On this day in 1985, Frank Zappa, John Denver and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister testify at a Senate hearing where the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) argue for a ratings system on music. | MONSTERS OF ROCK

In 1985, the Parents Music Resource Center pushed for warning labels on albums with explicit content. The Senate held hearings, expecting little pushback. Instead, they got Frank Zappa, Dee Snider, and John Denver—three unlikely allies. Zappa called it censorship, Snider calmly defended his lyrics without the makeup, and Denver warned how even his clean songs had been misinterpreted. No laws were passed, but the pressure led record labels to adopt the “Parental Advisory” sticker. The PMRC got th