10 Rock Songs That Caused MASSIVE Backlash

10 Rock Songs That Sparked Massive Backlash

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at ten famous rock songs that faced significant backlash both legally and socially.

The Old Man Down the Road (1984)

John Fogerty

Its not rare for musicians to be sued for plagiarism. But it is quite rare for a musician to be sued for sounding too much like themselves. Thats the weird predicament John Fogerty found himself in after releasing The Old Man Down the Road. This song was Fogertys only top ten single as a solo artist, but the party was stymied by Saul Zaentz, owner of Fantasy Records. He sued Fogerty for copyright infringement, claiming that the songs chorus sounded similar to the Creedence Clearwater Revival song Run Through the Jungle. The court ultimately ruled in favor of Fogerty, claiming that an artist cannot plagiarize themselves, and Zaentz was forced to pay Fogerty $1.3 million in legal fees.

Ronnie (1996)

Metallica

When it comes to Metallica deep cuts, Ronnie is about as deep as it gets. However, it saw a bit of fame in the early 2000s owing to a significant court case. Ronald Pituch from New Jersey killed his mother and an innocent bystander before surrendering himself to the police. Defense attorneys claimed that he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, and when Pituch testified, he explicitly mentioned Ronnie and how it was always in [his] head. The song tells of a troubled and lonely boy who commits a shooting and traumatizes a town. Its an interesting story that highlights complex issues around mental illness and how individuals under psychological duress often latch onto cultural artifacts like music during a crisis.

Come as You Are (1991)

Nirvana

How do you possibly follow up Smells Like Teen Spirit? Nirvana had two choices - In Bloom or Come As You Are. Nirvana wanted In Bloom, because they feared the repercussions of releasing the latter. You see, the main riff of Come As You Are shares great similarities with a song called Eighties from the band Killing Joke, and the band knew it. Management won out, and Come As You Are was chosen. But the band was right, and Killing Joke was pissed. They were reportedly irate at Nirvana for stealing their riff, and some reports state that they filed a copyright lawsuit against the band. However, other reports claim that they never actually went through with the lawsuit, for whatever reason. Either way, not happy.

My Sweet Lord (1970)

George Harrison

You know of plagiarism. But do you know of subconscious plagiarism? A gorgeous piece of folk rock, My Sweet Lord was George Harrisons first single as an ex-Beatle. It was also the center of a highly publicized lawsuit. Harrison was taken to court by Bright Tunes Music Corporation, who claimed that he had copied The Chiffons Hes So Fine. Harrison admitted to knowing the song but argued against copying it. And while the court conceded that Harrison did not intentionally plagiarize the song, they introduced the concept of subconscious plagiarism and Harrison was found liable. He was understandably angry, and the case set a legal precedent that changed how artists thought about the blurred line between inspiration and imitation.

Stairway to Heaven (1971)

Led Zeppelin

Arguably the most popular rock song ever written, Stairway to Heaven was also the subject of a highly publicized copyright trial. Spirit bassist Mark Andes and a trust for Randy California took Led Zeppelin to court, claiming that the opening acoustic riff of Stairway to Heaven copied their song Taurus. What made this case so controversial wasnt necessarily the lawsuit, but that it was filed in 2014 - nearly half a century after the song was released. If successful, Spirit would have been entitled to songwriter credit and half of the songs future royalties. However, Led Zeppelin won the case as there was no strong evidence of plagiarism and the similarities were based on common chord progressions, which are not protected by copyright.

Get Your Gunn (1994)

Marilyn Manson

One of the heaviest Marilyn Manson songs, Get Your Gunn comes off his debut album Portrait of an American Family and was inspired by the murder of OB/GYN David Gunn by an anti-abortion extremist. And like a good chunk of Mansons discography, it came under fire by the political right after the Columbine shooting. Critics argued that its violent and politically-charged lyrics inspired the two young boys behind the massacre. It was a heavy load for the musician to bear, but many other people came to his defense, claiming that the association was ridiculous. Regardless, Get Your Gunn inspired an intense public discourse around Marilyn Mansons role in shaping the American youth.

God Save the Queen (1977)

Sex Pistols

It was 1977, and it had been 25 years since Queen Elizabeth took the throne. As such, Britain was throwing a massive party called the Silver Jubilee. The Sex Pistols even wrote a nice song for her called God Save the Queen. With politically-charged lyrics that called out the Queen and her fascist regime, the song was widely regarded as an attack on the British monarchy, and many saw its release as disrespectful and provocative, intended to spoil the Jubilee. The Sex Pistols also represented punk rock rebellion at its most pure, which was a huge shock to the traditional and conservative British sensibilities of the time. As such, the song was banned by the BBC and many other major broadcasters.

Bodies (2001)

Drowning Pool

With a chorus that consists of the lyric let the bodies hit the floor, its easy to see how this song could be misinterpreted. Drowning Pool frontman Dave Williams claimed that there was no ill intent behind the song and that the lyrics were simply about mosh pits. However, Bodies has long been associated with crimes and tragedies, sparking a good degree of backlash. It was briefly pulled from the radio in the aftermath of 9/11, and it has been linked to numerous shootings, including that of Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. It was also famously used as an interrogation technique at Guantanamo Bay, often played loudly and on a continuous loop as a form of psychological torment.

Creep (1992)

Radiohead

Perhaps the most famous copyright infringement case is that of Radioheads Creep. Many people have found similarities between Creep and The Holliess The Air That I Breathe, which was written by Albert Hammond and Michael Hazlewood. Rondor Music took legal action against Radiohead, claiming copyright infringement. But unlike other artists who vehemently deny plagiarism, Radiohead openly admitted to the similarities. Hammond and Hazlewood were awarded both songwriting credits and royalties, but as they admired the bands honesty, they only took a small percentage. Funnily enough, Radiohead later targeted Lana Del Rey, seeking credit and royalties after she used the melody for her song Get Free. We wonder whos going to do it next

Helter Skelter (1968)

The Beatles

Author Doyle Greene has said that The Beatles and Charles Manson are permanently connected in pop-culture consciousness, and thats not really an association you want to have. Manson was a huge fan of the song, thinking that it bore prophetic messages about an apocalyptic race war. He saw their music as instructions or validation for his twisted worldview, leading to the infamous killings of August 1969. At one murder scene, the words Helter Skelter were even written in blood on a refrigerator, further strengthening the connection between the song and the murders. Following the crime, Helter Skelter became tainted in the public eye, leading to a moral panic, public discomfort with The White Album, and increased scrutiny of rock music and its cultural influence.

Do you still enjoy these tunes? Let us know in the comments below!