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Playlist: The rock that fueled the Peters Brothers

KISS was one of the bands targeted by the Peters Brothers, controversial '80s ministers that preached about the dangers of rock.
KISS was one of the bands targeted by the Peters Brothers, controversial '80s ministers that preached about the dangers of rock.Paul Kane/Getty Images

September 05, 2019

The season finale of The Current Rewind podcast is all about the Peters Brothers: a trio of evangelical pastors who spent the '80s preaching about the dangers of rock music. The St. Paul brothers visited schools, organized protests, and spoke on national television about rock's alleged effects on young audiences. They even wrote a book, Why Knock Rock?, urging families to pitch their rock records in the trash.

The Peters Brothers' targets ranged from heavy metal acts like Twisted Sister and St. Paul horror band Impaler, to pop artists Prince and Madonna. "What about [Prince's] song called 'Delirious?'" Steve Peters asks in their promotional video Youth Suicide Fantasy. "He goes through this sexual escapade in this song. Not to make you want to throw up."

From shock rock to suggestive pop, this playlist includes several of the songs that fueled the Peters Brothers' protests against rock 'n' roll.

This playlist is a bonus feature of The Current Rewind, the podcast putting music's unsung stories on the map. Our in-depth history of the Peters Brothers' anti-rock crusade is out now, and you can find it via any of the feeds below.