Tipper Gore and other political wives form the Parents Music Resource Center as Frank Zappa, John Denver, and other musicians testify at U.S. Congressional hearings on obscenity in rock music.

Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Gore is an American social issues advocate. She was the second lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001 through her marriage to the 45th vice president, Al Gore in 1970, from whom she separated in 2010.

The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was a conservative United States government committee formed in 1985 with the stated goal of increasing parental control over children's access to music deemed to have violent, drug-related, or sexual themes. The committee's work led to the widespread adoption of the Parental Advisory sticker. The PMRC was known for its prejudicial targeting of heavy metal music, which drew opposition and criticism. On political and religious grounds, the committee was supported by American televangelists, Reaganites, and the larger evangelical movement, who accused rock and heavy metal music of harboring satanic and occult related themes.

Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, guitarist, bandleader, actor, comedian, satirist, filmmaker, activist and freedom of speech advocate. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed rock, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestral and musique concrète works; he additionally produced nearly all the 60-plus albums he released with his band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. His work is characterized by nonconformity, improvisation sound experimentation, musical virtuosity and satire of American culture. Zappa also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. He is considered one of the most innovative and stylistically diverse musicians of his generation.

Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., known professionally as John Denver, was an American country and folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s and one of the best selling artists in that decade. AllMusic has called Denver "among the most beloved entertainers of his era".