Upbeat tempos, trilling saxophone solos, and illicit lyrics created the Unholy Trinity that had pearl clutching Fundamentalists throughout the 20th Century screaming, “That’s the Devil’s music!”
I love rock music. I love the heavy guitar, the behind the scenes stories, the pageantry, and the mythos. My love of the genre was nurtured by my dad on cross country road trips, where he shared music by not only Metallica, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix, but also Cab Calloway, and the Penguins. As I grew older, I explored the subgenres and the roots of rock and roll and was fascinated by the legends surrounding rock artists.
The story of Robert Johnson selling his soul at a crossroad in Mississippi and dying “mysteriously” at age 27 ignited myths of occult dealings for future rock stars. Some band members would admit to also selling their soul to the devil for fame. Others, such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison, would join Robert Johnson in forming the 27 Club posthumously and tragically. These supernatural connections between musicians, usually formed by fans, were one element of the background of the Satanic Panic that emerged in the 1980s. I wanted my mixtape to explore the roots of the Satanic Panic through rock and roll, as most of the anxiety surrounding the genre was related to the rhythms and lyrics being “inappropriate,” or invoking hip-shaking, flailing dances that would certainly lead to the youth being led astray and into the Devil’s sway.
The playlist starts with a cover of sax legend, Sidney Bechet’s “Southern Sunset” as an instrumental introduction to the roots of rock. I chose this song for its eerie notes and as an overture for the rest of the playlist which catalogs a descent into Hell, with Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog” serving as a comical note on hellhounds, but also for the screaming and cheering women watching the “King’s” controversial performance as a reminder of why rock music was alarming. The journey ends with a plea to escape (Alice Cooper’s “Give the Kid a Break”) and ultimate failure to leave (Mercyful Fate’s “Into the Coven”). The final two songs are a nod to the “Filthy 15,” which was a list of songs created by Parents Music Resource Center in 1985 they found were the most objectionable.
Below is the playlist, uploaded to YouTube for a visual element, where I could find music videos, and also because you do not need an account to watch videos or playlists on YouTube.
