In the late 1960s and 1970s, as methaqualone's reputation grew to mythic proportions in the media, America's Quaalude craze became apparent in the popular, and not-so-popular, music of the time. Syd Barrett, founding member and original guitarist and vocalist of Pink Floyd, was asked to leave the band shortly after appearing on stage heavily sedated and sporting a pomade of crushed Mandrax and Brylcream on his head. Fee Waybill of the lesser known The Tubes regularly performed as alter-ego Quay Lude in the band's glam rock opera, "White Punks on Dope." And in the song "Flakes" (1979), Frank Zappa takes a jab at Bob Dylan's alleged frequent use of Mandrax with the lyric, "Want to buy some Mandies, Bob?" Zappa, who was staunchly anti-drug, refers to Quaaludes in one interview as a "way to make people artificially stupid."

Methaqualone overdose also claimed a number of...