In the late 1980s, the music industry suddenly found itself in the middle of a very public, nasty fight over artistic freedom and censorship. The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was co-founded by Tipper Gore and Susan Baker. They created a list of 15 popular songs they deemed inappropriate, calling it the “Filthy Fifteen.” They produced a 60-page document that highlighted things in music they deemed “objectionable.” This list was particularly aimed at prominent rock acts such as AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Mötley Crüe, and more.
The PMRC’s campaign reached new heights when they orchestrated Senate hearings in September 1985. During these hearings, Frank Zappa, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, and John Denver passionately defended artistic freedom against what they perceived as encroaching censorship. The PMRC’s “Filthy Fifteen” list and the PMRC’s mission to label and censor music with explicit lyrics sparked protests nationwide. This ignited a dynamic and public debate on censorship and artists’ rights.
The “Filthy Fifteen” prominently featured songs that included AC/DC’s “Let Me Put My Love Into You,” Black Sabbath’s “Trashed,” and Mötley Crüe’s “Bastard.” Other major entries on the list were songs by Def Leppard, Judas Priest, Wasp, and Madonna. Each song was examined and criticized for the content of their lyrics and subject matter, with the PMRC condemning them all as dangerous and corrupting forces on America’s youth.
One of the most controversial songs was Wasp’s “Animal (Fuck Like a Beast). Blackie Lawless once very proudly described it as a pretty straightforward celebration of sexuality. The PMRC argued that these songs all implied support for violence towards women and sexual coercion. They claimed that “Eat Me Alive” was about being forced to perform sexual acts at gunpoint. This interpretation caused a national firestorm, outrage among musicians.
“As Tipper Gore later recalled of her motivations, “I could not believe my ears,” when she first heard those words. She went on to say that, “The vile lyrics mortified us both. At first I was shocked – then I became angry!
Zappa quickly became the most visible front man against the PMRC’s censorship campaign. He even bashed their proposed censorship as an “ill-conceived piece of nonsense.” He contended that it violated civil liberties and failed to adequately protect children. His testimony during the unexpectedly warm Senate hearings became the focal point, and his poise, maturity, and articulation a turning point, of all discussion regarding artistic expression.
“The PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived piece of nonsense which fails to deliver any real benefits to children [and] infringes the civil liberties of people who are not children.” – Frank Zappa
Dee Snider countered claims made by the PMRC regarding his band’s hit song “Under the Blade,” asserting that it was misinterpreted as being about sadomasochism. He stressed that the song was based on lived experience, not meant to espouse any white supremacist beliefs.
Folk singer John Denver made his opposition known, responding to critics who had condemned his song “Rocky Mountain High” as an environmentalist anthem. He specifically addressed the idea that some viewed it as a positive promotion of drug use, an accusation he said he found very disturbing.
The PMRC’s efforts went far deeper than the Senate hearings. Their influence even caused record labels to start taking action before the hearings had ended. In order to head off their own potential backlash, U.S. record labels preemptively acted. They reached a compromise to put Parental Advisory stickers on albums that had what they considered “controversial” content. Perhaps more than any other decision, this one signaled a big change in the way music was sold and viewed by the American public.
Prince’s incidental role in the controversy was just as significant, as three songs associated with Prince landed on the “Filthy Fifteen.” Yet the inclusion of such high-profile artists as these just served to highlight the depth and breadth of the PMRC’s influence.
Rock legend Alice Cooper condemned what the PMRC was doing. He amusingly recalled how he sent the flowers to Mary Whitehouse and cigars to Leo Abse—the former opponents of rock music. He criticized the idea that children were too naive to understand certain subjects, stating, “It was like they were saying to kids: ‘You can’t see something or hear something because you’re not smart enough to deal with it.’”
“If something is really violent or horrible it should be a talk between the parents and their kids, not the government and the kids.” – Alice Cooper
Turns out Blackie Lawless didn’t really believe the PMRC at first. Seeing it grow, he started to realize the tremendous power of this movement. Despite his resistance at first, he conceded that it “grew into its own monster.” Despite being personally scheduled to give testimony at the Senate inquiry, his label reportedly convinced him not to. He noted that Frank Zappa, John Denver and Dee Snider did a tremendous job articulating the artists’ concerns during those important hearings.
Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford expressed what so many artists have felt throughout this time, just a few days prior. He warned about the broader implications of censorship, stating, “We are in dangerous times around the world.” This dissolution of artist agency struck a chord with many who believed that artists and art were better off unharmed by government meddling.