4 Controversial Hit Albums of the Early 2000s That Parents Tried To Boycott

Some albums from the 2000s were quite controversial, and just about everyone’s parents absolutely hated them. But when it comes to that glorious era of pop culture, there was no escaping even the most vulgar or generationally different music. Whether Mom and Dad liked it or not, we were listening to some wild stuff. Let’s look at just a few such albums that will take you back in time, shall we?

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‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ by Eminem (2000)

Eminem earned the ire of quite a few parents at the turn of the millennium, starting with his first No. 1 US record, The Marshall Mathers LP. Songs like “The Real Slim Shady” and “The Way I Am” ruffled a lot of feathers back in the day, namely because the latter song references the Columbine High School massacre. Just as well, Eminem was under fire for lyrics that were considered misogynistic, homophobic, and overall quite violent. And yet, kids still bought his album in droves.

‘Toxicity’ by System Of A Down (2001)

The frontman of Rage Against The Machine called System Of A Down “crazy person music.” And that’s coming from a contemporary. If you ever put on a song like “Chop Suey!” or “Prison Song” in front of your normie parents as a kid, you probably still remember the horror on their faces. System Of A Down was alternative metal to a T, and when you add Serj Tankian’s intensive criticism of then-modern-day governments and culture, sung/screamed in that insanely unique voice, you get an album that quite a few American parents hated.

‘American Idiot’ by Green Day (2004)

An incredibly punk rock album with incredibly critical lyrics about the US government and the Iraq War, American Idiot by Green Day likely ruffled the feathers of many a more conservative parent back in 2004. That didn’t stop it from becoming the band’s most well-known album and one of the most highly revered punk rock operas of all time.

‘Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water’ by Limp Bizkit (2000)

Imagine growing up on The Beatles, psychedelia, and countless evolutions of rock music in the 1960s and 1970s, only to hear your kid blasting an album called Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water behind their closed door. I almost sympathize with parents who weren’t down with the new sound in the 2000s. Either way, young nu metal fans still bought this album, whether or not their parents were happy about it.

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