10 of the Most Controversial Rock Songs of All Time

Controversy is woven within the very thread of rock & roll. Right from the beginning, rockers were faced with pushback from the mainstream for being “satanic” in nature. Though the public has more or less relaxed about the idea of rock music being demonic as a whole, there are still a handful of songs that manage to dig those sentiments back up.

Here are 10 of the most controversial rock songs of all time, below.

10. “Night Prowler” (AC/DC)

Upon its release, there wasn’t anything particularly controversial about this AC/DC hit. It wasn’t until a serial killer decided to adopt the song for his own nefarious purposes a decade later that a dark cloud rolled over “Night Prowler.” The infamous “Night Stalker,” Richard Ramirez, claimed “Night Prowler” (among other AC/DC songs) compelled him to kill.

“I thought it was a joke at first,” Malcolm Young once told VH1’s Behind the Music (obtained by Ultimate Classic Rock). “We just thought, ‘This is crazy.’ I mean, why are we connected, anyway?”

9. “Polly” (Nirvana)

Kurt Cobain went on record during his tenure with Nirvana saying that his lyrics typically didn’t hold much weight. The same can’t be said for “Polly” though. In the song, Cobain writes from the perspective of a rapist, holding a girl of the same name captive. Got some rope, haven’t told
Promise you, have been true / Let me take a ride, cut yourself / Want some help, please myself, he sings.

Cobain allows himself to meander around those dark ideas with little to no filter. Though Cobain meant the song to become a sobering wake-up call for men, the lyrics are hard to stomach.

8. “Closer” (Nine Inch Nails)

Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” was made controversial through its music video. Despite pushback from MTV, Trent Reznor refused to compromise his vision for this song. His vision happened to include a disembodied heart, cockroaches, a monkey on a cross, and pig bodies hung up on hooks. While the lyrics speak about a sexual encounter of Reznor’s, the accompanying visual is far more sinister.

7. “God Save The Queen” (The Sex Pistols)

The Sex Pistols took a bold stand against the British Empire in “God Save The Queen.” The band made use of the title from the country’s national anthem and turned it on its head. Instead of bowing to the Queen and her stature in England, Johnny Rotten and co. held a middle finger up high and likened her rule to fascism. Understandably, the powers that be were not huge fans of The Sex Pistols after they released this song. Nevertheless, they set a standard for what punk should be.

[RELATED: Sex Pistols Hit No. 1 45 Years Later with “God Save the Queen”]

6. “Sympathy for the Devil” (The Rolling Stones)

Rock has long been thought of as “the devil’s music.” So when the Rolling Stones came out with the title “Sympathy for the Devil,” many were concerned about the message within the song. Despite Jagger revealing that the lyrics to this track were intended to be a commentary on the “dark sides” of human nature, it remains a calling card for the violent antithesis of the flower power movement in the ’70s.

[RELATED: Behind the Meaning of The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy For the Devil”]

5. “Killing In the Name” (Rage Against the Machine)”

In keeping with their name, Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing In the Name” is a coded revolt against police brutality. Frontman Zach de la Rocha was inspired to pen the lyrics to this song after the Rodney King beating in 1991—which resulted in the L.A. riots.

Those who died are justified / For wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites / You justify those that died, de la Rocha wails out in the chorus. He went on to accuse members of the LAPD of being a part of the Klu Klux Klan: Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses. Given the song’s message, it didn’t get much radio play in the U.S.

4. “The End” (The Doors)

The lyrics to “The End” read like Jim Morrison was seeing how much he could get away with. Father? / “Yes, son?” / I want to kill you / Mother, I want to…/ “Come on, yeah,” he drones in the middle of the song.

After performing this song at Whiskey a Go Go, The Doors were promptly fired from their residency there. Though they may have taken things too far back in the late ’60s, “The End” likely paved the way for contemporary songs on this list.

3. “Disasterpiece” (Slipknot)

Like “Night Prowler,” Slipknot’s “Disasterpiece” became controversial after it allegedly prompted a couple to kill someone. The couple took the song’s lyrics—which talk about a kid wanting to kill his bully—literally and recited them as they stabbed a 22-year-old to death.

2. “Antichrist Superstar” (Marilyn Manson)

Marilyn Manson is no stranger to controversy. He firmly established that reputation with a song called “Antichrist Superstar.” The track pushed Manson over into the mainstream, where he was unpalatable. With Manson declaring that the Antichrist was “almost here” among other demonic ideas, it stands to reason that Manson would come across some pushback from those less versed in the dark themes of metal.

1. “Helter Skelter” – The Beatles

The power of music is an uncontainable thing. While some artists set out with the aim of being controversial, others find themselves in the same situation without ever meaning to. The Beatles found themselves the subject of controversy at the hands of Charles Manson.

After hearing the song “Helter Skelter,” Manson decided the Fab Four had created an omen of the impending Armageddon and decided to assemble his “family” in response. The group went on to commit several murders in the name of “helter skelter.”

“I was using the symbol of a helter-skelter (a playground slide) as a ride from the top to the bottom—the rise and fall of the Roman Empire,” Paul McCartney once said. “This was the demise, the going down. You could have thought of it as a rather cute title but it’s since taken on all sorts of ominous overtones because Manson picked it up as an anthem.”

Photo by Jo Hale/Redferns