Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received an industry-wide ban on using some inappropriate words in “You Don’t Know How It Feels.” Radio stations, MTV, and VH1 all altered the recording to remove some words. In the end, “You Don’t Know How It Feels” won Best Male Video at MTV’s VMAs.
Petty said he was “elated” when the song was banned. The one exception was David Letterman’s show, where it was played in its entirety. The No. 1 hit song was released in 1994 on the studio album “Wildflowers.” However, as late as 2007, the song was censored during the Heartbreakers’ performance at Lollapalooza. R.I.P. Tom Petty.
"Imagine" by John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
This idealistic ode to peace has the audacity to imagine all people living peacefully in a borderless world. It’s been banned several times. In a strongly Christian nation in which God and country delineate patriotic nationalism, a song that imagines “no countries,” “no religion,” and “no heaven” is deemed blasphemous and anti-American. The idealistic hymn, much to the religious right’s chagrin, is also one of the most popular songs ever written.
“Imagine” was banned during the buildup to the first Gulf War, and it was banned after the 9/11 attacks. It’s been considered too controversial for graduation ceremonies and funerals on both sides of the Atlantic. Song fact: Yoko Ono inspired the tune and wrote most of the lyrics. Based on the principle that peace needs to be imagined before it’s realized, it was recorded in 1971 as part of an artistic marketing campaign for peace.
"Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday
This song was to be Billie Holiday’s best-selling single, but radio stations refused to play it, and promoters ordered her not to sing it. “Strange Fruit” was based on a poem protesting prejudice, especially lynching, which was a lingering tragedy of the deep South when the song was released in 1939. It’s hard to imagine anyone dissing a song that calls out lynching, but it happened right here in the ‘land of the free.’
Considered too graphic and gory, the haunting ballad was banned in South Africa during apartheid and landed Billie Holiday on the F.B.I.’s “watch list.” Holiday’s label, Columbia Records, refused to record her act of dissent. Luckily, her contract permitted the admired singer to hook up with another, smaller left-leaning label, Commodore Records, to record it. Time magazine eventually named “Strange Fruit” the “song of the century,” but not until 1999.
"Take the Power Back" by Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine’s unique punk/rap/metal/hip-hop sound led by Zack de la Rocha’s anti-establishment lyrics has met all kinds of censorship. Besides the total ban by Clear Channel after 9/11, in 1996, SNL banned the group permanently for draping upside-down flags on their amps while rocking “Bulls on Parade” live. In 2009, BBC Radio 5 Live censored the final refrain of “Killing in the Name” by fading it out. They asked de la Rocha not to sing, “F*** you, I won’t do what you tell me!” live, but he did it anyway. The publicly-funded BBC apologized.
The 1992 song “Take the Power Back” faced censorship in 2015 by the Tucson Unified School District in Arizona. Teachers at a local high school met a noncompliance notice for using the tune to teach a Mexican-American history class. The infraction? Arizona State law forbids advocating “ethnic solidarity.”
"Like a Prayer" by Madonna
The savviest of provocateurs, a.k.a. The Queen of Pop, struck a high note with “Like a Prayer.” When the music video premiered on MTV in 1989, the controversy over some of the lyrics took a backseat to the widespread indignation over the presentation of religious and inappropriate themes. Madonna offended Catholics so deeply with the video that Pope John Paul II and PepsiCo denounced it.
The Vatican called it blasphemous and ordered a boycott of a new Pepsi TV commercial featuring Madonna singing with a church choir. Pepsi panicked and pulled the ad, but not before shelling out $5 million to the publicity-shrewd diva. It was the perfect concoction of controversy and attention. “Like a Prayer” remains one of the material girl’s most successful songs.
"God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys
If there are any doubts concerning the roots of conservatism in the United States of America, please lay them down. Paul McCartney legendarily gushed over the Beach Boys’ 1966 love ballad while radio stations in America’s southern states boycotted it. The love song didn’t use the Lord’s name in vain, but a pop song with “God” in its title seemed blasphemous enough.
Partly because some stations refused to play it, “God Only Knows” only made it to No. 39 on the U.S. charts. However, in the U.K., it shot to No.2. Another factor is that it was overlooked, having been issued as a B-side to the band’s wildly popular “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”
"Splish Splash" by Bobby Darin
Back in 1958, when “Splish Splash” was a lively pop singles sensation, some radio stations found the tune too suggestive. Being in the bath suggests the singer is naked. Not only that, but the explicit language about walking into a house party in just a towel was way too evocative. (Oh, if only the expurgators knew Lady Gaga was coming!)
When he finally joins the party, he only mentions putting his dancing shoes on! (Now, there’s a visual.) Bobby Darin hardly suffered from censorship. The 22-year-old Bronx-born singer-songwriter became a teen idol overnight, with "Splish Splash" reaching No. 3 on the pop singles chart.
"Royals" by Lorde
This song was banned for, quite possibly, the dumbest reason. “Royals” was released in 2013. By the time the 2014 World Series rolled around, the 16-year-old Lorde’s No. 1 chart-topping song had become an anthem, of sorts, to Kansas City Royals fans. When the Royals matched up with the San Francisco Giants, overzealous Giants fans had a problem with the song playing during the Series.
In response, Bay Area KFOG banned it saying, “No offense, Lorde, but for the duration of the World Series, KFOG Radio will be a Royals-free zone.” Other S.F. stations removed the song from playlists as well.
"In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
Who knows why “In the Air Tonight” was banned during the Gulf War and again after 9/11? But nevertheless, the song about suffering through jilted love was deemed too sensitive for airplay during wartime. Perhaps the line, “It’s all been a pack of lies,” was posthumously interpreted to refer to the reasons for the wars.
It would make sense if Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” was blacklisted, but it wasn’t. Instead, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” made the list. The censorship was brought to us by the BBC and Clear Channel Communications.
"Wake Up Little Susie" by The Everly Brothers
“Wake Up Little Susie” was a No. 1 chart-topper in 1957, but that didn’t stop a Boston radio station from banning it. The censors claimed the song implies the teenage couple had an intimate relationship. The content, in general, staying out late with a boyfriend, was too sensitive for the Fifties. It’s almost impossible to fathom that reaction in our era.
The song was a huge hit. While campaigning for the presidency, George W. Bush told Oprah that Buddy Holly’s version of “Wake Up Little Susie” was his favorite song. The songwriters who wrote most of The Everly Brothers songs were Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, a husband and wife team who also wrote ditties for Elvis, Bob Dylan, and Buddy Holly.
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles
This song, written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, was originally recorded by The Shirelles, an all-girl foursome. Rumor had it that it is about a girl ready to be intimate with a boy for the first time due to the lyrics, “So tell me now, and I won’t ask again, will you still love me tomorrow?” (How, exactly, is beyond our imagination). But several U.S. radio stations spotted the line and banned the song.
In 1960, the mere hint of suggestion was enough to trigger the alarms. The bans were not enough, however, to stop the song from the first black all-girl band from topping the U.S. charts and hitting No. 4 in the U.K.
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy Boyd
In 1952, the song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” shot to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. The adorable jingly-jolly holiday carol was recorded with lyrics sung by 13-year-old Jimmy Boyd. It sold two million copies during that holiday season. But not everyone was impressed.
The Catholic Church condemned the song for linking intimacy with Christmas. Several radio stations banned it. The line, “She didn’t see me creep/Down the stairs to have a peep,” was also considered indecent. (Wait. That’s not daddy dressed as Santa Claus?!)
"Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen
This song was truly banned for no reason. It all started with a teenage girl’s father who penned a concerned letter to Attorney General Robert Kennedy, blaming the “extreme state of moral degradation” of the nation on the “Louie Louie” ditty. An F.B.I. investigation duly commenced. Of concern, according to the F.B.I. report, were lyrics that seemed to say, “At night at ten / I lay her again / F*** you girl, oh / All the way.”
To wit, the only obscenity of the song, it turned out, occurred at about 50 seconds when the drummer drops a drumstick and yells, “F***.” Ironically, the F.B.I. didn’t catch it. Song fact: Richard Berry wrote and recorded the calypso-inspired song with his band in 1957. The Kingsmen covered it based on a cover version by the Wailers that they heard playing on local jukeboxes.
"If U Seek Amy" by Britney Spears
The way Britney Spears sings it, “If U Seek Amy” seeks an obscenity ban by wordplay. With an emphasis on “IF U See K,” a pun makes a double entendre of the refrain. Take a listen to judge for yourselves.
In case it appears inadvertent, a quick look at her music video clarifies her intentions. A wild party is winding down to a conservative domestic scene, like a risqué version of “Mrs. Robinson.”
"(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones
When this song was first released in the U.K., only pirate radio stations would play it. In the U.S., “Satisfaction” topped the charts at No. 1 for four consecutive weeks. But its aggressive lyrics were censored on TV, partly because Mick Jagger’s gyrations on stage were considered lewd. The words, “I’m trying to make some girl,” got zapped. Following the 1965 ban in the U.K. for lyrics deemed too suggestive, the song rose to No. 1 on the U.K. charts as well. However, it was also criticized for “tasteless themes.”
Critics found anti-establishment tendencies in lyrics such as, “When I’m watchin’ my TV, and a man comes on and tells me / How white my shirts can be / But, he can’t be a man ’cause he doesn’t smoke / The same cigarettes as me.” Despite the denunciations, it’s the second greatest song of all time, according to Rolling Stone magazine. Devo, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Britney Spears, and Vanilla Ice have all released cover versions.
"Rolling in the Deep" by Adele
The controversy here seems to revolve around why radio stations censored Adele’s song. Broadcasters concerned the lyric might be, “I’ll lay your sh*t bare,” bleeped it out, just in case. To make things clear, Adele replaced the word in question with “stuff” during a TV performance.
What is certain, the ballad “Rolling in the Deep” was a massive sensation. The No. 1 hit song stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks.
"The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem
Radio station KKMG of Colorado Springs was slapped with a $7,000 fine for playing Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady” in 2000 due to a listener complaint to the FCC. Never mind that it was a radio edit and one of the rapper’s tamest tunes on his newly released LP.
Updated FCC guidelines issued just two months prior claimed innuendo, without expletives, can be considered subject to obscenity laws. The agency cited “unmistakable offensive references,” quoting the lyrics above and several other lines. Later, however, the FCC reversed the fine stating the song was “not patently offensive under contemporary community standards.” A Wisconsin radio station was also hit with a fine for playing the unedited version of “Slim Shady.” They paid the fine without appeal.
"Cop Killer" by Body Count
“Cop Killer” is a song of vengeance and retribution by the hardcore rock band Body Count. Accompanying raps by Ice-T relish in vanquishing L.A.P.D. cops for killing his homies and rally against institutional police brutality. Needless to say, the explicit song faced a lot of heat from politicians and parent organizations nationwide. In 1992, President George H. W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle criticized it.
In response to the condemnation, Ice-T said, “I’ve become the hero of the people, and the more they attack me, the stronger I’ll get.” However, in response to the condemnation, Ice-T removed the song from the album. Reflecting, he found free speech means we can say what we want, “but you have to be prepared for the ramifications of what you say.” Song fact: Ice-T was inspired to write “Cop Killer” while singing the Talking Heads' song “Psycho Killer.”
"Light My Fire" by The Doors
In 1967, The Doors were eternally banned from The Ed Sullivan Show over one word. Before the live performance, a producer informed the band that the term “higher” suggested illegal substance use, and the lyric must be changed to a more appropriate word, like “better.” As the door closed, Jim Morrison, insulted by the ridiculous request to self-censor, declared, “We’re not changing a word.”
During the live performance, singing it exactly like the single, guitarist Robby Krieger grinned at Morrison’s noncompliance, but the CBS execs were incensed. They confronted Morrison saying he’ll never play on the show again. Morrison quipped, “Hey, man. We just did the Sullivan show.”
"Juicy" by The Notorious B.I.G.
Today, when “Juicy” plays on the radio, there’s an awkward silence in place of the line, “Blow up like the World Trade.” This is despite the fact the song was released years before the 9/11 tragedies. Notorious B.I.G. was referring to the 1993 World Trade Center disaster in the underground parking area that took six people's lives, but his metaphor “blow up” refers to explosive personal success and getting paid.
It wasn’t until after 9/11 that the song was censored for radio play. Notorious B.I.G., though some believe his lyric was prophetic, would never even know about the censorship of his song or the catastrophic event. Tragically, Biggie lost his life in 1997.
"Lola" by The Kinks
Surprisingly, it wasn’t the line “Well I’m not the world’s most masculine man / But I know what I am and I’m glad I’m a man / and so is Lola,” that caused the fuss. It was the BBC’s policy against product placement that forced The Kinks to rewrite part of their popular 1970 chart-topping song, “Lola.” The radio version replaced the “Coca-Cola” brand name reference with the words “cherry cola.”
Lead singer Ray Davies had to fly from N.Y. to London to sing the radio edit to get the song on the air. Song fact: Davies wrote this song in jest after the band’s manager went to a club and danced with a transvestite. He was so plastered that he didn’t notice “her” stubble growing back in the wee hours of the night.
"Physical" by Olivia Newton-John
In Utah, Salt Lake City and Provo radio stations banned Olivia Newton-John’s chart-topping peppy tune “Physical.” It was 1981, at the dawning of the conservative “Reagan Revolution,” when the line, “Unless it’s horizontally,” was deemed as an intimate suggestion. The music video for “Physical,” released the same month as the premiere of MTV, was also banned.
The ending of the video revealed a gay theme. MTV censored it by cutting it short, and some broadcasters in Canada and the U.K. banned it altogether. The song won a Grammy for Video of the Year and was the most popular song of Newton-John’s career.
"Greased Lightning" by John Travolta
From the Broadway musical to the movie, "Grease" has been widely adopted as family entertainment, which is curious considering it’s about wild teens and illegal street racing.
On the radio, the word “sh*t” in John Travolta’s 1978 version of “Greased Lightning” had to be censored with a bleep. Although the line, “You are supreme, the chicks’ll cream for grease lightning,” remained untouched. Besides that, it’s a virtual course in auto mechanics about stylin’ up some wheels with overhead lifters and four-barrel quads, dual-muffler twins, and chrome-plated rods.
"Baby, It’s Cold Outside" by Frank Loesser
During its day, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” was a perfectly acceptable song. Frank Loesser wrote and recorded it with his wife as a duet in 1944. It won an Oscar for Best Original Song in "Neptune’s Daughter" after Loesser sold it to MGM for the 1949 film.
Today, in 2018, the tune has been washed up in the #MeToo movement and faced radio play censorship for being a very controversial song.
"Love Game" by Lady Gaga
With a refrain like that, “LoveGame” takes gamers to a whole new level. Lady Gaga’s third release from "The Fame" was banned in many countries. Australia took offense at the suggestive music video but the U.S. played “LoveGame” straight.
However, in the U.S., MTV removed scenes where Lady Gaga appeared to only be wearing her birthday suit. The video also faced banishment from MTV Arabia. Song fact: The diva explained that the song was inspired by the experience of being attracted to a stranger at a nightclub.
"Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" by The Wizard of Oz
This high-energy 1939 Munchkin song, welcoming Dorothy to the colorful Land of Oz, never faced any sort of censorship, that is, until British prime minister Margaret Thatcher passed away in 2013. Detractors of the former PM led a campaign that aimed to thrust “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead” to the top of the charts during the week of the unpopular leader’s death.
The effort nearly succeeded as the festive tune pushed its way up to the No. 2 position, but BBC’s Radio 1 doused the flames by refusing to air it on their charts. The BBC called it a distasteful campaign and banned it for representing “a celebration of death.”
"Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison
This song was released in the 1960s during the iconic Summer of Love. “Brown Eyed Girl” seemed like the perfect accompanying ballad, however, Van Morrison wasn’t having it with the hippie association. Radio stations had a problem with the line “making love in the green grass,” and so “Brown Eyed Girl” was either banned or censored for being too provocative.
Originally, Morrison titled the ditty “Brown Skinned Girl,” an interracial suggestion that definitely would have received even more censorship. Interracial marriage was still illegal in 17 states at the time, so he altered the song into the more radio-friendly version that we recognize today as one of the great rock ‘n’ roll classics.
"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" by The Beatles
“Happiness Is a Warm Gun” is all four of the Beatles’ favorite songs of the “White Album,” but it wasn’t the censors’ favorite. The track, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, appeared on the epic 1968 double album, "The Beatles." It was promptly banned by the BBC. The media gatekeeper barred it for exposed intimate symbolism they found in the gun metaphor. Fair enough.
In the U.S., radio stations also refused to play the controversial tune. Song fact: Lennon borrowed the title from an article he read entitled “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” in "The American Rifleman." He said, “I thought it was so crazy that I made a song out of it.”
"Puff the Magic Dragon" by Peter, Paul and Mary
In 1970, the Nixon Whitehouse kicked into high gear with a virulent anti-illegal substance crusade. Vice President Spiro Agnew, leading the pack, addressed Republicans in a speech that was broadcast on radio and TV. He singled out 1960s artists who he claimed advocated substance use by (wait for it) quoting their lyrics. By December, the Illinois Crime Commission issued a list of “substance-oriented” rock songs. “Puff the Magic Dragon” made the list.
The words “puff” and “papers” allegedly referred to smoking and “dragon” to taking a substance. Meanwhile, Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary insists the 1963 song was never about those things. He claimed it’s about the loss of innocence and the conclusion of childhood.
"My Generation" by The Who
Songs were banned by the busload during the radical Sixties. The change was bad from the elders’ perspective. The Who’s debut album, "My Generation," included the song that defined it with its titular track. It was offensive! Roger Daltrey sings that he’d rather die before he gets old (like his censors). It was the stutter in “Why don’t you all f-f-fade away,” which seemed to imply an impending “f-word” that raised the ire of BBC officials. But since the word doesn’t develop, the broadcasting company claimed it offends people who stutter or stammer.
Pirate radio stations continued to play “My Generation,” and eventually, it hit No. 2 on the U.K. charts. The real reason for the stammering in the song originated when Daltrey was attempting to read Pete Townshend’s lyrics for the first time. It had a groovy sound, so the band kept it.
"Love to Love You Baby" by Donna Summer
Before disco music hit the pop charts, it gained popularity in gay dance clubs featuring DJs instead of bands. Donna Summer’s 1975 “Love to Love You Baby” was one of the first songs to make that transition. It hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. A more contentious transition occurred from clubs to the radio. The issue was not so much her lyrical content as the sexul audio material that critics bemoaned.
The BBC calculated 23 climaxes marked by “intimate moans,” while Time magazine called the 17-minute song “a marathon of 22 peaks.” The sensuous sounds of breaths and moans on the recording gained further controversy as she was rumored to have recorded the track laying on the floor in a dark studio. The BBC banned it immediately. When the Guardian interviewed her about the controversy, they said, “everyone’s asking” if she touched herself. She replied, “Yes, well, actually, I had my hand on my knee.”
"Atomic" by Blondie
During the first Gulf War in the early 1990s, the BBC freaked out and banned 67 songs they considered too (potentially) sensitive during wartime. What we don't understand is why was Blondie’s 1979 hit “Atomic” was controversial. Well, apparently, it was because of the word “atomic.”
Never mind that it’s a love song. Not even Clear Channel Communications thought to remove “Atomic” from radio play during their capricious war ban.
"Anarchy in the U.K." by The Sex Pistols
By the time of the English punk band’s demise in 1978, the Sex Pistols had been banned on the radio, banned on television, banned from live performance, and nixed by two separate record labels. EMI dropped them for using profanity on a live TV broadcast, and A&M proceeded to dump them after just six days. Too hot to handle, with nowhere else to go, iconic punks Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten of the Pistols took their act to the U.S. It unraveled in S.F.
They produced just one studio album, "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols," released in 1977. “Anarchy in the U.K.” was its first release. The violent, anti-government nature of the song forced the band to defer releasing the rest of the album for a year. “God Save the Queen” was likewise banned from radio, but it still made it to No. 1 in the British charts.
"Johnny Remember Me" by John Leyton
John Leyton’s song “Johnny Remember Me” was released in 1961. The tune fell into the popular genre of the time called “death ditties.” These death-pop songs, fashionable like the bell-bottom fad of the sixties, featured morbid love-and-loss stories in pop music, which teens loved.
The phenomenon alarmed the expurgators. (Would those critics have banned Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” as well?) The BBC banned “Johnny Remember Me.” However, it still topped the U.K. singles chart at No. 1 and sold over half a million copies. Artist — 1, censors — 0.
"I Want Your Sex" by George Michael
The title alone of George Michael’s 1987 song, was enough to trigger a ban, and not because it was too suggestive. It is pretty clear. In fact, “I Want Your Sex” was the first pop song sporting the word “sex” in its title. The song by the former Wham! Superstar is from "Faith," his first solo album. It was banned during daytime hours on radio stations in the U.K. and the U.S. The single went platinum.
Despite Michael’s emphasis on monogamy in the music video, in an effort to be sensitive toward the HIV crisis, MTV also banned it during daytime hours for promoting controversial issues. It took the No. 3 spot on the 2002 countdown of MTV’s Most Controversial Videos Ever to Air on MTV.
"Glad to Be Gay" by Tom Robinson Band
Tom Robinson wrote “Glad to Be Gay” for a 1976 gay pride parade in London. In 1967, homosexuality had been decriminalized in the U.K., but society didn’t notice much. The song, performed by the punk/new wave Tom Robinson Band, criticizes attitudes in Margaret Thatcher’s England, and especially of the British police, who would raid gay pubs for no reason but prejudice.
It was released in 1978 on the band’s live "Rising Free" EP. Radio stations considered it too sensitive to play. BBC Radio 1 refused to broadcast it on its Top 40 Chart, but John Peel, the evening D.J., defied the ban and aired it. Today, the protest song inspired by the Sex Pistols has become an LGBT anthem in the U.K.
"I Love a Man in a Uniform" by Gang of Four
1982 single “I Love a Man in a Uniform” by the post-punk band Gang of Four was banned for a ridiculous and ill-timed reason. The song, which was a chart-topper and popular in the gay community at clubs, was banned for several reasons.
From the post-ironically titled studio album, "Songs of the Free," “I Love a Man in a Uniform,” was stripped from radio playlists in the U.K. According to the band’s guitarist Andy Gill, a memo from the BBC began circulating, stating: “Do not play this song. We’re expecting to have to report casualties tonight. This song will not be played from now on, period.” British troops were entering the Falklands War the following day.
"Burn My Candle" by Shirley Bassey
In the 1950s, when songs with incomprehensible lyrics were banned, just in case, for what they might be saying, Shirley Bassey’s song “Burn My Candle” was a no-brainer for the censors. It was the Welsh singer’s first single, recorded in 1956 when she was just 19 years old. The BBC censored it for its risqué suggestion.
Bassey was so young and naïve at the time she claimed that after the ban, she was totally shocked, having had no idea what the song, written by Ross Parker, was about. It proved to be a minor blip in an otherwise illustrious career.
"Jackie" by Scott Walker
“Jackie” was released in 1967, the same year homosexuality between two men over the age of 21 (in private) was ruled legal in England. It wasn’t only the line about “authentic queers” top bosses at “Auntie” that BBC found too obscene to spin. Illegal substance references to immoral language also caused the ban.
“Jackie” became the first song banned on the then-new Radio 1. The song by Jacques Brel was translated from French and recorded by Scott Walker as his first solo single.
"You Don’t Know How It Feels" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received an industry-wide ban on using some inappropriate words in “You Don’t Know How It Feels.” Radio stations, MTV, and VH1 all altered the recording to remove some words. In the end, “You Don’t Know How It Feels” won Best Male Video at MTV’s VMAs.
Petty said he was “elated” when the song was banned. The one exception was David Letterman’s show, where it was played in its entirety. The No. 1 hit song was released in 1994 on the studio album "Wildflowers." However, as late as 2007, the song was censored during the Heartbreakers’ performance at Lollapalooza. R.I.P. Tom Petty.
"Red Nation" by The Game
“Red Nation” was banned for references to gang culture. Especially due to Game’s supposed affiliation with the infamous Los Angeles Bloods gang. Custom officials in Canada denied the American hip-hop artist and rapper entrance to the country, citing his organized crime involvement.
The rap song was banned on radio, MTV, and BET. As a result, the video racked up over 3 million views on YouTube that week. The rapper hopes more of his songs get banned. “Red Nation,” featuring Lil’ Wayne, received tons of free publicity. Since it wasn’t available on public broadcasts, fans went to stores or YouTube to check it out.
"Rumble" by Link Wray & His Ray Men
“Rumble” holds the unique distinction of being the only instrumental song ever banned from radio. Just the title was enough for the 1958 song to raise fears of an escalation of street fights and juvenile delinquency. Plus, it characterized a menacing new trend called “rock ‘n’ roll.” When Dick Clark introduced the song to American Bandstand viewers, he avoided naming the tune and carefully welcomed Link Wray and his band on the popular TV dance show.
The song by Link Wray & His Ray Men sounds a bit like Lou Reed sans lyrics. And it was revolutionary in its day for its use of distortion. Remarkably, Link Wray invented the fuzzbox by altering his amp to create the effect. This song became a huge hit. Song fact: “Rumble” is featured on Pulp Fiction.
"Honey Love" by The Drifters
“Honey Love” was Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters' second No. 1 hit single, but it wouldn’t be found in Memphis jukeboxes! Memphis, Tennessee, police officers targeted the tune and seized all copies of the aberrant disk. The violation? Suggestive lyrics.
The word “it” in the lyrics of the peppy, Calypso-style 1954 song was far too open for interpretation. Radio stations pulled it from playlists. According to Bill Pinkney, the last surviving member of the Drifters quintet, “The songs were clean, people’s minds were just in the gutter, they took it where they wanted to carry it.”
"Wham! Bam! Thank you, Ma’am!" by Dean Martin
Dean Martin is known for hanging out with Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, and Lauren Bacall in the hep-cat social group known as the Rat Pack. It’s not terribly surprising a song titled “Wham! Bam! Thank you, Ma’am!” would be banned from the radio in 1951, and that’s exactly what happened.
Technically, the offensive song is about a jilted lover who got dumped, but the radio gods deemed the lyrics too suggestive. Case closed. No trial.
"F the Police" by NWA
Just the name of this rap group alone was enough to get them banned by all kinds of music authorities. We won't spell it out for you, but NWA needed to turn their name into initials for obvious reasons. This group, which included the likes of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy E, took their controversial streak to a whole new level when they released a song titled "F the Police."
It was bad enough that they dropped an F-bomb in the title, but to dedicate an entire song to their shared hatred of the "po-po" was sure to cause some outrage. To be fair though, they had their reasons for writing this song. Black men in LA underwent all kinds of problems with the police in the late '80s. Although this was NWA's legitimate way of protesting, the song was banned from radio all over the country.
"Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine has always been an extremely politically-charged band. And they wrote their classic song "Killing in the Name" in light of the death of Rodney King during the 1992 LA riots. It didn't take long before MTV in America banned the song due to its explicit content, most notably the final minute!
But this seemed to make the song even more popular and it has been used for various other political causes. In 2009, the song famously reached number one in the UK charts in order to prevent the winner of The X Factor from having the number one spot at Christmas.
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by The Beatles
Sure, the phrase "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" sounds pleasant, almost like something out of a fairytale. But when you take into consideration that the initials of the title spell out "LSD," you start to get an idea of what the song is actually about.
The Beatles were at the forefront of hippie culture at one point, and many of their songs were accused of promoting the use of illicit substances, most notably this one. As a result, the BBC was quick to ban the song from the British airwaves. And after 9/11, the song was once again banned by the CCC.
"Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles
It's pretty clear why listeners would take issue with a song called "Walk Like an Egyptian." While The Bangles' 1986 single was a hit with many listeners, the song's lyrics and subsequent music video were offensive to many authorities, including Clear Channel Communications and the BBC.
With numerous conflicts going on in the Middle East during the time, radio stations didn't want to incite any more violence on home soil by associating the song with wars in the region. Also, they just didn't want a song on their airwaves that was guilty of cultural appropriation. So yeah, a few reasons why this song didn't fly.
"F It (I Don't Want You Back)" by Eamon
Overall, this song isn't the most controversial one ever written. But it was the title of one-hit-wonder Eamon's hit single "F*ck It (I Don't Want You Back)" that caused it to be banned by numerous radio stations. Truth be told, Eamon used plenty of profanities throughout the song, which was just too many DJs on either side of "the pond."
Censoring the song made it sound incoherent, as a whopping 33 expletives needed to be beeped out. Eamon never managed to recover from his 15 minutes of notoriety and we haven't really seen him since. Cee-Lo also had some similar issues with his song "F*** You."
"They Don't Care About Us" by Michael Jackson
Yes, even the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, stirred up some controversy in his heyday. Wacko Jacko stole the headlines with his song "They Don't Care About Us," mainly because some of the lyrical content offended a variety of communities.
The US media cited one line to potentially carry antisemitic undertones, which Jackson vehemently denied and clarified in multiple interviews. The New York Times famously denounced the song in a scathing article, which forced radio stations to think twice about playing it. In fact, one of the videos recorded in Brazil for the song was banned in the US too.
"Waterloo" by Abba
How could a song as joyful and feel-good as "Waterloo" ever have been banned? After all, this was the song that helped Abba win the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1974. The Swedish pop group couldn't believe the controversy the song would end up causing. When the Gulf War came around, the BBC decided to ban 67 songs from all of its radio stations.
Truth be told, a variety of these songs had minimal references to war, but they didn't want to take any chances. And "Waterloo" happened to be one of those casualties. What the BBC ignored was that the lyrics are actually using the battle of Waterloo as a metaphor for a woman giving into a man's advances. Come to think of it, that's also kind of problematic.
"Smack My B**** Up" by The Prodigy
It's no secret that this delightful song by The Prodigy was as polarizing as it was catchy. Just the title of the song pulled no punches, quite literally. The lyrics, as minimal as they are, didn't sit well with music authorities and censors alike.
Not to mention the fact that the music video is pretty unsavory. During the late '90s, when the song was released, the BBC was trying to reach younger audiences by playing more modern dance music. But it also wasn't comfortable playing a song that seemed to be perfectly fine with domestic violence. The eventual compromise was to play an instrumental version of the song, with zero lyrics.
"Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack
One of the most iconic bands of the Trip-Hop genre, Massive Attack has always been known to be provocative in both their lyrics and their music videos. Truth be told, the video for their classic song "Unfinished Sympathy" doesn't scream out controversy, and the lyrics of the song didn't incite any uproar then, and still don't until this very day.
The reason the song ended up getting banned temporarily was because it coincided with the beginning of the Gulf War. Radio stations refused to play the song because the band's name, Massive Attack, had the word "attack" in it, and they didn't want to associate themselves with war in any way whatsoever. The band agreed to this, and they were simply referred to as Massive during this time.
"Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood was renowned for writing songs with lyrics that were, at best, offensive to at least some of the listeners. This was no different with their most popular single "Relax," which was criticized for what was perceived to have overtly sexual lyrical content.
As a result, BBC Radio banned the song from its airwaves. Amazingly, this didn't stop the song from becoming popular. In fact, it made people even more curious to listen, and so it ended up being in the Top 40 Charts for a whopping 35 weeks. For five of those weeks, it was at number one.
"A Day in The Life" by The Beatles
As harmless as The Beatles' songs actually sound, a lot of their tunes have been banned or heavily scrutinized for a variety of reasons. The song "A Day in the Life" is inspired by Guinness Family heir Tara Browne, who passed away in a car crash.
But it was the line "I'd love to turn you on" which was apparently alluding to illicit substance usage. As a result, the BBC decided to ban the song. Despite this, it is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock songs ever produced, with many artists covering it over the years.
"God Save the Queen" by Sex Pistols
As previously mentioned, The Sex Pistols were inherently controversial. Sid Vicious, Jonny Rotten, and the rest of the band were pioneers of the punk rock era. Everything they did was with the intention of disrupting the status quo and bringing anarchy to the masses through their music.
So it's no surprise that their song "God Save the Queen" was going to turn some heads. While the title doesn't sound all that controversial, the lyrics were extremely critical of the monarchy. This led the BBC to stop playing the record in 1977 as the British government was in uproar. Despite this, the song ended up reaching number two on the charts.
"I Am the Walrus" by The Beatles
If you have enjoyed the discography of The Beatles, you are probably familiar with their tune "I Am the Walrus." While there are layers to the song in terms of its meaning, it is renowned for having plenty of lines that deliberately don't make any sense. These include "crabalocker," "sitting on a cornflake," and "elementary penguins," to name a few.
But it was the line, "You've been a naughty girl / You let your knickers down" which the BBC simply couldn't justify playing on their radio stations, so they decided to ban it completely. This didn't stop millions of listeners though from playing the song on repeat on their record players.
"Space Oddity" by David Bowie
David Bowie had plenty of reason to write music about space exploration during the late 60s. This is mainly due to the fact that it coincided with the Apollo XI mission, in which the astronauts ended up successfully landing on the moon. But Bowie wrote and released "Space Oddity" before the mission was complete.
The BBC wasn't so comfortable with the idea of playing a song about astronauts in space when they had no idea if the likes of Neil Amstrong and Buzz Aldrin would even survive such a dangerous mission. But once the astronauts returned home safe and sound, they decided to bring it back to the airwaves.
"We Call it Acieed" by D-Mob
It's not much of a mystery why this song ended up getting banned. It's all in the title. American listeners might not be as familiar with it, but it was a pretty big hit in the UK, reaching number three in the charts. However, the use of the word "acid" alone stressed out the radio stations, who decided to ultimately ban the song.
Many newspapers associated the term with illicit substances, not recognizing that acid house is actually a genre of music. The controversy came to a head when Caron Keating and Steve Wright (wearing a smiley face t-shirt) excitedly introduced the song on "Top of the Pops."
"Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke
It's wild to think that the song that reached number one in the charts could also end up getting banned. But that's exactly what happened with Robin Thicke's song "Blurred Lines." With Pharrell producing the song and rapper T.I. featuring, it had all the makings of a classic song that would stand the test of time.
However, listeners were quick to voice concern about the misogynistic lyrics, which were all about the dynamics between men and women and the false ambiguity of consent. Not only did the original version get banned on YouTube, but it was also boycotted by numerous radio stations and even universities.
"Me So Horny" by 2 Live Crew
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out why this song got banned pretty quickly - or at least, was close to being banned. 2 Live Crew knew they were onto a winner with this party classic. But the explicit nature of the song saw the rap group get sued for obscenity charges.
Moreover, the album that the song was on, "As Nasty as They Wanna Be," got banned in the state of Florida. Thankfully, an appeal, which was taken up in the US Supreme Court, meant that the charges got overturned. The song has continued to be played on the radio and at parties up until the present day.
"I Want to Break Free" by Queen
This ban seemed to come about because of a cultural divide between the British and the US. While the song "I Want to Break Free" by Queen is fairly ambiguous in its lyrics, the American viewers seemed to think that the music video was basically promoting queerness and transvestitism, which at the time wasn't as broadly accepted as it is today.
But the British were completely in on the joke, as the video was some kind of homage to British soap operas of the day, most notably "Coronation Street." Brian May recalled how in certain parts of the US, radio stations claim that they simply couldn't play the song.
"Je T'aime ... Moi Non Plus" by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin
Back in 1969, Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin released the song "Je T'aime ... Moi Non Plus." What initially started off as a fairly pleasant song soon turned listeners' heads with its raunchy vocals, which are provided by both Gainsbourg and the one and only Brigitte Bardot, of all people.
It should come as no surprise that the song was banned in many places, ranging from the BBC all the way to the Vatican. This didn't stop the song from reaching number one in the UK charts. It made history, becoming the first single that was performed in a non-English language and to be banned, while also achieving this feat.
"Chinese Democracy" by Guns N’ Roses
Guns N' Roses have provoked listeners for many decades, often writing controversial lyrics for some of their biggest songs. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that both a song and an album titled "Chinese Democracy" were going to ruffle up some feathers, including the Chinese government.
The themes of the song include political unrest, uprisings, and revolutions, all things that were bound to offend certain institutions and authorities. Naturally, the song was banned in China, which the banned probably expected when they first started writing it. While it's not Guns' best work, fans were excited to get anything after so long.
"War Pigs" by Black Sabbath
In light of the tragedy that was 9/11, radio stations in the US were determined to crack down on songs that might be deemed not in the spirit of the moment. Any song that was too loud and war-themed was considered to be inappropriate.
This meant that songs like "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath stood no chance of being on the air during this period of mourning. While the lyrics of the song are actually anti-war in nature, the fact that the crazy man Ozzy Osbourne was singing it didn't sit well with the powers that be. So this song became irrelevant for a few years.
"Paper Planes" by M.I.A.
There is no denying that British rapper M.I.A. has had her fair share of bans over the years, for a variety of reasons. This includes her most famous song. Truth be told, there's not that much to complain about when it comes to M.I.A.'s classic 2007 song "Paper Planes."
After all, this catchy number has been used in many movies and shows, so what's all the fuss about? While the lyrics aren't so problematic, the noticeable gunshot songs that play out throughout the song have caused it to undergo major censoring both on MTV and even "Late Night With David Letterman."
"Walk On" by U2
While they're not necessarily the most controversial band the world has ever seen, U2 have been known to get pretty political in their songs over the years. In 2001, the Irish band released the critically acclaimed album "All You Can't Leave Behind."
This classic record included a song called "Walk On," which was written in support of Burmese activist Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was the chairwoman of the National League for Democracy. While the song won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year, the album was ultimately banned in Myanmar for the aforementioned reasons. It was just as successful as it was controversial.
"The Pill' by Loretta Lynn
Women's reproductive rights went through all kinds of changes during the 1970s. It was around this time that the Roe v. Wade trial led to the legalization of abortion across the nation. And just two years later, country singer Loretta Lynn released the song "The Pill."
There was no hiding what the title was referring to, and the lyrics were just as explicit about the promotion of women's choice for birth control. While we've moved on a lot since then, it caused a lot of debate at the time, and a variety of country music radio stations refrained from playing the song to listeners.
"Try That in a Small Town" by Jason Aldean
It wasn't too long ago that country legend Jason Aldean caused a bit of a stir with his single "Try That in a Small Town." While diehard fans would say that the lyrics in the song were nothing new when it came to country music, it was the accompanying music video that added a layer of controversy.
Viewers interpreted the imagery as being ultra-conservative, xenophobic, and potentially even racist. Not only did CMT, the TV network, decide to stop playing the music video, but many radio stations also took the song out of circulation, for a while, at least. Overall though, Aldean's fan base hasn't been affected by the incident.
"Killing an Arab" by The Cure
It should come as no surprise that a song called "Killing an Arab" was bound to get banned somewhere in the world and at some point in history. This song by The Cure fell under criticism during the Persian Gulf War.
In an attempt to stop the song from further bans, the ban started to play the song at their concerts but would use the term "kissing" instead of "killing." They also wrote a new opening verse for the song. They then went on to write a version of the song called "Killing an Ahab," which took inspiration from the story of Moby Dick.
"Jeremy" by Pearl Jam
While it never got outright banned, "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam is a song that has faced quite a lot of backlash over the years. Covering contentious topics such as school violence and teenage harm, it tells the story of a troubled kid who ends up shooting up his class.
The song has, for the most part, evaded censorship from the authorities. However, its music video was removed from numerous music TV channels because of its graphic content. The video has come on and off the TV circuit, normally corresponding to the rise and fall of the number of violent incidents in schools, from year to year.
"School's Out" by Alice Cooper
We don't think Alice Cooper ever really promoted the idea of kids not taking school seriously. It seems that the rock star simply wanted to create a rock song that was something of an anthem for the beginning of the summer holidays. But radio stations did not really see it this way when it was first released.
They were worried that students all around the country would listen to the song and develop a more rebellious outlook on school. This led to the song getting banned on many stations. This was also the result of pressure coming from schools, teachers, principals, and parents.
"My Ding-a-Ling" by Chuck Berry
It's crazy to think that a song that's more than half a century old could have been controversial back then. Maybe retroactively, but at the time? Chuck Berry's song "My Ding-a-Ling" is full of innuendo in the lyrics, which is probably what compelled the radio stations at the time to stop playing it.
Mary Whitehouse, who was a British morality campaigner during the time the song came out, wrote to the BBC and gave accounts of how schoolkids were using the song as a backdrop for indecent activities. "We trust you will agree with us that it is no part of the function of the BBC to be the vehicle of songs which stimulate this kind of behavior—indeed quite the reverse," she wrote.
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears
There have been many points in history when it has felt like everybody does, in fact, want to rule the world. This has not been more truer than during World Wars I and II. And it seems like Tears for Fears were determined to capture that idea in their classic hit song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World.
It was just a matter of time before something triggered the radio stations to stop playing the song, at least temporarily. This came in 1991, during the beginning of the first Gulf War. The BBC decided to stop playing numerous songs with any hints of war or political references, and this was one of them.
"Ghost Town" by The Specials
There is no denying that "Ghost Town" by The Specials directly coincided with the 1981 England riots. This didn't stop the song from being praised by listeners and critics alike. It was even given the title "Song of the Year" in various magazines.
Singer Terry Hall commented on the links between the song and the riots, saying that it was more about riots that had happened the year before in Brixton and Bristol. The fact that it was now being played during these newer riots across the country was purely coincidental, as far as he was concerned. Many people blamed the song for further incitement, leading to its ban on radio stations.
"Suicide is Painless" or "Song from M*A*S*H"
It would make perfect sense for a song with the word "suicide" in it to be banned. Not only that but the actual title is mentioned in the chorus throughout the song! We are of course talking about "Suicide Is Painless," the official theme song from the hit series "M*A*S*H." While the song was never banned per se, there were a handful of controversies around it.
Many viewers who may have experienced losing people from suicide took great offense and would file formal complaints to have the song removed from the show's opening credits. Despite some sanctions via the radio, no official ban was ever implemented.
"War" by Edwin Starr
Even anti-war songs have been subject to bans over the years. We can understand if a song is pro-war - that's not cool at all. But anti-war? Pro-peace? Seems counterintuitive if you ask us. One prime example of this came with Edwin Star's classic song "War." This powerful record reached number one in the US all the way back in 1970.
In fact, it is considered to be one of the most popular protest songs of all time. But following the events of 9/11, the song was officially marked as one of the 161 tunes on the no-play list, which had been put together by the Clear Channel.
"Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" by Bob Dylan
This might be one of the most bizarre reasons for a song to be banned on this entire list but bear with us. Bob Dylan is known for writing through-provoking lyrics that are way ahead of their time. But even he couldn't believe the controversy that came from his song "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down."
This 1962 jam happened to include the line "God-almighty world." While that might not sound so bad today, it apparently offended a lot of people more than 60 years ago. This resulted in radio stations refusing to play it, followed by a more comprehensive ban.
"Mack the Knife" by Bobby Darin
Truth be told, the song "Mack the Knife" has been around for a long time, having been covered by multiple artists over the years. There was a version of the song known as "A Theme from The Threepenny Opera (Mack the Knife)," which came out in 1955. This version ended up being banned at first by numerous radio stations.
Why? Because they deemed the lyrics as potentially glorifying criminal activity. Despite this, the song did very well in the charts, reaching number 20 in the charts. Versions that followed also sold many copies, so there was no stopping the success of this song either way.
"Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
Many would agree that this song was banned for the wrong reasons. After all, even Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder have explained how they wanted to make a song that promoted racial harmony. However, the song ended up getting banned in South Africa.
When Stevie Wonder received the 1984 Academy Award for Best Orignal Song, he mentioned Nelson Mandela in his acceptance speech. This was still during the time when South Africa was under apartheid. As a result, the South African Broadcasting Corporation banned the song, making it the first song to face such a punishment in McCartney's illustrious career.
"Rock the Casbah" by The Clash
We're not sure if it was the song itself or just the music video showing the sheik and the rabbi having a joy ride together, but for whatever reason, "Rock the Casbah" was a troublemaking record for a lot of people. While the casual listener could just jam along to this classic record by The Clash, Arab listeners could definitely pick up on words they were familiar with, like "sharif," "bedouin," and "minaret."
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the song was banned in many Middle Eastern countries, who considered the song to be disrespectful to the Arab culture. Ironically, the song is rumored to have been inspired by a demo recorded by an Algerian musician.