3 Rock Songs That Scared Parents but Won Over Every Kid

Rock music has historically been met with disapproval by parents. In the ’50s, when rock was becoming mainstream, the sexual nature of the genre had parents picketing and covering their kids’ eyes. As the genre evolved over the next few decades, worries about innuendoes turned into fighting satanic rites and brainwashing backwards messaging. All the while, teens were falling in love with the defiant nature of the genre. The three rock songs below were among the most hated by parents and beloved by kids seeking freedom. Revisit these defiant rock songs below.

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“We’re Not Gonna Take It” (Twisted Sister)

Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” was an era-defining anthem of defiance. Naturally, parents were concerned about the song’s impact on their children—and maybe they should’ve been.

The band penned this rock song as an ode to teenage rebellion, and listeners instantly picked up on it. Countless generations of teens have experienced a bolstering effect thanks to this song. If any kid is ever looking for an excuse to act out, this song is it.

“Let’s Spend the Night Together” (The Rolling Stones)

The title alone of this Rolling Stones rock song was enough to have parents shuddering at the idea of their kids listening to it. This risqué anthem was famously censored on the Ed Sullivan Show, making it a poster child for rock’s inappropriateness in the late ’60s.

By modern standards, this song is hardly anything to fuss over. But, back then, kids were getting their dose of defiance by listening to this unsuitable-for-small-ears anthem.

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“Killing in the Name” (Rage Against the Machine)

It’s a rite of passage in every teen’s life to find something they believe in. It’s when we begin to suss out our moral compass. What’s right to us and what’s wrong. Rage Against the Machine helped many teens become anti-establishmentarians with “Killing in the Name.”

This rock song was tailor-made to have parents clutching their pearls. This is a dark song with strong statements. When this song was released in 1992, teens were getting a reality check, while parents hoped they would stay in the dark.

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