In the 1980s, glam metal bands such as Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot and Van Halen created a new musical sound called hair metal. While many of these songs were incredibly popular, some became very controversial due to their dark lyrical content. Here are some of the most notorious glam metal songs from this era:
1) Mötley Crüe's "You're All I Need" (1985) - This track tells a story about an abusive relationship between two lovers, which caused radio stations to ban it or heavily censor it. MTV refused to play the original video for its scenes featuring domestic violence.
2) Quiet Riot's "Metal Health" (1983) - The lyrics of this song contain references to heavy substance abuse and mental health issues that many found inappropriate for mainstream audiences at the time.
3) Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher" (1984) - Many people felt the title and suggestive nature of this song were demeaning towards female teachers and advocating sexually predatory behaviour towards them.
4) Twisted Sister's "We’re Not Gonna Take It" (1984 )- The strong language used in this song sparked controversy when it was released, but over time has become an anthem for rebellion against authority figures all over the world.
5 ) Winger's “Seventeen” (1988)- This power ballad is about an older man coming onto a teenage girl who appears too young for him, leading some critics to label it as glorifying statutory rape.
6) Poison's "Unskinny Bop" (1990)- This song was heavily criticized for its references to drug use.
7) Ratt's "Round And Round" (1984)- While this song featured a hard rock sound and upbeat lyrics, it caused controversy due to its violent video depicting a bank robbery gone wrong.
8) Warrant's "Cherry Pie" (1990)- Many people felt the title and suggestive nature of this song were demeaning towards women.
These controversial glam metal songs of the 80s paved the way for much heavier lyrical content in popular music. The darker themes explored by many of these classic tracks opened the door to more extreme musical styles such as thrash metal, industrial and death metal, which were all heavily influenced by the gritty lyrics found in glam metal. Furthermore, their explicit nature also caused a stir with censors and radio stations, leading to greater debates about artistic freedom and censorship in music that continue today. As a result, bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Slipknot were able to reach wider audiences with their aggressive sound due mainly in part to these pioneering glam rockers who pushed boundaries during this period.