foundation for the character of Tommy Johnson portrayed in the 2000 Coen
brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou?.
Like swing, blues and jazz of previous decades, Elvis and other early rock of
the 1950s was considered evil by some because it broke through the color
lines of racism and encouraged kids to swing their hips and have a little fun,
otherwise known to theists as “sin.” Accusations of evil and outright
Satanism persisted through the 60s and early 70s against such bands as The
Beatles, Led Zeppelin and even The Eagles. Thanks to the theme’s increased
popularity spurred on by decades of baseless accusations, occult imagery
and lyrics became a way for bands to rebel against the idiot holy rollers who
already believed rock music was a device of the devil.
Bands like Black Sabbath and Venom used occult imagery and lyrics to
capitalize on the new market opened up by the self fulfilling prophecy of
fundamentalists. By the 1980s these themes were commercialized by Motley
Crue, Slayer and a host of other metal bands. Thus began the great witch
hunt of the 1980s.
Satanic Panic
Metal music of the 80s used shocking lyrics and images to challenge
conventional wisdom on everything from drug laws to theology. Multiple
bands were banned, censored and sued in various countries. In the graphic
novel Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi describes searching for outlawed Iron
Maiden albums in Iran during the 1980s. Judas Priest was unsuccessfully
sued in 1989 for allegedly using subliminal messages.
Dee Snider of Twisted Sister was called to testify in 1985 before
congressional hearings arranged by the Parents Music Resource Center
(PMRC). Florida Senator Paula Hawkins complained during the hearings,
“Subtleties, suggestions, and innuendo have given way to overt expressions
and descriptions of often violent sexual acts, drug taking, and flirtations with
the occult.” These hearings are the source of the now ubiquitous Parental
Advisory labels on music albums.
One of the claims of the PMRC was that Satanic messages could be heard
when playing certain records backwards. Backmasking was first used by The
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