Sex Type Thing

Released in 1992 at the height of the grunge era, “Sex Type Thing” was the first single from Stone Temple Pilots’ debut album, Core.  Fueled by the genre’s popularity and the song’s distinctively disturbing video, it reached #23 on the Modern Rock chart.

Influenced by the rape of his girlfriend, lead singer Scott Weiland crafted the lyrics in first person from the rapist’s point of view.  This unconventional and dark approach caused a bit of controversy.  Perhaps dulled by the mindless pop of the late-’80s, some listeners seemed incapable of picking up on the song’s ironic tone, leading Weiland to comment to Rolling Stone, “I never thought that people would ever seriously think that I was an advocate of date rape.”