3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1960s That Parents Were Actually Scared Of

In the 1960s, music felt new and dangerous. In many ways, rock had taken over the culture, and it was bringing different ideas, melodies, and rhythms to the mainstream. And this scared many parents. Here below, we wanted to explore three songs that put real fear into the hearts of pearl-clutching parents. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1960s that parents were actually scared of.

“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly from ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ (1968)

Anything big and brooding is worrisome to parents. The larger the idea, song, or image—the more it can take over a young person’s mind. As a result, there was a great deal of fear surrounding “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly. The track helped to create heavy metal music. That in itself was scary. But even more than that, the track has to do with themes of God and eternity. Those ideas can be dangerous in the hands of a rock band—at least, that was the prevailing wisdom of the day. Yes, Iron Butterfly scared a lot of parents.

“Psychotic Reaction” by Count Five from ‘Psychotic Reaction’ (1966)

Not only were parents scared of big, brooding songs, but they were also worried about buzzing rock tracks that had to do with either love or drugs. Eeek! Well, when parents heard the 1966 tune “Psychotic Reaction” by Count Five, they were doubly worried. It was a song that seemed to promote wild thinking, and it was one that the boys and girls in the audience went mad for. If parents had their way back in the day, this song would have been taken off the airwaves practically immediately.

“Angel Of The Morning” by Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts from ‘Angel Of The Morning’ (1968)

In the late 1960s, people were welcoming new ideas. But that didn’t always make it easy for folks to get behind every social advancement. Not immediately, anyway. Enter: “Angel Of The Morning” by Merrilee Rush. Back in the day, parents weren’t exactly eager to hear that their children (especially daughters) were sexually active and even promiscuous. But in 1968, Rush was singing about sexual empowerment and owning her physicality. It was revolutionary; it was beloved by teens and feared by their folks.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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