by Kevin Burton
If one of your favorite new songs got banned from commercial radio today, you might not even know it. That, of course, would tamp down the outrage a bit.
But back in the day radio was king, and airplay, or lack thereof, had big sales implications.
What follows is a list from watchmojo.com, of ten songs that were banned in some places. I think all the songs got on air in at least some places, maybe thanks to FM stations. I know I heard many of them on air.
By the way, watchmojo is a source of a lot of fun lists. Here’s their list of controversial tunes from the 70s:
10: “Radio Radio” (1978)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
The lyrics to “Radio Radio” by Elvis Costello & The Attractions are bitter, biting and sarcastic; a pointed attack against those who would censor or control the airwaves.
Costello’s musings on the BBC’s seemingly endless string of bans would eventually become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy, on the world-famous stage of “Saturday Night Live.” The performance has since gone down as a classic: when Costello and The Attractions play a few bars before stopping the song and launching into a furious rendition of “Radio Radio.”
The stunt, while not getting the band officially banned from SNL, did keep them from being invited back for 12 years.
9: “Love to Love You Baby” (1975)
Donna Summer
The disco era was never in any deficit for songs about sex. “Love to Love You Baby” was one of the best ones, too, but not everybody got down with Donna Summer’s…well, “gettin’ down.”
“Love to Love You Baby” was notably banned by the BBC, as well as other stations, for its edgy full-length version. This extended cut was somewhat infamous for its eroticism, as Summer’s performance in the studio went for the full monty in terms of moaning, groaning and…wait, what were we talking about again?
It’s a supremely sexy song from a decade that was already pretty focused on that sort of business anyway.
8: “Short People” (1977)
Randy Newman
It may be sort of hard to believe nowadays, but that beloved songwriter Randy Newman, yes he of “Toy Story” fame, actually had some public heat laid at one of his songs.
Newman released “Short People” as a single in 1977, featuring lyrics that were intended to satirize and vilify the “short-mindedness” of prejudiced individuals. Instead, some radio stations probably just weren’t aware of Newman’s pedigree of outside-the-box songwriting, and took “Short People” at face value.
The song was never officially banned, but “Short People” was briefly taken off the air by some affiliates that thought Newman was poking fun at the vertically challenged.
7: “Brown Sugar” (1971)
The Rolling Stones
Hindsight can be a strange beast, and all of us certainly have things we’d do differently in our lives, given the chance. “Brown Sugar” continues to be one of the most popular Rolling Stones songs, but it’s also one of the most problematic.
Its subject matters of sex and race got it pulled from some radio stations back in the day, and there’s also a lot of discussion today with regards to its complicated legacy. Mick Jagger even told Rolling Stone magazine’s Jann Wenner back in 2009 that he, “…never would write that song now.”
6: “The Pill” (1975)
Loretta Lynn
The subject of authenticity is one that’s often discussed within the world of country music, but what about reproductive rights?
Loretta Lynn courted controversy back in 1975 with her fan-favorite song, “The Pill,” despite being one of country’s most unequivocally beloved ambassadors. Lynn had given birth to four children prior to reaching her 21st birthday, and this personal history helped make “The Pill” resonate with her devoted audience.
Radio stations weren’t so keen on the song, however, to the point where “The Pill” is still rarely played on country radio stations at the time of this writing.
5: “War” (1970)
Edwin Starr
The original version of “War” was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, and performed by The Temptations back in 1969. Edwin Starr re-recorded the tune in 1970, and this is probably the version most of us know today as a stone-cold soul classic.
The immediate aftermath of September 11th, 2001 was a different time, however, and war (the song and the act) were once again in the news. Specifically, media conglomerate Clear Channel briefly removed Edwin Starr’s song from airplay rotation, citing concerns about its lyrical content. Although, if you ask us, considering anti-war sentiment as “insensitive” sounds pretty backwards.
4: “Walk on the Wild Side” (1972)
Lou Reed
It’s sort of wild (pun intended) to think about how the BBC actually let the uncensored “Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed escape unscathed from their ban-hammer. The reason? They didn’t understand the sexual colloquialisms utilized by Reed on the song.
U.S. radio stations didn’t seem to care, either, although the full and uncensored version of “Walk on the Wild Side” was effectively banned by some affiliates. This came down to the racial terms sung on the song, whereby an edited description of “the girls” was included in its place. The sex stuff, though? Yeah, all of those descriptors stayed in.
3: “Imagine” (1971)
John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band
We think everybody can agree that we’re sick of celebrities singing charity versions of “Imagine” by John Lennon, right? Gal Gadot effectively ruined that song for everybody.
What most people are NOT sick of, however, is discussing “Imagine’s” controversial reputation. Fans routinely argue about Lennon’s anti-religious implications, and “Imagine” was yet another song that was on the receiving end of Clear Channel’s “Do Not Play” list back in the aftermath of September 11th.
It’s another example of how a song’s uplifting melody can sometimes distract from what its lyrics are actually discussing, or how we as listeners interpret those discussions.
2: “Lola” (1970)
The Kinks
The BBC’s ban of “Lola” by The Kinks actually had more to do with the product placement of its lyrics, than its actual, conceptual content. The referencing of “Coca-Cola” isn’t really discussed anymore today, replaced instead with modern appraisals concerning its treatment of homosexuality.
The jury remains out as to whether “Lola” is a forward-thinking and prescient anthem about gender inclusivity or an archaic relic from a culturally insensitive era. One thing’s for sure: everybody has something to say about “Lola” and this controversy has helped this song endure for more than fifty years.
1: “God Save the Queen” (1975)
Sex Pistols
There was no stopping the momentum of the Sex Pistols, nor the filth and fury of their punk rock movement.
Singles such as “Anarchy in the U.K.” and particularly “God Save the Queen” got both the band and their manager, Malcolm McCarlen, in political hot water. Some retail shops in Britain wouldn’t stock copies of the Pistols’ banned anthem, “God Save the Queen,” despite the tune’s overwhelming popularity.
This knowing, two-fingered salute to the U.K. national anthem and national political figurehead effectively made The Sex Pistols legends in their own time.
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