Rock records contain hidden satanic messages played backward
| Rock records contain hidden satanic messages played backward | |
|---|---|
| UNSUPPORTED | |
| "Rock musicians deliberately hid satanic or harmful messages in their recordings that can be heard when the records are played backward, and these messages influence listeners subconsciously." | |
| Domain | Culture, Religion & Society |
| Tactic | Pseudoscience / Junk Science Conspiracy Theory |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 1970s |
| Origin | Christian evangelists and media in the late 1970s and early 1980s, followed by proposed legislation in California and Arkansas and a 1990 lawsuit against the band Judas Priest |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-27 |
| Further reading: books on Culture, Religion & Society | |
The claim that rock records contain hidden satanic messages played backward became a major concern in the early 1980s. Critics said that songs such as Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," played in reverse, contained phrases referring to Satan, and that such "backmasked" messages could influence listeners. California and Arkansas considered laws requiring warning labels. Some musicians did deliberately place backward messages on records, often as jokes. But research found no evidence that listeners can understand backward messages subconsciously or that such messages influence behavior. Many supposed messages are the result of listeners being told what to hear. The status here is Unsupported because some deliberate backmasking exists, but claims of hidden satanic messages and their effects are not supported.
What the evidence shows
- Suggestion. Psychological research by John Vokey and Don Read, published in 1985, found that people could not detect the meaning of backward messages and that listeners heard phrases mainly when they were told what to listen for.
- No effect. Experiments found no evidence that backward messages affect listeners' behavior or beliefs.
- Deliberate examples. Bands including the Beatles, the Electric Light Orchestra and Pink Floyd included intentional backward recordings, sometimes mocking the controversy.
- Judas Priest trial. In 1990, the families of two young men who shot themselves after listening to a Judas Priest album sued the band, alleging hidden subliminal messages. A Nevada judge ruled that the evidence did not show that the band had placed subliminal messages that caused the deaths.
Why it persists
Hearing a recognizable phrase in reversed audio is a striking experience. The theory fits fears about youth culture and moral decline, and it gives a simple explanation for troubling behavior.
Lessons for readers
- Being told what to hear strongly shapes what we perceive.
- The human brain finds patterns, including words, in random sounds.
- Ask whether a claimed influence has been tested experimentally.
- Moral panics often focus on new forms of youth culture.
See also
- Subliminal ads made moviegoers buy more popcorn and Coca-Cola
- Paul McCartney died in 1966 and was replaced by a look-alike
- Dungeons & Dragons leads players to Satanism and suicide
Sources
- John R. Vokey and J. Don Read, "Subliminal messages: Between the devil and the media," American Psychologist 40, no. 11 (1985).
- Timothy E. Moore, "Scientific consensus and expert testimony: Lessons from the Judas Priest trial," Skeptical Inquirer 20, no. 6 (1996).