Tipper Gore’s Filthy 15, the PMRC Hearings, and the Satanic Panic
- Harriet Wilder
- Aug 14
- 5 min read
It began, as so many culture wars do, with a parent stumbling across music their child loved, and deciding it was dangerous. In 1985, Tipper Gore, wife of then-Senator Al Gore, bought her 11-year-old daughter the Purple Rain soundtrack by Prince. When she reached the track Darling Nikki, with its unapologetic reference to a “sex fiend” and masturbation, she was shocked. That moment, a private living room listen, would snowball into one of the most high-profile battles over free expression in American music history.
Within months, the “Filthy 15” list would be making headlines, musicians would be dragged before Congress, and a small Washington-based lobbying group called the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) would be at the centre of a firestorm. And all of this was unfolding against the backdrop of the Satanic Panic, a nationwide moral crusade convinced that heavy metal, horror films, and even children’s cartoons were covertly promoting devil worship.
The Birth of the PMRC
The Parents Music Resource Center was formed in 1985 by four politically connected women who became known as the “Washington Wives”:
Tipper Gore – wife of Senator Al Gore
Susan Baker – wife of Treasury Secretary James Baker
Pam Howar – wife of real estate developer Raymond Howar
Sally Nevius – wife of Washington City Council Chairman John Nevius
They insisted they weren’t seeking censorship, only a rating system for albums similar to the one used for films. But to many in the music industry, their efforts looked suspiciously like moral policing.
In their view, certain songs contained themes so explicit or morally corrupt that parents needed clear warning labels. To make their point, they published a list of the worst offenders.
The “Filthy 15”
The PMRC’s list of objectionable songs wasn’t confined to any single genre. It included heavy metal, pop, and even a ballad by Sheena Easton:
Prince – Darling Nikki (sex)
Sheena Easton – Sugar Walls (sex, written by Prince under a pseudonym)
Judas Priest – Eat Me Alive (sex/violence)
Vanity – Strap On “Robbie Baby” (sex)
Mötley Crüe – Bastard (violence)
AC/DC – Let Me Put My Love into You (sex)
Twisted Sister – We’re Not Gonna Take It (violence)
Madonna – Dress You Up (sex)
W.A.S.P. – Animal (F* Like a Beast)** (sex)
Def Leppard – High ’n’ Dry (Saturday Night) (drug/alcohol use)
Mercyful Fate – Into the Coven (occult)
Black Sabbath – Trashed (drug/alcohol use)
Mary Jane Girls – In My House (sex)
Venom – Possessed (occult)
Cyndi Lauper – She Bop (masturbation)
The PMRC’s categories of concern — sex, violence, drug/alcohol use, and the occult — neatly mirrored the broader Satanic Panic anxieties that were gripping the United States at the time.
The Wider “Satanic Panic”
By the mid-1980s, the U.S. was in the throes of a moral hysteria. The Satanic Panic wasn’t just about music, it included fears of secret cults, “backmasking” messages in rock records, and allegations of widespread ritual abuse in daycare centres.
High-profile court cases, sensational tabloid stories, and alarmist TV specials fuelled the belief that entertainment media was recruiting children into devil worship. Heavy metal bands like Mercyful Fate, Venom, and Black Sabbath were accused of promoting Satanism through lyrics, album art, and alleged hidden messages. This climate made the PMRC’s warnings about “occult content” in songs feel, to many parents, not just plausible but urgent.
The Senate Hearings
On 19 September 1985, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held hearings on the PMRC’s proposals. While these hearings had no legislative power, the symbolism was potent: America’s most popular musicians defending their art against political scrutiny.
Who Testified for the PMRC
Tipper Gore (not as a witness but as a driving force behind the campaign)
Susan Baker – testified about “porn rock” corrupting youth and cited examples from the Filthy 15. She argued for a voluntary ratings system, saying, “We want to help parents without infringing on the First Amendment.”
Frank Zappa (musician) – a fierce critic of the PMRC, calling their proposals “an ill-conceived piece of nonsense” and “a load of horse manure.” He argued that music labelling was a step towards censorship and government control over art.
John Denver – surprisingly, despite his clean-cut image, Denver sided with Zappa, warning that labelling could be misused for political suppression. He compared it to his own experiences being wrongly accused of promoting drug use in his music.
Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) – the most theatrical testimony. Snider arrived in full rock-star regalia, reading a prepared statement that dismantled the PMRC’s claims. He explained that We’re Not Gonna Take It had no violent intent and that Under the Blade, another PMRC target, was actually about surgery, not sadomasochism.
Key Moments
Frank Zappa’s warning: “The PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived piece of nonsense which fails to deliver any real benefits to children, infringes the civil liberties of people who are not children, and promises to keep the courts busy for years.”
John Denver’s comparison: likening music censorship to the Nazi book burnings, stating, “That which is denied becomes that which is most desired.”
Dee Snider’s rebuttal: “You look at me and you see a stereotype… You expect me to be some drug-using, Satan-worshipping beast. That is simply not true.”
The Knock-On Effect for the Music Industry
While the Senate hearings didn’t result in legislation, the music industry eventually agreed to introduce Parental Advisory stickers, the now-familiar black-and-white warning labels, in November 1985. This voluntary move was designed to head off potential government regulation.
Ironically, the label often boosted sales among teenagers, who saw it as a badge of rebellion. As Ice-T later quipped, “A warning label is like a magnet for kids.”
The PMRC controversy also:
Increased public awareness of musicians’ First Amendment rights.
Galvanised artists to speak out against censorship, leading to benefit concerts and new advocacy groups.
Created a marketing shorthand — by the late 80s, albums without a sticker could be seen as “safe” or “boring” by certain listeners.
Legacy
The Filthy 15 hearings are now remembered as a culture-war flashpoint in 1980s America. For the PMRC, it was a victory of sorts: the introduction of the Parental Advisory label became industry standard. For musicians, it was a reminder that political forces could, and would, attempt to shape the boundaries of artistic freedom.
And when viewed in the context of the Satanic Panic, the PMRC’s campaign becomes part of a larger moral wave, one that saw rock music, horror films, and even Dungeons & Dragons accused of corrupting youth and luring them into dark, imagined cults.
What’s striking is how many of the musicians who testified that day weren’t just defending their own work, they were warning of a slippery slope. As Zappa told the committee:
“The establishment of a rating system… is the first step toward an Orwellian nightmare.”
Sources:
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Record Labeling: Hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. September 19, 1985. Government Printing Office. https://archive.org/details/recordlabelinghe00unit
Gore, Tipper. Raising PG Kids in an X-Rated Society. Abingdon Press, 1987.
Zappa, Frank. The Real Frank Zappa Book. Poseidon Press, 1989.
Walser, Robert. Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music. Wesleyan University Press, 1993.
McIver, Joel. Sinister Urge: The Life and Times of Rob Zombie. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2015.
Chidester, David, et al. American Sacred Space. Indiana University Press, 1995. (Discussion on Satanic Panic and music culture.)
Rolling Stone Magazine Archives. “The Filthy 15: How Tipper Gore’s List Changed Music.” https://www.rollingstone.com
VH1 Behind the Music: Parental Advisory – Explicit Lyrics, 2002.
Walley, David. “The Day Dee Snider, Frank Zappa and John Denver Took on the PMRC.” Ultimate Classic Rock. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/pmrc-hearings/
Waksman, Steve. This Ain’t the Summer of Love: Conflict and Crossover in Heavy Metal and Punk. University of California Press, 2009.
