10 Most Controversial Songs In Rock History

While the '80s metal scene was far from innocent, the PMRC still feels like a stain on the cultural zeitgeist. Because that's what you want whenever you're a kid, right...having your mom and dad still have to dictate what you can and can't listen to because it's too offensive? Even though there were plenty more heinous things they could have been targeting, you can't script better PMRC fodder than Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden.

I mean, it's all really there in the title, with the song mentioning the phrase 666 and talking about people in a field fulfilling some Satanic practice. Just wait until they see the cover too, which features the band's mascot Eddie acting as a puppeteer to Satan as he inflicts doom and destruction upon the rest of the world. Then again, have you actually listened to what the lyrics have to say?

As much as this was dogged for promoting Satanic practices, the protagonist of this song never claims to be fulfilling any of these evil deeds. If anything, it's a cautionary tale, as our hero gets possessed and loses his mind completely to this dark force taking over his body. But no....all you have to do is hear Satan in one chorus and then the knives and pitchforks basically sharpen themselves, now don't they?