--- description: Darling Nikki by Prince led Tipper Gore to start the Parents Music Resource Center, which led to Parental Advisory stickers title: The Story of Prince and Those 'Parental Advisory' Stickers image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d8e4151cf8e1cbb/69889038196cf47c5503b4cf/prince-musician-dead-09.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Story of Prince and Those 'Parental Advisory' Stickers  by [Olivia B. Waxman](/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Apr 21, 2016 8:57 PM CUT  Prince perform on Feb. 19, 1985 in Inglewood, Calif. Prince perform on Feb. 19, 1985 in Inglewood, Calif.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images  by [Olivia B. Waxman](/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Apr 21, 2016 8:57 PM CUT Prince, the legendary pop star who [died](http://time.com/4303558/prince-dead-died-death-paisley-park/ "undefined") Wednesday at 57, was known as a [sex symbol](http://time.com/4303566/prince-dead-died-death-paisley-park-obituary/?xid=homepage "undefined"). In fact, his provocative lyrics helped set off the national movement that led to the creation of the black-and-white “Parental Advisory” stickers on albums. Vice President Al Gore’s wife Elizabeth “Tipper” Gore first realized that some records could use disclaimers while listening to Prince’s _Purple Rain_ with her 11-year-old daughter, specifically these lyrics from “Darling Nikki”: “I knew a girl named Nikki/ I guess you could say she was a sex fiend/ I met her in a hotel lobby/ Masturbating with a magazine.” As she later wrote in _Raising PG Kids in an X-Rated Society_ (1987), “The vulgar lyrics embarrassed both of us. At first, I was stunned — then I got mad! Millions of Americans were buying _Purple_ _Rain_ with no idea what to expect!” ### See Prince’s Life in Photos  Prince performs at the Bottom Line on Feb. 15, 1980 in New York City. Waring Abbott—Getty Images  Prince performs on Saturday Night Live on Feb. 21, 1981. Alan Singer—Getty Images  Prince performs onstage at the Palladium on Dec. 2, 1981 in New York City. Waring Abbott—Getty Images  Prince in 1982. ullstein bild/Getty Images  Prince attends the premiere of Purple Rain on July 26, 1984 in Hollywood, Calif. Ron Galella—Getty Images  Promotional still for Purple Rain, 1984. Warner Bros. Pictures  Prince in Under the Cherry Moon, 1986. Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection  Prince and the Revolution perform on Aug. 17, 1986 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Rob Verhorst—Getty Images  Prince performs at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 5, 1991 in Los Angeles. Frank Micelotta Archive—Getty Images  Prince Charles, right, talks with Prince, left, at the "Diamonds are Forever" celebration on June 9, 1999 in London. Dave Hogan—AP  Beyoncé, right, and Prince perform at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2004 in Los Angeles. Frank Micelotta—Getty Images  From left: Tom Petty, Dhani Harrison and Prince perform during The 19th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York City on March 15, 2004\. Prince was inducted into the Hall of Fame that evening. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Prince arrives with his former wife Manuela Testolini for the 77th Academy Awards on Feb. 27, 2005 in Los Angeles. Kevork Djansezian—AP  Prince performs during the American Idol Season 5 Finale on May 24, 2006 in Hollywood, Calif. Vince Bucci—Getty Images  Prince performs during half-time at Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007 in Miami, Fla. Roberto Schmidt—AFP/Getty Images  Prince performs during half-time at Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007 in Miami, Fla. Jonathan Daniel—Getty Images  Sheila E and Prince perform on June 1, 2007 in Pasadena, Calif. Kevin Winter—Getty Images  Prince with comedian Dave Chappelle at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18, 2007 in Las Vegas. Andrew D. Bernstein—Getty Images  Prince during the 2015 American Music Awards on Nov. 22, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images So in 1985, she formed the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) with the support of several political wives, such as Susan Baker (married to Treasury Secretary James Baker), who joined the cause after her [seven-year-old daughter](http://www.newsweek.com/2015/10/09/oral-history-tipper-gores-war-explicit-rock-lyrics-dee-snider-373103.html "undefined") started quoting Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” and asking what a virgin was. The PMRC released a “The Filthy Fifteen,” a list of songs that should be banned or labeled, naturally featuring Prince and Madonna. Musicians John Denver, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, and Frank Zappa testified at a Senate hearing about record labeling, an idea Zappa called “the equivalent of treating dandruff by decapitation.” Over the next decade, the Recording Industry Association of America started using different variations of “Parental Advisory.” At one point, Walmart [refused](http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/12/arts/wal-mart-s-cd-standards-are-changing-pop-music.html?pagewanted=all "undefined") to carry records with such warnings. But the movement didn’t hurt Prince. As Bob Cavallo, a former manager, put it, “Any time Prince got bad publicity, it helped him.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4303801/prince-dead-darling-nikki-parental-advisory/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4303801/prince-dead-darling-nikki-parental-advisory/"},"headline":"The Story of Prince and Those 'Parental Advisory' Stickers","datePublished":"2016-04-21T20:57:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:46:39.025Z","description":"How his song 'Darling Nikki' led to the warning labels","url":"https://time.com/4303801/prince-dead-darling-nikki-parental-advisory/","keywords":["Newsfeed","celebrities"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d8e4151cf8e1cbb/69889038196cf47c5503b4cf/prince-musician-dead-09.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivia B. Waxman","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d8e4151cf8e1cbb/69889038196cf47c5503b4cf/prince-musician-dead-09.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Prince Dead TIMEHP","caption":"Prince Musician Dead","creditText":"Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4303801/prince-dead-darling-nikki-parental-advisory/","name":"The Story of Prince and Those 'Parental Advisory' Stickers"}}]}] ```