finding that google are providing content warning on music blogs, I decided to do some research on the historyof censorship in rock music. What I was thrilled to find in the ss&h library is a copy of Heavy Metal, Rap, and America's Youth: Issues and Alternatives a special report of the free congress foundation. The Free Congress Foundation describe themselves on their website as a think tank whose "main focus is on the Culture War."and ask the question "Will America return to the culture that made it great, our traditional, Judeo-Christian, Western culture? Or will we continue the long slide into the cultural and moral decay of political correctness?"
Their report is a fascinating look at the way so called conservative or moralist groups view music such as heavy metal. It includes lists of band names they find offensive(Sore Throat, Anthrax), the names of bands and songs that deal with themes that thef oundation find innapropriate( including lesbianism, masturbation, murder and suicide.), and for the benefit of anyone who should care to read it reproductions of explicit and offensive lyrics. The report then goes on to comment on the introduction of parental advisory labels on music and video products. Althogh this report was released in 1990 the agenda behind it can still be seen in the treatment of music today.