10 Most Controversial Hard Rock Songs Of All Time

Hard rock has always garnered a reputation as a somewhat ugly genre. For as many great bands have been birthed from this subset of rock music, there is always that little bit of edge that can turn off casual music fans. A lot of the hate is unwarranted, but every now and again you get that one song that stirs the pot a bit too much.

From the genre’s beginnings to the present day, there have always been hard rock songs that rub people the wrong way in more ways than one. Whether it be the lyrical content or the “implications” of what the song could really mean, these tunes have come under fire by music connoisseurs who prefer their music to be cleaner. Following these records was the PMRC, who tried to censor vulgar lyrics but just ended up indirectly advertising this potentially interesting music for the youth market. Then again, it’s not like these songs weren’t going to ruffle a few feathers.

Dealing with some pretty sensitive topics, each of these tunes had a particular agenda that went beyond just talking about partying all night. Music is all about art at the end of the day, but these musicians were willing to take that extra step into more uncomfortable territory.

It was a miracle for the hard rock world that Nirvana came to fruition in the early ‘90s. After years of getting bogged down in the ridiculousness of hair metal, here was a band taking it back to the same kind of rock and roll we fell in love with. The songs may have sounded great, but it got much more unsettling once they slowed everything down.

While most of Nirvana’s lyrics have been acknowledged as nonsense by Kurt Cobain himself, “Polly” is the one exception to the rule, with the entire song playing out like a captive scenario. Intrigued by a newstory he had read, Cobain strums away on an acoustic guitar while taking on the persona of a rapist trying to torture his victim. As the song progresses though, the girl starts to flirt with him, causing him to let his guard down and letting her escape.

Kurt had always been concerned about the dangers of domestic and sexual abuse and wanted to document this story of bravery, but some of Nirvana’s audience ended up taking on that role themselves and using “Polly” as their calling card. Over the next few years, Cobain became more outspoken as to the “plankton” that tried to come to their shows to assault members of the audience. “Polly” was a nice way to spread awareness, but its life in recent years has shown that the battle against sexual abuse is far from over.