combination made in heaven (or hell, depending on your viewpoint). Never has an album lined up sonically and lyrically as well as Rage’s did, but because of the opinionated nature of the band, they split the audience in half.
Marilyn Manson – Mechanical Animals
Marilyn Manson was hardly a figure who shied away from controversy; his aggressive and industrial stage act and music caused many people to turn their noses up at his releases. However, his most controversial album was Mechanical Animals.
It wasn’t just that it subscribed to the usual Manson style that already rubbed so many people the wrong way, but the record was tied with the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. People accused Manson’s music of influencing the people responsible for the massacre. Other work by Manson has also previously appeared in murder trials as evidence. Of course, Manson is now making headlines for entirely different and highly alarming reasons.
Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard of Ozz
Ozzy Osbourne has always been referenced as a satanic lunatic. When you have a reputation for biting the heads of bats and writing songs about demons, it’s a pretty easy link to make. Much of his solo work, which he put out after Black Sabbath, is considered controversial, but one of his most head-turning records was Blizzard of Ozz.
Blizzard of Ozz was a good album as far as the instrumentation is concerned, but the lyrics were considered controversial. The horrendous nature of some of the words was allegedly the reason that a young man named John McCollum took his own life.
Guns N’ Roses – Lies
Guns N’ Roses have never shied away from embracing sex, drugs, and the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. While their songs have always touched upon various themes, the idea of partying and giving into the chaotic side of rock was always at the centre of everything they did. However, their album Lies took things too far for many people.
Axl Rose has never been politically correct with his lyrics, but some of his efforts on this album were seen as a step too far. The song ‘One In a Million’ was a particular standout, as his words were laced with racism and homophobia.
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin were musical pioneers. How they implemented different genres and different rock styles to create something new was inspiring. It was hard to turn away from the compelling sound of Zeppelin as it dominated the musical landscape and changed how people approached rock music.
With their fame also came controversy. They were accused of copying many bands with their music and of being satanic. People were shocked by their musical prowess, to the point that they believed the band had sold their souls to the devil to acquire their talents. Their fourth album was shrouded in mystery, unnamed, laced with symbolism and an attempt to make the band appear more obscene. As a result, it was one of their most controversial records.
Nirvana – In Utero
Nirvana were the frontrunners of grunge. They were deeply opinionated and never worried about making their political voices heard, regardless of who it might offend in the process. One of the reasons that In Utero was controversial was that their fans were divided as to whether they should continue with the polished sound of Nevermind or lean into Steve Albini’s form of production and make something new.
Another controversial element of the album came in the form of ‘Rape Me’, a song Kurt Cobain wrote about a woman who had been kidnapped by a man and managed to escape. A lot of radios wouldn’t play the song because of the explicit lyrics, and many supermarkets that played it were forced to use an edited version.
Slayer – Reign in Blood
Slayer and the heavy metal genre, in general, have always been littered with controversy. The aggressive nature of the music paired with the satanic imagery has been enough to get people’s backs up for decades. Concerned parents see it as the perfect storm, a foundation for rebellion, and built into the foundation is Slayer’s 1986 album Reign in Blood.
The album was met with divided opinions as the lyrics focused on hell, pain, suffering and some of the biggest atrocities in human history. One song that people particularly hated was ‘Angel of Death’, which spoke about the nazi doctor Josef Mengele.
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