10 Biggest WTF Moments In '80s Rock Music
7. Rock Vs. The PMRC
From the moment it first became a mainstream art form, rock 'n' roll and all its associated genres has been demonised by more conservative folks.
From parents banning their kids from listening to Bill Hailey, to concern over backwards lyrics in emo music, rock has always taken a beating from those concerned with preserving moral standards.
This phenomenon reached a peak in the 80s with the formation of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) in 1983.
Co-founded by Tipper Gore, wife of former Vice President of the US Al Gore, the PMRC waged war on the music it saw as inappropriate for young listeners. They collated a list of songs they deemed the most offensive - titled "the Filthy Fifteen" - and even organised a Senate hearing on censorship in music.
The sight of musicians like Frank Zappa and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister testifying before the United States Senate is completely surreal. That's without taking into account the whole issue of censorship, which has only gotten more controversial as a topic in recent years.
Whatever you think of the PMRC, there's no denying this was a really weird time to be following rock music.