Nero and the burning of Rome, sound familiar?

While playing the violin Rome was in flames. The view was obvious for everyone to see but oblivious to Nero while intoxicated with wild egocentric pleasures with and for himself. "Eve of Destruction" is a protest song written by P. F. Sloan in mid-1965.[4] Several artists have recorded it, but the most popular recording was by Barry McGuire, on which Sloan played guitar.The song references social issues of its period, including the Vietnam War, the draft, the threat of nuclear war, the Civil Rights Movement, turmoil in the Middle East and the American space program.The American media helped to make the song popular by using it as an example of everything that was wrong with the youth culture of the time.[5] Its controversial lyrics caused it to be banned by some American radio stations, "claiming it was an aid to the enemy in Vietnam".[6][7]BackgroundThe song was offered to the Byrds as a potential single in the style of their Bob Dylan covers, but they rejected it. The Turtles, another L.A. group, recorded a version instead. The Turtles' version appeared as a track on their October 1965 debut album It Ain't Me Babe in July 1965, shortly after McGuire's version was released. The Turtles version was later released as a single in 1970 and hit #100 on the Billboard Hot 100.Barry McGuire versionMcGuire's recording was made between July 12 and 15, 1965, and released by Dunhill Records.[citation needed] The accompanying musicians were P. F. Sloan on acoustic guitar and "Wrecking Crew" session musicians Hal Blaine on drums and Larry Knechtel on bass guitar. McGuire's vocal track was not intended to be the final version, but a copy of the rough mix "leaked" out to a disc jockey, who began playing it.[8] The song was an instant hit, and as a result the more polished vocal track was never recorded.McGuire recalled in later years that "Eve of Destruction" had been recorded in one take on a Tuesday morning, with him reading lyrics scrawled on a crumpled piece of paper. He said the following Monday morning he received a phone call from the record company at 7am telling him to turn on the radio, his song was playing.[9] McGuire's single hit #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the UK Singles Chartin September 1965.Sloan recalled: "Barry McGuire was the lead singer for a popular folk group at the time called The New Christy Minstrels. [He had written and sung] his own Number 1 hit, "Green, Green". He had just left the group and was on his own and looking for material to record. He wound up at my publishing company and was told there was a quirky songwriter he might want to listen to. Barry didn't like the song "Eve of Destruction" that much. He liked a few other songs of mine better. When he was ready to record he picked four songs, and "Eve" was the fourth to be recorded if there was time. If you listen to the recording, he's rushing because of the time constraints and he was reading it for the first time off a piece of paper." When the record was released "Eve of Destruction" was the B-side.[5]ReceptionIn the first week of its release the single was at No. 103 on the Billboard charts. In August 12 Dunhill released the LP, Eve of Destruction. It reached its peak of #37 on the Billboard album chart during the week ending September 25. That same day the single went to #1 on the chart, and repeated the feat on the Cashbox chart, where it had debuted at No. 30.[10] McGuire would never again break into the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. It went to #1 in Norway for two weeks.[11]