5 of the Most Contentious Songs From the 1980s

You didn’t have to do or say much in the 1980s to be considered controversial. And a lot of artists used their music to talk about fairly controversial things that wouldn’t exactly be considered taboo today. Let’s dive into five of the most controversial songs from the 1980s!

1. “F*** Tha Police” by N.W.A.

This 1988 hip-hop song by N.W.A. was controversial when it came out in the 1980s, but it’s still quite loved and revered today. Some would say that not much has changed politically since that era in the US, and many new and old fans of N.W.A. still use this song for political rallies and protests alike.

2. “Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna

Madonna has rarely shied away from being controversial. If anything, it’s an important part of her brand. And this 1986 pop song had a lot of people clutching their pearls at the time. “Papa Don’t Preach” was a huge hit when it was first released, but a lot of more conservative listeners (namely suburban moms) weren’t happy about Madonna’s tale about teen pregnancy and the potential effect it could have on teenage listeners.

3. “Angel Of Death” by Slayer

Another killer track from 1986, “Angel Of Death” was written by late Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman. The song chronicles the real-life German Nazi physician Josef Mengele and the war crimes he committed at Auschwitz. It was controversial because some listeners thought it was a pro-Nazi song, though the band has consistently denied that notion.

[See Slayer Live On Tour With Pantera In 2024]

4. “One In A Million” by Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose has seen a lot of controversy throughout his career. “One In A Million” is considered one of the band’s most controversial songs from their 1980s era. The song is loaded with homophobic, racist, anti-immigrant, and anti-police sentiments and slurs. However, the song also denounces “radicals and racists”, so in the end, it seems like Rose was just trying to produce a controversial song for the sake of being controversial. Rose has also defended the song for years.

5. “Dear God” by XTC

A song like “Dear God” from 1986 likely wouldn’t make many people sweat in today’s world. However, at the time, the song made a ton of people angry both in the US and the UK. The song itself is simply an atheist’s exploration of God and religion. But it caused a huge stir when it was released, and even resulted in a hostage situation. Andy Partridge said of the song: “If you can’t have a different opinion without them wanting to firebomb your house, then that’s their problem.”

Photo by Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive

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