If you were a rock music fan in the 1980s, then you’re surely aware of how evangelical Christians were sounding the alarm about how those songs were downright Satanic. It wasn’t a metaphor. If you played records backwards, they claimed, you could hear supposedly Satanic messages. They said the lyrics were too sexual or violent. Parents who allowed kids to listen to such music were setting their families up for failure.

Even Congress got involved, holding a hearing on the scourge of rock music.

This video from Vox explains what happened and how it led to the infamous “Parental Advisory: Explicit Content” sticker.

The middle of the video really gets into how Christian preachers played a big role in spreading the misguided fear. Remember that they haven’t changed one bit — they’re still freaking out over things like companies using gay couples in advertisements. As if that’s leading to the downfall of society.

