Top 20 Most Controversial Music Albums of All Time
#20: "Reign in Blood" (1986)
Slayer
Heavy Metal has always been a genre that's ripe for controversy, but toss in the legendary intensity of thrash metal icons Slayer into the mix? Well, that's a perfect storm for concerned parents. Slayer was always faster and heavier than their contemporaries, but their definitive musical statement, "Reign in Blood", was also notable for its more earthbound lyrics. Songs about damsels and dragons were now replaced with demons, pain, suffering and the very real horrors of war. Specifically, lyrics for the song "Angel of Death" tackled infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. It was instant notoriety for a band already used to shocking nearly everyone that crossed their path.
#19: "Beggars Banquet" (1968)
The Rolling Stones
The man downstairs was all the rage during the late 1960s and into the 1970s, thanks to Time Magazine articles like "Is God Dead?" and the rise of demonic horror movies like "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist". The Rolling Stones had their finger on the pulse of this controversy, and courted it with the opening track on their 1968 album "Beggars Banquet". The song was "Sympathy for the Devil", sung from Satan’s own personal point of view as a distinguished "man of wealth and taste". This wasn't the only bit of controversy either. The band was forced to initially scrap their idea of having a run-down toilet and graffiti on the cover, as it was considered too obscene.
#18: "In Utero" (1993)
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Nirvana
There were both internal and external controversies behind the recording and release of Nirvana's last studio album, "In Utero". For starters, there were conflicts over whether the sound should be closer to the more polished production of “Nevermind” or if they should go with Steve Albini’s intent to create something different. Then, there was the actual album content, with one song title in particular generating controversy, and cover art that led to the album being edited for big chains like Wal-Mart. Said song became "Waif Me" and the album's back cover art was changed so that it could be sold on their shelves.
#17: "Led Zeppelin IV" (1971)
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Led Zeppelin
We honestly don't have enough time to detail all of the bad behavior and tall tales that made Led Zeppelin one of the most controversial bands of their day. However, we will be focusing specifically on the iconic classic rock group's fourth full length. Call it "Zoso", call it "Four Symbols" or just "Led Zeppelin IV", but the album was deliberately designed to increase the Led Zep mystique to almost maddening levels. The symbols themselves leaned into the band's reputation as practitioners of the occult, an idea that was compounded by rumors that songs like "Stairway to Heaven" contained backwards Satanic messages. Was it deliberate? Probably not, but it helped solidify the Led Zeppelin legend even more as absolutely one of a kind.
#16: "W.A.S.P." (1984)
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W.A.S.P.
It may seem silly today to think that theatrical rock music could be the subject of a U.S. Senate Hearing, but parents were NOT messing around when it came to Satanic Panic and heavy metal during the 1980s. Al Gore's wife, Tipper, even formed a committee titled the Parents Music Resource Center that tried to censor and silence artists ranging from Prince and Twisted Sister to our subject of the entry, W.A.S.P. The band's debut was a part of the committee's "Filthy Fifteen", thanks to its most infamous song, "Animal". And that wasn't the only bit of craziness W.A.S.P. brought to the table. The shock rockers were also known for their extremely crude stage shows. They were practically tailor-made for conservative censorship!
#15: "Lies" (1993)
In Wave - Eveorybody Lies (Official Music Viideo)
Guns N' Roses
Love them or hate them, there's no denying that Guns 'n Roses absolutely lived the life about which they sang. They were unequivocally “The Real Deal”, a refreshingly dangerous rock 'n roll party that courted controversy from the very first note. Their second album, "Lies", also known as "G'nR Lies", contains lyrics that got W. Axl Rose and Co. in some seriously hot water. "One In a Million" was the main offender, as it featured lyrics that got the singer accused of racism and homophobia. Elsewhere, "Used to Love Her" got the band labeled as misogynistic, although guitarist Slash has joked that the song was actually about Rose's dog. Hm...
#14: "Blizzard of Ozz" (1980)
Ozzy Osbourne
Most of us know about all of the bad behavior Ozzy Osbourne has gotten himself into over the years. The man was already a rock icon from his days fronting Black Sabbath, but metal fans were beyond anxious about Oz’s first solo album. "Blizzard of Oz" didn't disappoint musically, but it also arrived with its fair share of controversy, thanks to one particular track. A young man named John McCollum tragically ended his life in 1984 allegedly after listening to the song. According to Osbourne, the lyrics were actually about alcoholism. McCollum's parents sued the vocalist and his record label for the song's apparent influence on their son, but the case was dismissed due to Ozzy's First Amendment right to free speech.
#13: "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" (1994)
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Mayhem
When does extreme metal become too extreme? This question and more were asked by fans, bands and media outlets alike when Norwegian Black Metal stormed out of the underground during the early 90s. The genre saw real life murder and arson committed by its participants, including those of this entry’s band: Mayhem. There were infamous internal conflicts within Mayhem, which led to its founder, Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth being killed by his bassist, Varg Vikernes. "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" is certainly a musical cornerstone for the genre, but a request by Aarseth's parents for Mayhem's new bassist Necrobutcher to remove Vikernes' bass tracks was ignored, and the album remains a chilling reminder of these events.
#12: "Frankenchrist" (1984)
Dead Kennedys
We've mentioned our criteria for albums being censored for controversial album art, but what about a controversial insert? The political punk rock legends Dead Kennedys, and specifically frontman Jello Biafra, were the victims of censorship over the inclusion of a poster featuring a work by surrealist art icon H.R. Giger. A poster reproduction of "Landscape XX" was deemed obscene, and Biafra was charged with distributing “harmful matter to minors”. Biafra discussed the ordeal on his spoken word album "High Priest of Harmful Matter", particularly how police raided his apartment and the financial strain it brought upon the band's record label.
#11: "Like a Virgin" (1984)
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Madonna
There have been a bevy of influential artists out there, but very few can claim to have single-handedly steered the fashion sense of teenage girls around the world. Madonna did just that in the wake of her sophomore album, "Like a Virgin", in 1984. The album's major singles, which included "Material Girl", "Dress You Up" and the title track, were all smash hits, but didn't land without some controversy thanks to Madonna's racy image and sexualized live performances. News outlets across the globe all clamored for footage of the Material Girl writhing on stage, decked out in lace and embarking upon her career as a certified pop sensation. She wouldn't stop there, of course, continually courting controversies with follow-ups "Like a Prayer" and "Erotica".
#10: "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" (1989)
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2 Live Crew
We've discussed a lot of hard rock and heavy metal throughout this list, but hip hop has also seen its fair share of run-ins with the censors. Case in point: 2 Live Crew, who seemed to love inciting anger with their 1989 LP, "As Nasty As They Wanna Be". It pulled no punches with its references to sexuality, especially in its breakthrough hit, "Me So Horny". Is the album crass? Sure, but 2 Live Crew deserved to sing their songs the way they wanted to sing them, and they found roadblocks in their way at nearly every turn. The album was even labeled legally obscene by a Florida judge and three members of the band would later be arrested just for performing a show.
#9: "Stained Class" (1978)
Judas Priest
The story behind Judas Priest's fourth album Stained Class is one mired in controversy, thanks to a lawsuit brought against the band by the families of two teenagers who decided to take their own lives, allegedly after listening to "Better By You, Better Than Me." The boys' families claimed that the band inserted subliminal messages which said "Do It" behind frontman Rob Halford's vocal in the song, despite the fact that the song was in fact a cover of the band Spooky Tooth rather than a Judas Priest original. Still, the trial remains a tragic and truly controversial moment in hard rock history.
#8: "Tomb of the Mutilated" (1992)
Cannibal Corpse
Whew...where do we start? Maybe with the graphic, oft-censored cover art displaying two rotting corpses engaging in a sex act? Or maybe the fact that Cannibal Corpse was forbidden from performing tracks from their first three albums in countries like Germany? Then, of course, there's the band's appearance in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective." Errr, wait...what? Jim Carrey's death metal fixation aside, the controversy behind Cannibal Corpse's third studio album continues to this day, and if you don’t believe us just take a look at the track listing.
#7: "The Marshall Mathers LP" (2000)
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Eminem
By the turn of the new millennium Eminem was no stranger to controversy, thanks to the unflinching realism presented on The Slim Shady LP in 1999. That backlash only increased when Eminem released the substantially darker and even more personal The Marshall Mathers LP, an album chock full of adult themes and extreme lyrical barbs which made its predecessor sound positively lightweight. An easy target for conservative politicians and parents alike, The Marshall Mathers LP shook up the entertainment world and essentially changed music censorship forever!
#6: "Fear of a Black Planet" (1990)
Public Enemy
Hip hop legends Public Enemy have always been considered some of the genre's most intelligent and politically active artists, but it was this very socially aware release which also made them targets of controversy. Classics like "911 is a Joke," "Burn Hollywood Burn" and "Fight the Power" were all huge hits, but the band's profile hit hard times when founding member Professor Griff began spouting anti-Semitic rhetoric during interviews. Griff's comments would lead to his eventual dismissal from the group, although Public Enemy's stance as one of hip-hop's elder statesmen would remain secure.
#5: "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" (1977)
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Sex Pistols
Seeing Johnny Rotten today it might be hard to imagine the powder keg of fury unleashed by The Sex Pistols back in 1977, but at one point it seemed as if everyone was pissed at these British punks. Whether it was the band's entourage habitually sporting Nazi regalia or the fact that "God Save the Queen" took aim squarely England's Elizabeth II, the Pistols were never far from public ire. Frontman Johnny Rotten and crew would also be in a memorably tense television debut, where the band cussed out their host on live T.V., before eventually imploding in a blaze of self-destructive glory so fitting to their punk rock roots.
#4: "Mechanical Animals" (1998)
Marilyn Manson
There have been few hard rock and heavy metal artists that captured the public spotlight quite like Marilyn Manson. Albums like "Portrait of An American Family" and "Antichrist Superstar" had already put the band in cultural crosshairs, so when it came time to release "Mechanical Animals", detractors were on high alert. The studio effort’s artwork is striking in and of itself, but when people started to make connections between the album and the tragic events at Columbine in 1999, the band really came under fire. It wasn’t the first controversy Manson faced and it certainly would not be the last, as he turned himself in to police for two counts of assault in 2021.
#3: "Body Count" (1992)
Akoben X Specikinging - Body Bad
Body Count
In the early '90s it was hard not to be aware of the controversy surrounding Body Count. The album raised ire and criticism almost immediately due to its aggressive lyrical content, but it was the Body Count's closing track that caused the biggest media sensation. The song's confrontational stance on police violence was directly challenged in the media by actor and NRA spokesman Charlton Heston, with many others joining in the call for the album's censorship. Body Count's label would eventually reissue the album without the offending track, ironically replacing it with "Freedom of Speech," a collaboration between Ice-T and Jello Biafra.
#2: "Rage Against the Machine" (1991)
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Rage Against the Machine
The musical landscape of 1991 was a period of transition for hard rock and heavy metal, and this band stood out as representatives of change throughout the decade. Rage Against the Machine stood in strict defiance to both the hair metal excesses of the 1980s, as well as the emerging grunge movement of the time,and were steeped in political fire and fury. This sentiment, born from the protests of the 1960s and '70s, would serve as a source of controversy for the rap/metal band, as frontman Zack de la Rocha's pointed commentaries about world injustice and corruption would go on to define the band's enduring creative legacy.
Before we name our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions!
"The Fat of the Land" (1997), The Prodigy
Late Night Video Controversy
"Sheik Yerbouti" (1979), Frank Zappa
Banned from Airplay in the U.S.!
"The Downward Spiral" (1994), Nine Inch Nails
BDSM During Total Request Live?!
"The Number of the Beast" (1982), Iron Maiden
Fantasy Turned Into Satanic Panic for Parents
#1: "Straight Outta Compton" (1988)
N.W.A.
The impact of N.W.A is impossible to overstate. The hip-hop landscape was very much a different place in 1988 before the group made their debut with Straight Outta Compton. The group were one of the progenitors of the Gangsta Rap genre, and gained sufficient controversy over the album's raw and frank lyrical content, which stood in strict contrast to the "dance and party" vibe associated with many rap acts of the time. Instead, "Straight Outta Compton" described a hard and violent life surrounded by drugs, gangs and police misbehavior, laying the groundwork for countless hip hop acts in its wake.
